Chevrolet Camaro Problems & Known Issues

The electric power steering assist system may fail suddenly while driving due to defective control boards in the Bosch-supplied EPS system. Loss of power steering requires significantly greater steering effort, especially at low speeds. Recall 25V175 covers 934 vehicles (536 Camaros) and expands GM's earlier recall 19V086, which covered 26,772 Cadillac CTS/ATS, Camaro and Corvette vehicles.

GM's recall says the plastic "Camaro" emblem on the driver airbag cover was made from improperly molded plastic and may separate when the driver airbag deploys. If it separates, there is an increased risk of injury in a crash. It affects about 30 specific 2017-2021 Camaro cars identified from part-trace records (production June 15, 2016 to January 4, 2021, including cars that may have received a suspect service airbag). GM recall N212327220 / NHTSA 21V211; check your VIN.

Fifth-generation Camaro models were included in GM's ignition switch/key rotation safety recall because the key could be inadvertently moved out of the Run position by contact with the driver's knee. When this happens, the engine can shut off while driving, causing loss of power steering assist, reduced brake assist, and airbag disablement in a crash sequence. GM recall 14V346 covers 2010-2014 Camaros.

Vehicles equipped with the 10-speed automatic transmission may experience momentary wheel lock-up when downshifting from 8th gear. A transmission control valve is susceptible to premature wear, leading to pressure loss and potential wheel lock-up.

The electronically controlled 4L60E four-speed automatic behind the V6, LT1 and LS1 Camaros has two well-known failure points. The 3-4 clutch pack burns out first: the drum has limited space and thin factory friction plates that wear rapidly under heat and load, so the trans shifts fine through 1st and 2nd but slips or feels like neutral going into 3rd/4th, often with RPM flare on the 2-3 shift. The second is the 'sun shell' (reaction shell), a stamped part prone to fracturing at the hub — when it breaks you typically lose 2nd, 4th and Reverse at once, dropping to 1st and 3rd only. Heat is the primary accelerant on these transmissions; degraded fluid speeds both failures.

GM says some cars shake or shudder during light-throttle acceleration or steady driving between 25 and 80 mph when the transmission is not shifting, described as driving over rumble strips. GM attributes this to torque converter clutch shudder. It affects 2016-2019 Camaros with the 2.0L turbo (LTG), 3.6L V6 (LGX) or 6.2L V8 (LT1) and an 8-speed automatic (8L45 or 8L90, RPO M5T/M5U), built before the February 1, 2019 breakpoint (GM bulletin 18-NA-355, US/Canada/Middle East; Mexico and export use 19-NA-018).

Owners of 2010-2012 Camaros with a manual transmission report a clutch pedal that sits low, returns slowly, or stays on the floor after being pressed. One 2012 owner says the car went to the dealer six times, and the problem came back even after the clutch was replaced. A 2012 SS (6.2L LS3) owner describes the clutch hanging, the pedal returning slowly and the clutch dragging. The same owner points out that the hydraulic clutch draws fluid from the brake fluid reservoir. GM sent dealers two preliminary bulletins about this symptom. PI0486B covers 2010-2015 manual Camaros and says thermal contraction of the clutch fluid can leave the pedal low or stop it returning fully. PIP4800B covers 2010-2013 Camaros with the 6.2L V8 and manual transmission. It says the pedal can stick to the floor during hard launches if the driver lets the pedal out too slowly in launch control mode, which overheats the clutch. The owner reports linked here cover 2010-2012 manual cars with both the 3.6L V6 and the 6.2L V8.

GM says some cars show a "Shift to Park" message in the driver information center. The cause may be that the park switch cannot pull the signal circuit low to tell the body control module the car is in Park. It affects 2016-2020 Camaros with an automatic transmission (GM bulletin 21-NA-245, April 2024 version).

Gen 5 Camaros with the 6L50/6L80/6L90 six-speed automatic commonly exhibit a 2-3 upshift 'flare' where engine RPM briefly rises before the gear engages, sometimes followed by a firm bump. GM issued bulletins calling a mild 2-3 slip/flare a 'normal characteristic,' but worsening flare typically indicates a real hydraulic leak, most often at the 3-5-Reverse clutch drum or clutch-regulator valve, and can throw pressure/ratio codes. Left unaddressed, slipping accelerates clutch wear.

Automatic-transmission SS models with the 6.2L L99 V8 use Active Fuel Management lifters that are widely reported to collapse or stick, often leading to a misfire, valvetrain noise, and in many cases camshaft lobe damage. This problem is heavily documented across GM AFM-equipped V8 platforms and appears in Camaro owner complaints and forum repair threads. Repairs can become expensive because the cylinder heads and valvetrain must be opened, and many owners replace the cam and full lifter set once failure begins.

The 3.6L direct-injected V6 used in fifth-generation Camaro is known for timing chain wear/stretch that can trigger cam/crank correlation faults, rough running, and reduced performance. GM issued service information and special coverage on related 3.6L timing chain concerns across multiple applications, and Camaro owners have documented the same issue in forums and complaints. Poor oil maintenance tends to accelerate wear because chain life is sensitive to lubrication quality and oil change intervals.

