Airbag, Engine & Powertrain issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The Chevrolet Camaro Sport Coupe was launched in the U.S. in September 1966. Also available as a convertible, it was the official pace car for the 1967 Indianapolis and again in several later years. It is also popular for road racing and drag racing.
The style of the Camaro has changed dramatically since it was first introduced. From long, low-slung, and sleek more than half a century ago, it has become more refined, with an aerodynamic appeal. While the Camaro is undeniably an icon, even icons have problems.
While there are only 4 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the 2020 Chevrolet Camaro, there are many more manufacturer communications. These include technical service bulletins that are sent to dealers to tell them about faults, issues, and risks of malfunctions with vehicles. By law, the manufacturer must provide copies to NHTSA. There are currently already 237 of these documents.
There have also been ongoing recalls, the first being in December 1971 when General Motors (GM), the owner of Chevrolet, discovered faulty engine mounts. The risk described is that if the motor mount separates it may result in the engine lifting. This, in turn, can lead to a loss of throttle control that can lead to the driver losing control of the vehicle. Potentially 6,682,084 cars, including the original 1967 model, may be affected.
There have already been 3 recalls of 2021 models. These relate to the airbags, powertrain, and seat belts.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2020
Consumer complaints to NHTSA about the 2021 Chevrolet Camaro relate to 4 components and/or systems.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Air Bags | |
| Electrical System | |
| Electrical System:adas:hill Start Assist:clutch Solenoid | |
| Electrical System:adas:hill Start Assist:software | |
| Engine | |
| Power Train |
The airbag complaint follows an accident when the Camaro was hit perpendicular into the passenger side door. The door was “seriously smashed in,” but the airbags didn’t inflate. “It’s a good thing the passenger was not killed or injured and this is a law of physics abnormality.”
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When the pungent smell of burning oil made the driver nauseous and caused burning eyes, he took his 2021 Camaro to 2 dealerships to diagnose the problem.
“The first told me they could not find an oil leak and I would have to deal with it. The second dealership stated that it is a valve on the back of the motor and that there is nothing they can do about it. I was told not to roll down the windows and to leave recirculate on.”
Then he phoned GM and was told to go to a third dealer. “They (GM) denied my request to send a master tech to check the vehicle. I am left with driving a car that leaves me nauseated and is a possible hazard to drive.”
The powertrain complaint involves a 2021 Chevrolet Camaro with only 426 miles on the clock. It had been driven only 3 times. On the 4th trip, the car started shuddering and the gears were slipping.
“So, for safety reasons, I brought the car back home. While turning into my street, the car transmission failed and slipped and stopped in the middle of a turn, just narrowly avoiding an accident. The transmission is all over the place when shifting, engaging, and taking off. This car cannot be driven safely at this time. It is not safe.”
As a result, the owner of the new car did some research and discovered it is “an ongoing problem with GM, with litigation in progress on this issue. Why and how can GM still sell these cars when this issue (is) still present?”
The electrical system problem relates to the hill start assist feature, which malfunctioned on a hill when the car had 260 miles on the clock. But, the owner of this Camaro was told that because the feature is part of the vehicle’s safety features, it can’t be deactivated!
The owner states in the NHTSA complaint that he believes it is a design flaw and not a failure. At the time of the complaint (January 2021), the problem had not been resolved.
When cars have persistent problems that impact their use, safety, and/or value, there’s a good chance of them being a lemon. If you think you’ve got a lemon, you need to contact an experienced lemon lawyer like Lemberg Law. We have negotiated many settlements including trade-ins and buybacks for car owners who bought lemons.
Don’t delay. Contact our Helpline and we’ll evaluate your case. The law makes GM pay lemon law legal fees, so you’ve got nothing to lose.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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