What 69 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro Zl1 With Recaro

Loss of power steering, particularly mid-turn and at low speeds. Steering becomes very difficult and greatly increases risk of crash. I have had several instances where my power steering will go out mid-turn and the steering wheel becomes almost impossible to turn. I have nearly t-boned another car due to this issue. It has also nearly caused me to drive off the road into a ditch. I did not notice any warning lights on the dashboard, but it's hard to say because I was focused on not crashing the car.

NHTSA ODI 11697362

Loss of power steering assist

NHTSA ODI 11674141

The power steering failed on June 17th, 2025 At approximately 3 PM. The system has been replaced by the local dealership so it is not available for inspection (dealership did it's own evaluation/inspection and determined the need for replacement). The vehicle was being driven when the power steering failed, so my safety and the safety of others on the same roadways was put at risk (fortunately, I was only about 1.5 miles from home). Prior to replacing the necessary parts, the local dealership reproduced and confirmed the problem was present (documentation to follow). The local dealership inspected the vehicle. As no accident occurred, local law enforcement and insurance representatives have not been involved. No warning lamps or messages or other symptoms of the problem occurred prior to the failure. A warning message was displayed once the failure occurred.

NHTSA ODI 11672096

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated when the vehicle was started, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with steering gear failure. The contact was informed that the steering gear needed to be replaced and reprogrammed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall repair; however, the VIN was not associated with the unknown recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,276.

NHTSA ODI 11668627

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)

NHTSA ODI 11666562

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.

NHTSA ODI 11663057

[XXX] Here is a link that explains this further. The oil pump on this vehicle has gone out with 11,000 miles on it. This a known problem from GM and they will not fix it. I am being told my car is out of warranty so no luck. This is not right. The pump should not go out that quick. I am being thrown to the side because I cherished my GM vehicle and didn't drive it as much as others. It risks blowing up the motor due to their faulty part. It isn't safe. [XXX] Here is another link to GM's site explaining that they know it is an issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11659685

-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

NHTSA ODI 11658686

The car had a partial oil pump failure where oil pressure dropped 30% in 2 days at 14k miles while under warranty. car was taken to dealership where I was denied service. they said I put the wrong oil in it and "installed the oil filter wrong". I cant even think of a way that is possible. they changed the oil and filter and pushed me out the door. Tt 18.6k miles the pump completely gave out and had zero oil pressure while driving, which destroyed the engine. A quick search online will yeild plenty of instances where the 18+ camaro ZL1 has had oil pump falures.

NHTSA ODI 11655349

I got a message in the dash saying "service power steering".... then the steering wheel began to shake violently until I pulled the car off the road. After I shut the car off, the car was still shaking for a total of 2 minutes. The front wheels and steering wheel appeared as if the car was having a seizure. I shut the car off for 20 minutes, turned it back on and it was like nothing ever happened. My scan tool at home and picked up the code "C055C:61 Steering Gear Performance Stuck".

NHTSA ODI 11653211

September 02 2020 I noticed the glass rear window had separated from the soft top. Reported it to my dealer and the $6000 top was replaced under warranty because the glass could not be reglued to the top. In August of 2024 I noticed the same problem. When I took it to the dealer it was no longer under warranty. I went to three auto glass companies and a custom auto design shop for help. They all refused to attempt a repair and said the top had to be replaced. I called GM customer service and they called the dealership and offered a new top for $2000. There is a design flaw in 2016 to 2023 Camaro convertibles as is witnessed by the many bloggers have attested to. Neither GM nor Chevy have offered a recall. The rear window, made of glass, could separate on the highway and cause death or injuries.

NHTSA ODI 11651156

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.

NHTSA ODI 11645227

The rear window became unglued on the bottom passenger side causing the window to peel back. With this peeling back it makes it difficult to see, because this causes the window to continuously fog up.

NHTSA ODI 11638928

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.