GM says some 2.0L turbo (LTG) Camaros may have abnormal combustion (misfire), with the Check Engine light on and/or a reported lack of power, linked to carbon tracking on the spark plugs and ignition coil boots. It affects 2019-2020 Camaros with the 2.0L turbo LTG engine (GM service update N192281810, March 2019). GM estimated only about 7% of involved cars would need parts.

The all-aluminum 5.7L LS1 that arrived in the 1998 Camaro is durable, but early cars are documented to consume oil at a high rate, sometimes 400-600 miles per quart, most often on cars driven hard where the engine frequently spins above ~3,200 RPM (typically 6-speed manual cars). GM traced it to ring 'flutter' — an interaction between the factory oil-control rings and the cylinder bore that lets the ring lose contact with the bore and pass oil. Some engines also exhibit cold-start 'piston slap' (a light knock on startup that quiets as the engine warms) from the short-skirt piston rocking on the wrist pin at cold piston-to-bore clearance. GM issued TSB 01-06-01-023 covering the 1999-2001 Camaro/Firebird LS1 for higher-than-expected oil consumption and revised the pistons/rings for later production.

Owners of 2010-2011 Camaros report the "Engine Power Reduced" warning coming on while driving, with the car limited to low speed and idling roughly; one 2011 owner says the throttle body positioner was bad, and a 2010 owner suspected the throttle body or its sensors. The linked owner reports cover 2010-2011 Camaros and do not all state the engine.

The cowl plenum under the vent grille collects leaves and debris, and its drains plug; trapped water then rots the cowl from the inside out and rots the lower corners where the cowl meets the A-pillar and the firewall. The rain-gutter and A-pillar seams are sealed only with seam sealer that cracks with age, letting moisture in behind the A-pillar post. The corner where the hood meets the cowl is a known rot point, made worse when the hood-to-cowl seal is missing so rain and debris hit the outer firewall directly. Because the rot starts inside the double-walled cowl, it is often advanced before it shows, and water leaks into the footwells are an early warning.

First-gen Camaros were never dipped in a chemical rust-proofing tank before paint at the factory, so the unibody corrodes badly when neglected or driven in salt. The classic rot spots all stem from trapped water: the rear-window channel has no proper drain so water pools under the glass and rots the lower window lip and package tray; that water then runs straight into the trunk and eats the trunk pan and drop-offs; and the rear quarters rust in front of and behind the tire where the factory lapped two panels together in the wheelhouse, trapping dirt and tire-thrown water between them. Visible holes typically represent only about 10% of the actual rust, so adjoining floor pans, frame rails and the package tray are usually involved too.

Convertible Camaros commonly develop power-top operating problems involving the tonneau cover, latch alignment, microswitches, hydraulic components, or the required trunk divider/interlock. Owners report the top stopping mid-cycle, warning messages, tonneau covers that will not latch, and repeated need for manual reset procedures. These issues are well represented in owner forums and service bulletins related to top operation and adjustment.

T-top-equipped Camaros are widely documented to leak water into the cabin, and the rear hatch on the coupe leaks as well. The T-top leaks are almost never at the glass-to-weatherstrip contact but where the weatherstripping meets the body: the foam-rubber seal under the weatherstrip breaks down with age and stops sealing, so water runs down the interior trim near the rear of the door/seatbelt area and pools in the rear floor or back-seat well. Separately, the rear hatch leaks from clogged drainage gutters behind the hatch and from the hatch-glass bond, letting water collect and run into the cargo area. Left unaddressed the standing water rusts floor pans and rots carpet.

GM says water getting into the rear compartment can damage electrical parts there, including the rear body fuse block. Owners may see a no-start, a clicking or dead radio, the Check Engine light, various other electrical problems, or smoke or fire from the trunk. It affects 2016-2024 Camaros with all engines and transmissions (GM bulletin 18-NA-375, November 2023 version).

The factory breaker-point distributor needs constant maintenance: points pit and close up, dwell and timing drift, and a 50-plus-year-old distributor usually has worn shaft bushings that let the timing 'walk,' causing hard starting, stumble and inconsistent idle. Compounding it, the factory runs a resistance wire that feeds the coil only ~9-10 volts, so spark energy is weak — fine for a stock low-compression engine but marginal for any cam/compression upgrade a restorer adds.

GM says water can migrate along the forward lamp wiring harness into the cooling fan connector on some 2016 Camaros, causing lost connection and terminal corrosion; the Check Engine light can come on, and if the loss of fan operation is not corrected the engine can overheat or be damaged. Owners of 2017-2018 V6 cars also report overheating at idle and a cooling fan that only runs after being tapped. GM Customer Satisfaction Program N152026170 covers 2016 Camaros with the 3.6L V6 (LGX) or 2.0L turbo (LTG); the 2017-2018 cases come from owners of 3.6L V6 cars.

