2018 Chevrolet Camaro Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical2019.8%
- Powertrain (other)1716.8%
- Steering1716.8%
- Engine1514.9%
- Body & structure65.9%
- Driver assistance65.9%
- Visibility55.0%
- Fuel system55.0%
- Airbags44.0%
- Brakes22.0%
- Suspension22.0%
- Exterior lighting11.0%
- Seat belts11.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
Car has a power steering problem and car sensors are not working. Tire sensor, ac sensors, etc.
Getting shift to park message when car is already in park preventing the car from completely turning off. Leaving the car partially on draining the battery- Failed transmission controls
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
I am writing to express my frustration and concern regarding the well documented transmission shudder issue affecting my 2018 Chevrolet Camaro LT. My vehicle currently has only 29,800 miles, yet it has begun experiencing the same symptoms described in Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 18-NA-355. The vehicle's RPM gauge fluctuates noticeably, moving up and down while driving, and the car develops a significant shudder or vibration that can be felt throughout the vehicle. The issue is most noticeable during steady acceleration and cruising speeds. Not only does this affect the driving experience, but it also raises concerns about the long term reliability and safety of the vehicle. What is particularly troubling is that this problem has been widely reported by numerous Chevrolet owners and acknowledged by General Motors through TSB 18-NA-355. Despite the widespread nature of the defect, there has been no recall issued. As a customer, I find it difficult to understand why owners are expected to bear the financial burden of repairing a problem that appears to stem from a known manufacturing or design issue. A vehicle with fewer than 30,000 miles should not experience transmission problems of this magnitude. Many owners face costly repairs, including multiple transmission fluid exchanges, torque converter replacements, and in some cases transmission replacement. These expenses can be significant and create a negative ownership experience. General Motors has built its reputation on quality and customer loyalty, but issues like this damage consumer confidence. When customers encounter known defects and are left responsible for expensive repairs, it discourages future vehicle purchases and harms the brand's reputation. Many current owners, myself included, are reconsidering whether we would purchase another Chevrolet vehicle in the future. I respectfully request that General Motors review this issue and consider issuing a recall or extending warranty coverage for affect
I lose power steering randomly. When this occurs I get a service rear diff message on my dash, the fan motor cuts out, and gauges like the speedometer and tachometer go to zero. I took it to a dealer because I saw there was a recall for the exact problem I'm having with power steering, but I guess it's VIN specific and my car is not included in the recall. They also told me they couldn't get it to reproduce the symptoms I was talking about but after I left 10 minutes later it did it in a Walmart parking lot. I got it on video. This has caused one almost serious accident and multiple minor ones, and I can't afford the expensive dealer diagnostic fee and repair. I don't feel safe driving with it. I'm confused why I have the same make model and year of the recall but mine's not included. I called GM and the lady I talked to just kept repeating how my van wasn't included in the VIN specific group, and offered no help other than to go to a dealer and pay them to fix the same problem that is covered by other cars of the same year, make, and model. I asked her if it was possible that maybe their VIN groups should be expanded, especially because it's an 8 year old car and the recall just happened like 6 months ago, so maybe they didnt have all the data or info when they made the group of effected vehicles, and she hung up on me. Please help.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owned a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost steering functionality, preventing the contact from steering from side to side. Additionally, the message "Service Power Steering Assist" was displayed. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V175000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with power steering failure. The vehicle was repaired out of pocket. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 14,000.
Major steering issues car loses the power steering randomly, will be driving around a corner and the car won’t turn at all very dangerous car only has 13,000 miles on it
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
Lifter collapsed. Car had new gm lifters put in with a new camshaft in august of 2025 they have about 5k miles on them and failed they are the gm high performance lifters
The oil pump failed which caused to replace the engine as the oil pump is located in the engine. Pieces of metal from the oil pump failure went into the engine which could cause serious crash. I have paperwork from a shop indicating the issue. I have replaced my long block engine which was ordered from the independent mechanic shop who has ordered it from a GM reseller company. No warning signs other then the oil pump went to zero during a drive on [XXX] . I have an invoice and emails going back and forth with GM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
-Convertible back window popped out on right (passenger side), seal failed. A Chevy repair shop acknowledged the recall but said they did not have technicians trained & were limiting repairs due to COVID-19. -Engine shudders, loss of power -Electrical failure of USB connections in middle console
Trunk flooded with water due to insufficient drainage. Factory radio amplifier and vehicle fuse box are covered in water as well as aftermarket amplifier I've installed. I have parts for inspection if needed. My safety could be at risk if this causes a fire hazard, but I am unsure if that could happen. Other safety risks to myself and other drivers could be present if tail lights stopped working or engine suddenly shutting off. These as well as other things could suddenly stop working if the fuses blow or corroded from water in the fuse box. This is a common problem amongst owners of this vehicle, and has cost large amounts to replace electrical components. My vehicle has not been inspected. I took the vehicle home and parked it after finding water in the trunk. No warning lamps or messages appeared. Symptoms prompting me to check started with radio suddenly going quiet. Followed my loud popping sounds from all speakers. Unknown amount of time before radio and sound symptoms occurred.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
Side object detection module was shorted out due to water intrusion. Caused by faulty manufacturing material. Caused vehicle to shut down and unable to restart. Large safety concern Warranty company refused to cover the issue.
