The 2015 Corvettes “Valet Mode” May be Illegal

2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible (Credit: © General Motors)

When the 2015 Corvette Stingray rolled out with its Performance Data Recorder and “Valet Mode” the world of owning a super-fast sports car became a little bit safer. This system allows the owner to record driving styles, driving video and audio inside the cabin while the car is not in his control. Absolutely brilliant, right? Yes, but somehow GM’s legal department overlooked the fact that it is illegal to record someone’s voice without consent in 13 states… Oops…

According to CorvetteForum, GM sent letters to all 2015 Stingray owners advising them not to use their PDR’s “Valet Mode” without notifying occupants that they will be recorded and getting their consent to the recording. The letter goes on to state that there is an update in the works and it will be ready “in the next few weeks.”

GM did not describe what sort of update it is working on, but it will likely be a screen that alerts the driver that he or she will be recorded and requires agreement to continue.

According to Jalopnik, the 13 states that have laws against recording audio without consent are California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington. On the other hand, it is perfectly legal to video someone without their consent in all 50 states, which seems a little odd to me,

To say that I am amazed that a legal department overlooked this is an understatement, but considering GM has a recent history of missing issues that can bite it later, I am not overly surprised.