Total Complaints
159 filings
CHEVROLET CAMARO · model year
1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO
159 NHTSA complaints, 28 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996CHEVROLETCAMARO carries 159 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 28 crashes, 6 fires, 27 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 1996 CAMARO is air bags:frontal with 14 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (11) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (9). 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 1996 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.
159
Complaints
28
Crashes
6
Fires
27
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
28 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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 14 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 11 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 9 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 8 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 6 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 4 |
| AIR BAGS | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 4 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 3 |
| STEERING | 3 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 3 |
| POWER TRAIN | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 3 |
Recent Complaints
20150224CrashAIR BAGS
I GOT IN A ACCIDENT MY CAR HIT ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT DRIVER FENDER AT 45 MILE PER HOUR DESTROYED MY CAR NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED I AM INJURED I BOUNCED OFF STEERING WHEEL WHEN WE HIT MY SEAT BELT UNLOCKED ABOUT BROKE MY WHOLE RIB CAGE. *JS
Mileage: 175,000
20150224CrashSEAT BELTS
I GOT IN A ACCIDENT MY CAR HIT ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT DRIVER FENDER AT 45 MILE PER HOUR DESTROYED MY CAR NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED I AM INJURED I BOUNCED OFF STEERING WHEEL WHEN WE HIT MY SEAT BELT UNLOCKED ABOUT BROKE MY WHOLE RIB CAGE. *JS
Mileage: 175,000
20140901ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
PARKED CAR IN PUBLIC PARKING SPACE FOR APPROX. 20 MINUTES. TRIED TO START CAR WITH NO RESULTS. CHECKED BATTERY ETC. LEFT CAR OVER NIGHT AND HAD IT TOWED 20 MILES TO BOYD CHEVROLET IN HENDERSONVILLE, NC. BOYD REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH. TOTAL COST OVER $300. I DEMAND NEW IS WHICH DOES NOT FALL WITHIN THE IS RECALL TIMELINE. *TR
Mileage: 78,500
20070803STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
POWER STEERING PUMP/HOSE LEAK. *TR
Mileage: 100
20060908ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAK 96 CHEVY CAMARO. *NM
Mileage: 6,500
20050601ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
LEAKING FROM FRONT OF ENGINE COOLANT A CHEVY /LUBY EMPLOYEEE SAYS THEY HAVE SEEN ALOT OF THAT ?
Mileage: 110,000
20040422VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
POWER LOCK SWITCH BROKE 1999 COVERED UNDER WARRANTY POWER DOOR WINDOW SWITCH BROKE 1999 COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND AGAIN 2003 COVERED UNDER MY RYAN EXTENDED WARRANTY REAR WINDOW HATCH RUBBER SEAL WENT BAD AND SEPARATED FROM THE CAR IN 1999 AND NOW AGAIN IN 2003. 2 WINDOW SEALS ON ONE CAR IN 7 YEARS. FIRST ONE WAS COVERED BY WHAT I WAS TOLD A SILENT RECALL. THIS TIME THEY ARE SAYING THEY NEVER SAID THAT BEFORE AND THIS TIME IT IS UP TO ME TO PAY FOR THE SEAL.
Mileage: 56,878
20040422UNKNOWN OR OTHER
POWER LOCK SWITCH BROKE 1999 COVERED UNDER WARRANTY POWER DOOR WINDOW SWITCH BROKE 1999 COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND AGAIN 2003 COVERED UNDER MY RYAN EXTENDED WARRANTY REAR WINDOW HATCH RUBBER SEAL WENT BAD AND SEPARATED FROM THE CAR IN 1999 AND NOW AGAIN IN 2003. 2 WINDOW SEALS ON ONE CAR IN 7 YEARS. FIRST ONE WAS COVERED BY WHAT I WAS TOLD A SILENT RECALL. THIS TIME THEY ARE SAYING THEY NEVER SAID THAT BEFORE AND THIS TIME IT IS UP TO ME TO PAY FOR THE SEAL.
