YearToAvoid

2013 Chevrolet Camaro Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2013 Chevrolet Camaro has 187 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 64, ranking 6th worst out of 15 model years, with a Caution verdict. Electrical System issues dominate at 45% of complaints, backed by 3 recalls including an airbag inflator campaign.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
64/100
#6 of 15 Camaro years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
187
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
3
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
20
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
10
Top issue
Electrical System
Best nearby year
2021
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
19
16 city / 24 hwy
Injuries / deaths
10 / 1

Top 2013 Chevy Camaro problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System84 (45%)
  2. Other29 (16%)
  3. Steering23 (12%)
  4. Brakes22 (12%)
  5. Engine21 (11%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain16 (9%)
  7. Airbags13 (7%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires8 (4%)
  9. Visibility & Wipers7 (4%)
  10. Fuel System5 (3%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Steering wheel occasionally seizes or locks up mid-turn, sometimes snapping a control arm and causing a curb or ditch impact.
  • Power steering can fail suddenly while changing lanes, leading to loss of control and a collision with fixed objects.
  • The knee can accidentally bump the ignition key while turning, cutting engine power and disabling steering.
  • A front wheel or suspension assembly has separated from the vehicle while driving at highway speed.
  • Rear brakes can lose grip on wet inclines, causing the vehicle to veer and strike a curb or post.
  • Some owners describe the car lurching forward unexpectedly at low speed while parking, resulting in minor collisions.
2013 Chevrolet Camaro complaints: complaints filed per quarter112012 Q42014 Q32016 Q22018 Q12019 Q42021 Q32023 Q22026 Q1
187 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2012 Q4 to 2026 Q1; peak 2014 Q4 (11).

2013 Chevrolet Camaro recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 23V516000Jul 27, 2023Airbags767 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Buick Verano, Chevrolet Camero, Sonic, and Volt vehicles. The driver-side air bag inflator may explode during deployment due to a manufacturing defect.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver-side air bag module, free of charge. On some 2013 Volt vehicles, the steering wheel will be replaced as well, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2023. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232413120.

  2. 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.

  3. NHTSA 13V463000Sep 26, 2013Other18,941 vehicles

    Equipment:other:labels

    General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Coupes manufactured June 9, 2013, through September 6, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the required air bag warning label on the sun visor may peel off. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208 "Occupant Crash Protection."

    Risk: If the air bag warning label detaches from the visor, the driver and front seat passenger may not be warned of the risks of air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and instruct owners how to inspect the visor sticker. As necessary, dealers will replace the sun visor, free of charge. The recall began on October 28, 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13284.

2013 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.

2013 compared with other Camaro years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2011Avoid93194220
2012Caution57113419
2013Caution64187319
2014Caution71188318.5
2015Avoid86206118.5

All Chevrolet Camaro years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2013 Camaro ranks 6th worst of 15 model years with a complaint index of 64 and a Caution verdict, meaning it has more reported problems than most other Camaro years but is not the worst.
What is the biggest problem with the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro?
The Electrical System is the top problem area, accounting for 45% of the 187 complaints, with a median mileage at failure of 53,000 miles.
Does the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 3 recalls: a driver-side airbag inflator that may explode during deployment, an ignition key that can be knee-bumped and shut off the engine, and a missing air bag warning label on the sun visor.
How does the 2013 Camaro compare to other Camaro years?
The 2013 model's complaint index of 64 is better than 2010 (100), 2011 (93), 2015 (86), and 2017 (79), but worse than 2012 (57), 2016 (50), and every year from 2018 onward, which earn Good or Best verdicts.
What is the fuel economy of the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro?
EPA rates the 2013 Camaro at 19 mpg combined (16 city / 24 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,400.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.