NHTSA ODI 11638454

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the transmission shuddered. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not under warranty. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission fluid needed to be flushed and refilled. The independent mechanic made the contact aware of Technical Service Bulletin Number: 18-NA-355. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was included in Technical Service Bulletin Number: 18-NA-355. The failure mileage was approximately 26,530.

NHTSA ODI 11610424

Rack and pinion system failed. I lost steering while driving on the highway almost causing me to crash. I called gm about taking in my car because i saw there was a recall on my year and model for this issue but when i gave them my vin number they said mine was not included. I asked them if my car is having the same issue as the recall and my year and model was recalled how can they tell me my vin number is not on the recall, they told me it was not so they could not fix it. It was looked at by a steering shop and there verified that the assist power steering motor was broke ( the assist motor is what the recall was done for by gm). There was a light that came on the first time and has everytime i start the car ( Service power Steering).

NHTSA ODI 11590955

Glass window in rear of convertible top is separating from the top. I am concerned it will completely separate while driving and strike another vehicle on the highway. The issue was there when purchased (NEW from dealer), just did not know what the bubbles meant. This vehicle has less than 40,000 mile, and window is ~25% separated.

NHTSA ODI 11583796

The ignition switch shorted, a fuse shorted and these symptoms revealed a bigger problem. The holding area for the tire in the rear (does not hold a tire because of space issue) was repurposed by the manufacturer to mount the rear fuse box and amp. When the sunroof overflows or gasket allows moisture to build this area holds water. Unknown water source at this time but there is no drain for the water directed here to go out. Subsequently the electrical is exposed to water causing a fire hazard while driving or running. In my case it melted various relays and wiring harnesses but I was able to find before the fire started. This is also in the vicinity of the fuel tank causing an extreme hazard. When researching I found this model car there were many that had reported it. This could have been extremely dangerous fire while operating and is completely preventable with small alteration. Water should not be directed to this area if it will not have a way to vacate and they have repurposed the area in this way.

NHTSA ODI 11581078

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.

NHTSA ODI 11554254

Car feels like you are driving over rumble strips when the road is clearly smooth. Tried buying new tires and nothing would fix it. Then looked online and found many thousands of people having same issue that has affected all gm 8 speed transmissions for several years. There is a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) 18-NA-355 on it due to how many people have had this issue. It explains that GM was using fluid that had water issues in it causing all these issues and that the fix is to have it flushed out and replaced with something better. GM was replacing the fluid themselves on unsold vehicles but any that were sold are apparently on their own as they want well over $600 to replace the fluid due to their incompetence. I get that things happen but companies should own up to their mistakes and just fix them. Not asking for anything special just fix your mistake and call it good. Called them and they just want to give a generic response of "you should get that looked at and fixed". Have been a large family of GM only vehicles but we have bought our last one.

NHTSA ODI 11523155

The contact owns a Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the power steering system failed, and the steering wheel became very stiff. The vehicle veered to the side of the road where it was restarted and driven to the residence. Additionally, the contact stated that the power steering warning light might have been illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

NHTSA ODI 11518238

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.

NHTSA ODI 11516757

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that a manufacturer defect had caused moisture to seep into the trunk compartment. As a result, water had leaking into the battery compartment which had caused the vehicle to shut off while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the defect was confirmed, and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11516013

I’ve been experiencing my acceleration and brake pedal engaging without my intervention. While driving , a sudden unintended acceleration will occur followed by the brakes engaging by itself. With the sudden acceleration, fail to accelerate, & delay stopping, all of these factors can cause danger to both the passengers in the car, including myself & others on the road around me which is a very big safety issue. In addition , with the problems i was experiencing & engine light being on my display i took the vehicle to be inspected by Don Mealey Chevrolet in Clermont, Florida 347811 on March 31st 2023 . The DTCs Read showed Active, failure code0x00: P0700 Transmission Control System(MIL Request).

NHTSA ODI 11514800

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

NHTSA ODI 11511764