Mileage: 56,878
20040306ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
I BELIEVE A PROBLEM "MAY" EXIST WITH CHEVROLET CARS EMPLOYING THE NEW FIVE YEAR OR 50K MILES ANTI-FREEZE. FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND THOSE OF RELATIVES IT APPEARS THE FLUSHING AND REPLACEMENT OF ANTI-FREEZE AT THE SUGGESTED FIVE YEAR OR 50K MILES POINT MAY LEAD TO WATER PUMP FAILURE WITHIN WEEKS EVEN THOUGH THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 50K MILES ON THE ODOMETER. *JB
20040121CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
THIS IS REFERENCE A SAFETY PROBLEM DURING A MOVING EMERGENCY STOP/BRAKING SITUATION ON THE 1996 CAMARO. NAMING THE PANEL OR COVER FOR THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVERS SIDE DASH, JUST ABOVE THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS. *AK THE PANEL HAS A CUT OUT FOR THE DRIVERS FOOT JUST ABOVE THE GAS PEDDLE, BUT IT ALSO HAS A SLIGHT DROP DOWN ABOVE THE BRAKE PEDDLE. DURING AN EMERGENCY STOP SITUATION, THE DRIVER MOVES HIS FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDDLE TO THE BRAKE, BUT STRIKES THE DROP IN THE FOOT PANEL ABOVE AND DOES NOT ALLOW DRIVERS FOOT TO GET OVER THE BRAKE PEDDLE& THEN WHEN HE PUSHES DOWN, HE STEPS ON THE GAS PEDDLE CAUSING HIM TO RUN INTO WHAT HE STARTED TO BRAKE FOR, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.
Mileage: 57,000
20040121CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
THIS IS REFERENCE A SAFETY PROBLEM DURING A MOVING EMERGENCY STOP/BRAKING SITUATION ON THE 1996 CAMARO. NAMING THE PANEL OR COVER FOR THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVERS SIDE DASH, JUST ABOVE THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS. *AK THE PANEL HAS A CUT OUT FOR THE DRIVERS FOOT JUST ABOVE THE GAS PEDDLE, BUT IT ALSO HAS A SLIGHT DROP DOWN ABOVE THE BRAKE PEDDLE. DURING AN EMERGENCY STOP SITUATION, THE DRIVER MOVES HIS FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDDLE TO THE BRAKE, BUT STRIKES THE DROP IN THE FOOT PANEL ABOVE AND DOES NOT ALLOW DRIVERS FOOT TO GET OVER THE BRAKE PEDDLE& THEN WHEN HE PUSHES DOWN, HE STEPS ON THE GAS PEDDLE CAUSING HIM TO RUN INTO WHAT HE STARTED TO BRAKE FOR, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.
Mileage: 57,000
20031215CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH DURING A SNOW STORM VEHICLE VEERED AND BUMPED INTO A CONCRETE MEDIAN. VEHICLE ONLY HAD SCRATCHES ON THE BUMPER, BUT THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. WHEN THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, THE WINDSHIELD BROKE. THE DRIVER'S NECK WAS INJURED. *AK
Mileage: 59,150
20021125ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH A NOISE WHICH IT MAKE IT HARD TO SHIFT GEAR. DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. TS
20020926ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE COOLING FAN MOTOR CUTS OFF . DEALER STATED THAT THE WIRES THAT CONNECT TO THE COOLING FAN ARE NOT POWERFUL ENOUGH. NLM
20020429EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
I HAVE CONTINUOUSLY HAVE HAD SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE, WHICH THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO CORRECTLY FIX. THE BRAKE LIGHTS, ALONG WITH THE LEFT DIRECTIONAL HAS BEEN INCORRECTLY FIXED OVER 5 TIMES NOW, AND I HAVE ALL THE PAPERWOK MTO PROVE THE PROBLEMS.*AK
20020429EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:FLASHER UNIT
I HAVE CONTINUOUSLY HAVE HAD SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE, WHICH THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO CORRECTLY FIX. THE BRAKE LIGHTS, ALONG WITH THE LEFT DIRECTIONAL HAS BEEN INCORRECTLY FIXED OVER 5 TIMES NOW, AND I HAVE ALL THE PAPERWOK MTO PROVE THE PROBLEMS.*AK
20020419FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
CONSUMER NOTICED FUEL LEAKING, DEALER DETERMINED THE FUEL LINE RUPTURED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. NLM
20020315SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILS, CAUSING THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES TO ENGAGE, MAKING THE CAR TAKE A SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE. I AM AFRAID IT IS GOING TO END IN A CRASH. NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *AK
20011025CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
VEHICLE HIT A TREE AT 25-30 MPH, AND NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. FRONT IMPACT, TWO INJURIES, VEHICLE TOTALLED. *AK *JB
20010920ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS VEHICLE WOULD DIE OUT FOR NO REASON. PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 3 TIMES. MECHANIC PLACED ON DIAGNOSTIC AND COMPUTER FAILED TO REGISTER ANY PROBLEM CODES. MECHANIC DID REPLACE FUEL PUMP AND CRANKSHAFT, BUT PROBLEM WAS NOT SOLVED.*AK
Compare 1996CHEVROLETCAMARO 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 1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO have?▼
The 1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO has 159 NHTSA complaints, 28 crashes, 6 fires, 27 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 14 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1996 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.