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2012 Chevrolet Camaro

Solid pick. The complaint record is strong for its age. It does carry safety recalls, so confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the VIN before money changes hands.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

110 owner complaints · 5 recalls · data verified July 14, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

Complaint reports have faded. Early issues appear resolved or aged out.

The math, shown

Full methodology →
Complaint volume (40%)85
Severity (30%)57
Recall load (20%)69
Trend (10%)97

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20122026 YTD

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

5/5 overall

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2012 Chevrolet Camaro 2 DR RWD

Front crash
Side crash
Rollover

Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 9%

Stability control: StandardForward collision warning: NoLane departure warning: No

1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file, separate from the recalls above.

NHTSA crash-test photo, 2012 Chevrolet Camaro 2 DR RWD

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miEngine~50k mi · 26 reports

Also reported (mileage varies): Electrical system (25) · Airbags (22) · Transmission & drivetrain (15) · Body & structure (10)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.

Engine

24%

26 complaints · typically near 50k mi

The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that the check engine warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed nor repaired. The …

Electrical system

23%

25 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of p…

Airbags

20%

22 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

The air bags aren't working properly. They initially fixed a prior issue with my air bags long ago. However this issue has persisted. I think these cars have major iss…

Transmission & drivetrain

14%

15 complaints

HAVING PROBLEMS WITH TORQUE CONVERTER WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE

Recalls (5)

Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.

Electrical System · 19E064000

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain replacement flip-key ignition transmitter assemblies sold as replacement equipment for 2010-2015 Chevrolet Camaro vehicles. GM dealers may have inadvertently sold these assemblies as replacement keys despite them having been recalled under NHTSA recall number 14V-346 (GM number 14294) when they were the original equipment assemblies. The driver may accidentally bump the ignition key with their knee, moving the ignition out of the run position and turning off the engine.

Risk: Once the engine is off, the vehicle can lose power steering and power braking, increasing the risk of a crash. The air bags may not deploy in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the key with the flat blade design, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed November 6, 2019. Owners received a second notice and the recall began February 4, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N192223230.

Seats · 14V447000

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.

Risk: If the driver's seat unexpectedly drops, the distraction and altered seat position may affect the drivers' control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.

Electrical System · 14V346000

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling all 2010-2014 Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured December 3, 2008 to May 23, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the driver may accidentally hit the ignition key with their knee, unintentionally knocking the key out of the run position, turning off the engine.

Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position could cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the key blade from the original flip key/RKE transmitter assemblies, and provide two new keys and two key rings per key. The recall began August 25, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14294. Note: Until the recall has been performed, it is very important that drivers adjust their seat and steering column to allow clearance between their knee and the ignition key.

Air Bags · 14V300000

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011 to July, 16, 2012, Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured December 7, 2011 to July 25, 2012, Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured December 5, 2011 to August 2, 2012, and Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured December 1, 2011 to June 11, 2012. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.

Risk: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact GM at 1-800-222-1020. Buick owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. Note: This is an expansion of recalls 12V-522 and 13V-023.

Air Bags · 13V023000

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic, and model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.

Risk: If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on February 13, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

Before you hand over money

Verify the recall work was done

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2012 Chevrolet CAMARO beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

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What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.