The tight first-gen engine bay leaves little room for radiator and fan, and the original copper/brass core struggles to shed the heat of a 396 big-block (and a hot 350) in stop-and-go traffic, at idle, or with A/C. Decades of scale and a tired clutch fan or a missing/incorrect fan shroud make it worse, so these cars routinely creep toward the top of the gauge in summer traffic — a real concern for a freshly rebuilt engine.

Owners report fuel pump failures on sixth-generation Camaros: a 2018 owner reports hesitation to start, fumes and then a no-start that the dealer traced to the fuel pump, and a 2019 owner reports a cracked, leaking high-pressure fuel pump at 37,000 miles. The linked owner reports involve 2018 and 2019 Camaros. A separate recall (19V837) covers some 2020 Camaros only.

The in-tank fuel pump module on 4th gen Camaros — which combines the pump, the fuel-level sending unit, strainer and internal wiring — is a common wear item, and its sending unit is a chronic source of an inaccurate or erratic fuel gauge. Owners report the gauge reading empty with fuel in the tank, jumping around, or dropping suddenly. The gauge inaccuracy is aggravated by the wedge shape of the tank and by the aging sending-unit resistor card, while the pump itself eventually weakens (long crank, stalling, high-speed fuel starvation). Because these parts are 25+ years old, failure is treated as routine maintenance.

Early first-gen Camaros used a single mono-leaf rear spring that lacks the rate to control V8 torque. Under hard acceleration the spring wraps into an S-shape (spring wrap), the axle rotates, the tire momentarily lifts and unloads, then the spring snaps back — the classic, violent and unsafe wheel hop that can break U-joints, axles and spring eyes. Early 1967 cars also located both rear shocks ahead of the axle on the same arc, which did nothing to damp the hop. Chevrolet's mid-1967 band-aid (a radius/traction bar) and the 1968 switch to staggered shocks plus optional multi-leaf springs reduced it, but mono-leaf V8 cars remain notorious for it.

The sealed front wheel-bearing/hub assemblies wear out and produce a growing humming, rumbling, or grinding noise that changes pitch when turning or with speed. Because the wheel-speed sensor is integral to the hub, a failed bearing can also set ABS/StabiliTrak faults and light the dash. The bearing is not serviceable separately on these cars; the entire sealed hub must be replaced. Heavier wheel/tire setups and spirited driving accelerate wear.

The vast majority of first-gen Camaros left the factory with four-wheel drum brakes that fade badly with repeated or hard stops, pull when the shoes glaze, and feel wooden — dangerously under-braked for the V8 power many of these cars make, especially after upgrades. The optional front discs (RPO J52) used a four-piston caliper on 1967-68 cars and a single-piston caliper for 1969. 50-year-old drum hardware (wheel cylinders, springs, self-adjusters) is usually seized or leaking on a restoration candidate.

The front-mounted A/C condenser and its crimped hose connections are prone to pinhole leaks and stone-strike damage, letting refrigerant escape so the system blows warm. Camaro owners commonly report the condenser leaking at the tubes or at the pressure-hose crimp between condenser and compressor. Because the condenser sits low and forward, road debris accelerates failure, and the leak is often hidden from a quick visual check.

The plastic gears inside the HVAC blend-door actuator strip over time, so the actuator motor spins without moving the temperature-mix door. Owners hear a repetitive clicking or knocking behind the dash (often on start-up or when changing temperature) and get uneven output such as cold air on one side and warm on the other, or the temperature not matching the setting. This is a common, well-documented Camaro complaint on Camaro5 and general GM HVAC references, mirroring the same actuator failure across the GM lineup.

Cars equipped with the factory sunroof are known to develop water leaks from clogged or disconnected drain tubes, poor seal seating, or drain routing issues. Owners report water dripping from the headliner or A-pillars, soaked carpets, mildew odors, and intermittent electrical issues after water intrusion. The problem is repeatedly documented in owner forums and service literature for leak diagnosis.

Even when new the first-gen Camaro's slow-ratio recirculating-ball steering box felt vague by modern standards; after 50-plus years of wear the box and linkage develop noticeable on-center slop, so the driver saws at the wheel to track straight. Worn box internals, a worn Pitman/idler arm and tired rag joint all stack up — a safety and drivability weak point that a fresh suspension rebuild alone won't cure if the box is worn out.

GM says that when the car is cold or has sat for several hours, a moan can come from the rear on the first one or two turns and goes away once warm. GM attributes it to slip/stick of the limited-slip (posi-traction) clutch plates. It affects 2016-2019 Camaros with the limited-slip rear axle, RPO G80 (GM bulletin 17-NA-287, version 4, April 2019). Cars without G80 are not covered.

GM says a software problem in the radio can make the display go blank or black at random, stop responding to touch, reset itself or ramp the volume up to maximum without input; Apple CarPlay and Waze may also not work properly. It affects 2019 Camaros equipped with the IOR infotainment system (GM bulletin 20-NA-097, November 2020, which replaced PIT5722).