Total Complaints
34 filings
CHEVROLET CAMARO · model year
1989 CHEVROLET CAMARO
34 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989CHEVROLETCAMARO carries 34 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 3 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1989 CAMARO is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 2 filings, followed by steering: steering wheel/handle bar (2) and fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1989 CAMARO, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
34
Complaints
4
Crashes
3
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:LOCK | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20070830FireUNKNOWN OR OTHER
1989 CHEVROLET CAMARO CAUGHT FIRE. CONSUMER PULLED OVER WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND NOTICED IT WAS ON FIRE. *KB ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT, THE FIRE WAS PRESENT A THE LEFT REAR QUARTER OF THE VEHICLE NEAR THE FUEL FILL OPENING. IT WAS UNCERTAIN AS TO ACTUAL CAUSE OF FIRE. OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT. *JB
20050103SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT, PASSENGER CANNOT USE THE SEAT BELT. *AK
Mileage: 119,000
20040319SEAT BELTS
GMC REFUSES TO REPLACE MY FAULTY SEAT BELTS AND HAND BRAKE. *AK
20040319PARKING BRAKE
GMC REFUSES TO REPLACE MY FAULTY SEAT BELTS AND HAND BRAKE. *AK
20030913ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE
IGNITION/BAT/SECURITY SYSTEM/WIRING/ALTERNATOR/BATTERY THE SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON AND THE CAR WON'T START. SOMETIMES FOR HOURS. ONCE THE SECURITY SYSTEM RESETS IT WILL START. HAVE REPLACED THE IGNITION SEVERAL TIMES. ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY AT LEAST 2 TIMES A YEAR FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS. *JB
20011029CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND NOTICED THAT DURING A COLLISION DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WAS BROKEN, AND DID NOT PROTECT DRIVER. *AK
20001114CrashTIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE DRIVING, RIGHT REAR YOKOHAMA MOHAWK MONTEGA A/S TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, RIGHT REAR QUARTER PANEL AND PASSENGER DOOR WERE DAMAGED DUE TO ACCIDENT, TIRE SIZE P215/65R15, DOT # CCIHFH1488. *SLC
20001023SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
REAR BRAKE CALIPERS INOPERATIVE. TOOK CAR IN FOR EMISSIONS TESTING AND REAR BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP CAR WHILE REAR WHEELS WERE ON ROLLERS. REAR BRAKES WILL NOT STOP WHEELS WHEN REAR OF VEHICLE IS RAISED AND VEHICLE PLACED IN DRIVE. HAVE NOT HAD TO CHANGE REAR BRAKE PADS SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR TWO YEARS AGO. PARKING BRAKE STICKS. HAVE TO MANUALLY RELEASE PARKING BRAKE MECHANISM. CAR SEEMS TO TAKE LONGER TO STOP THAN ANY REAR DRUM CAMARO I'VE EVER OWNED. HAVE ASKED AROUND ON VARIOUS CAMARO SPECIFIC WEB SITES AND HAVE FOUND THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE SAME PROBLEM. ONLY SOLUTION FOR MANY IS TO INSTALL AFTERMARKET SETUPS. FIND IT RIDICULOUS TO HAVE TO BUY AFTERMARKET IN ORDER TO STOP SAFELY. VARIOUS LOCAL DEALERS CONTACTED WITH NO HELP.
20001018SUSPENSION:FRONT
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON HIGHWAY, APPLIED BRAKES, AND FRONT END OF VEHICLE WAS VIBRATING, CONSUMER COULDN'T CONTROL VEHICLE. TIRE WAS SLIDDING FRONT TO BACK, TOUCHING THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL WELL. FRONT CROSS MEMBER CONTROL ARM ATTACHMENT WAS BROKEN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*AK
20001018SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER ARM
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON HIGHWAY, APPLIED BRAKES, AND FRONT END OF VEHICLE WAS VIBRATING, CONSUMER COULDN'T CONTROL VEHICLE. TIRE WAS SLIDDING FRONT TO BACK, TOUCHING THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL WELL. FRONT CROSS MEMBER CONTROL ARM ATTACHMENT WAS BROKEN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*AK
20000208SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST
THIS AUTO DEALER HAS USE MANY UNLAWFUL ACTS TO SALE THIS CAR. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK
19990617SEAT BELTS
DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED ON THREE OCCASIONS. *YC
19990606ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THIS CAR HAS BEEN CUTTING OFF FOR 3 YRS. AND NO ONE CAN FIND THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE SPENT 1500.00 TRYING TO GET IT FIXED WITH NO LUCK. 10 GARAGES HAVE WORKED ON IT. GM MASTER TECHS. DID NOT FIX IT. *AK
19990217STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
THE BOLTS IN THE STEERING COLUMN HAVE LOOSENED, CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO WOBBLE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THESE VEHICLES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
19980907ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
STARTER REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES. ALSO, IGNITION CYLINDER AND SWITCH AND BATTERY REPLACED.
19980907ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
STARTER REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES. ALSO, IGNITION CYLINDER AND SWITCH AND BATTERY REPLACED.
19980907ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
STARTER REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES. ALSO, IGNITION CYLINDER AND SWITCH AND BATTERY REPLACED.
19980907ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
STARTER REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES. ALSO, IGNITION CYLINDER AND SWITCH AND BATTERY REPLACED.
19970514FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 10-30MPH THE VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY, CAUSING THE STEERING AND BRAKES TO LOCK UP, COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. OWNER STATED HE HAD REPAIRED THE VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK
19970127SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBACK LATCH UNLATCHES, ALLOWING THE SEATBACK TO FALL TO THE REAR. *AK
Compare 1989CHEVROLETCAMARO to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA25007Engineering AnalysisOpen
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
PE23022Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
PE20016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
EA20002Engineering AnalysisClosed
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
PE20011Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Fuel Line Leak
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 CHEVROLET CAMARO have?▼
The 1989 CHEVROLET CAMARO has 34 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 3 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 CHEVROLET CAMARO?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 CHEVROLET CAMARO is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS.
Is the 1989 CHEVROLET CAMARO safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.