Chevrolet Camaro: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Chevrolet Camaro: 14 model years scored from 1,354 NHTSA owner complaints and 32 recall campaigns. Worst year 2017, best year 2020.
Chevrolet Camaro: which years to avoid
Across 11 scored model years the Chevrolet Camaro ranges from 63/100 in 2017 to 93/100 in 2022 — a 30-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Steering (57 of them).
Safest years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Editor's note
The Chevrolet Camaro has no AVOID year on record, but two to treat with caution: 2015 (score 69 on 206 complaints, with Electrical System at 111) and 2017 (62 on 185, with Steering at 57). The years to buy are 2018 (85 on 79 complaints) and 2020 to 2022 (88, 87 and 93 on 31, 16 and 13), with the 2011 and 2012 cars at 79 and 81 behind them. The fifth-generation cars are defined by campaign 14V346000, under which all 2010 to 2014 Camaros were recalled because the driver's knee could knock the ignition key out of the run position, and by an Electrical System count that grows from 81 in 2013 to 99 and then 111. The 2017 steering complaints have a documented cause: 19V086000 and 25V175000 recall the 2017 and 2018 cars because the electric power steering assist may fail. The 2020 to 2022 cars carry 25V148000, for a ten-speed automatic that may lock the wheels. The 2019, 2023 and 2024 model years have no record.
Read the guide
Used Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette: the years to avoid — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
How the Camaro changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2011–2018
Mean score 75/100, about 14 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Electrical System more than anything else (423 complaints). 20 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2020–2022
Mean score 89/100, about 4 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Power Train more than anything else (21 complaints). 4 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2020 (score 88). Worst: 2017 (score 63, CAUTION).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,670 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,660 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 93 | BUY | $5,862 | 13 | 1 |
| 2021 | 87 | BUY | $4,004 | 17 | 4 |
| 2020 | 88 | BUY | $6,178 | 31 | 3 |
| 2019 | — | DATA PENDING | $6,120 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 85 | BUY | $6,747 | 79 | 2 |
| 2017 | 63 | CAUTION | $7,090 | 185 | 3 |
| 2016 | 81 | BUY | $5,858 | 141 | 1 |
| 2015 | 69 | CAUTION | $5,885 | 206 | 2 |
| 2014 | 71 | BUY | $5,968 | 188 | 4 |
| 2013 | 73 | BUY | $8,183 | 187 | 4 |
| 2012 | 81 | BUY | $5,452 | 113 | 5 |
| 2011 | 79 | BUY | $5,686 | 194 | 3 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the Camaro, through the years →
What goes wrong on the Chevrolet Camaro
Across every Camaro model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Electrical System429 complaints across all Camaro years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Power Train206 complaints across all Camaro years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other196 complaints across all Camaro years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Engine188 complaints across all Camaro years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Steering176 complaints across all Camaro years · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement$1,020–$2,500
- Air Bags136 complaints across all Camaro years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What are the best Chevrolet Camaro years to buy?
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021… all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2022 at 93/100, on 13 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
Which Chevrolet Camaro years should I avoid?
The 2017 is the weakest year we score, at 63/100 (CAUTION), on 185 complaints and 3 recalls. Check the year-by-year table above before committing to any particular car.
What is the most common Chevrolet Camaro problem?
429 of the complaints filed against the Camaro across all its model years sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04