CHANGING LANES ON FREEWAY, CAR KICKED SIDEWAYS AND WE TRIED TO CORRECT THIS SLIDE. CAR SEEMED TO ACCELERATE CAUSING US TO LEAVE THE HWY AND FLIP LANDING UPSIDE DOWN.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that the rear glass attached to the cloth convertible top had become unsecured and the contact was concerned that the rear glass may separate from the convertible top. The contact stated that the rear glass panel was attached to the cloth convertible top using glue, and the glue had failed, causing the glass panel to become unsecured. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was advised that the entire convertible top needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that the convertible top was previously replaced due to a similar failure. The failure mileage was 9,000.
The back window is separating from the top the back window is falling out exactly as described in this other TSA and when this is brought to Chevy attention the say it's not covered even though the car only has 32k miles on it and an extended CPO warranty. I have taken the car to classic Chevrolet in grapevine for them to tell me it's not covered. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10154647-9999.pdf
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
The car lost power completely the engine would not start problem with fuel pump a loud or high-pitched whining noise from the fuel tank, intermittent stalling or power loss, decreased fuel economy, difficulty starting, and engine sputtering or hesitation
Manufacturer default in the trunk. Water is getting into the trunk causing water to fill up in the battery compartment. Thus, shutting the vehicle electrical system down completely. After researching, I contacted GM who stated that they are unaware of this issue, although many people who own this type of vehicle have had this issue occur.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
I purchased a vehicle from superstar motorz on Portland, Oregon on 1/12/25 and was not adviced the vehicle did not have working airbags and the vehicle is now at a Chevy service in Puyallup, WA. The vehicle does not have functioning air bags. I was advised by the repair facility that in the event of an accident neither of the airbags will deploy. I sent the dealership a formal email asking for a resolution for helping with the repair. But I would also like them to be investigated to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.
I was in a hit and run accident and my car was totaled. I had a passenger and her airbags deployed but the driver side didn't. I had reported that the service airbag alert was on when I first got the vehicle at carmax and they told us to take it to the chevy service center . I picked up the car a few days later and was told that it was fixed but after the accident , I'm sure it wasnt.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
5 times the brakes went out with no warning until they were out then the break assist light came on. It's been in shop 5 times over brake failure.
DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AND THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE LOCKS UP AND BRAKES BECOME HARD AS A ROCK, AND CAUSE ME TO SPIN OUT ON THE FREEWAY. RADIO CUT OFF AND FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS PICKING UP SPEED RATHER THEN SLOWING DOWN! ONSTAR THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL ME VIA EMAIL THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH MY ANTI BRAKING SYSTEM AND STABILITY TRAC SYSTEM AFTER THE CRASH.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
RAN INTO A SMALL POTHOLE. THE FRAME OF THE CAR BROKE CAUSING DIFFICULTIES WITH STEERING AND STABILITY. POOR DESIGN AND MATERIALS WILL NOT STAND NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT KUNI CHEVROLET IN SACRAMENTO, CA SINCE 2/1/19 AND THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT ON, WHEN I DRIVE OVER A BUMP AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IT CAUSED ME TO VEER ACROSS 2 LANES. THANKFULLY I DID NOT HIT ANOTHER CAR.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR STARTED MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE AND THE WINDOW WOULD NOT SHUT ALL THE WAY. THE DOORS WOULD START UNLOCKING ON THEIR OWN AND THE DRIVER WINDOW WOULD TRY TO ROLL ALL THE WAY UP UNSUCCESSFULLY. THE CONTROL PANEL WOULD FLASH A NOTICE THAT THE DOOR WAS UNLOCKED AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STAYED ON WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN PARKED AND ENGINE TURNED OFF. ONE EVENT LASTED 45 SECONDS WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND ANOTHER EVENT WHILE I WAS SITTING AT MY LOCAL CHEVROLET SERVICE CENTER. THIS EVENT HAPPENED WHILE THE REMOTE KEY WAS SITTING ON THE DASH IN SERVICE CENTER ENVELOPE AND THE CAR WAS OFF. THE DOORS STARTED UNLOCKING AND LOCKING AND DRIVER WINDOW STARTED GOING UP AND DOWN. THEN ALL THE DOORS LOCKED WITH ME INSIDE OF THE CAR AND I COULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR TO GET OUT ALL WHILE THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STAYED ON. I RECORDED THE EVENTS AS THEY OCCURRED BUT THEY ARE IN ,MP4 FORMAT AND I AM UNABLE TO UPLOAD THEM.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, ABOUT 65 MPH, AND THE PHONE CHARGER CAUGHT FIRE AND EXPLODED. I STOPPED THE CAR ON THE INTERSTATE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE ON MY PERSON. THE CHARGER FELL UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT, AND CAUGHT THE SEAT ON FIRE. THE WHOLE CAR WAS CONSUMED BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO THE SCENE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .