2012 Chevrolet Camaro Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
CautionComplaint Index
57/100
#7 most-complained of 15 Camaro years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro has 113 NHTSA complaints, a Complaint Index of 57, and ranks 7th worst out of 15 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Electrical System problems lead at 27% of complaints, with 4 recalls including an ignition-key knee bump issue and two airbag coil recalls.
- Complaints
- 113
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 10 / 4
- Injuries / deaths
- 7 / 3
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 19
- 16 city / 24 hwy
Top 2012 Chevy Camaro problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System30 (27%)
- Engine28 (25%)
- Airbags22 (19%)
- Structure & Body15 (13%)
- Transmission & Powertrain15 (13%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires10 (9%)
- Brakes9 (8%)
- Other9 (8%)
- Steering8 (7%)
- Visibility & Wipers8 (7%)
What owners report
- Vehicles catch fire without warning while parked or shortly after being shut off, with the electrical system identified as the ignition source.
- Sudden unintended acceleration or a stuck cruise-control-like surge occurs after shifting gears, overriding brake input.
- The engine loses power and stalls unexpectedly, sometimes causing loss of vehicle control and a crash.
- Driver-side airbags fail to deploy in low-speed collisions, leading to head and mouth injuries against the steering wheel.
- Steering column and tilt/telescoping assembly components separate after a rear-end impact, and total steering loss has been linked to fatal crashes.
2012 Chevrolet Camaro recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 14V447000Jul 23, 2014Structure & Body414,333 vehicles
Seats:front assembly:power adjust
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.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 14V346000Jun 20, 2014Electrical System464,712 vehicles
Electrical system:ignition
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.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 14V300000Jun 6, 2014Airbags31,520 vehicles
Air bags
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.
Remedy: 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.
2012 Chevrolet Camaro fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 16 MPG
- Highway
- 24 MPG
- Combined
- 19 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,400
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2012 compared with other Camaro years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2012 Camaro carries a Caution verdict with a Complaint Index of 57, ranking 7th worst among 15 model years of the Camaro.
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Camaro?
- Electrical System issues make up 27% of complaints, followed by Engine at 25% and Airbags at 19%, according to NHTSA data.
- Does the 2012 Camaro have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2012 Camaro, covering the ignition key/knee bump switch, steering wheel airbag coil (two separate campaigns), and power height adjuster shoulder bolts. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2012 Camaro compare to other years?
- The 2012 model's Complaint Index of 57 is better than 2010 (100), 2011 (79), 2013 (93), and 2014 (86), all rated Avoid, but worse than later years like 2019 (21) and 2021 (14), rated Best.
- What is the median mileage for complaints on the 2012 Camaro?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage at failure of 34,471 miles overall, with Electrical System complaints at 41,250 miles and Engine complaints at 58,300 miles.