Chevrolet Camaro Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 326 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the Chevrolet Camaro across 22 model years. The 2010 model year has the most (83). The words owners use most often: “air bag” (38% of reports).
- 326air bags complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 123mention a crash
- 85mention an injury
- 5related recalls
- $1,100typical repair cost reported by owners
- 33%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bag: mentioned in 124 of 326 complaints (38%)
- Passenger seat: mentioned in 52 of 326 complaints (16%)
- Service airbag: mentioned in 31 of 326 complaints (10%)
- Bags deployed: mentioned in 24 of 326 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical air bags repair on the Chevrolet Camaro at $1,100, and half of them between $970 and $1,400.
Based on 29 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2006–2025), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 190 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 326 complaints, 123 mention a crash, 7 a fire, 85 an injury.
Chevrolet Camaro air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Camaro | 3 | 20% | — |
| 2022 Camaro | 2 | 14% | — |
| 2021 Camaro | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2020 Camaro | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2019 Camaro | 1 | 2% | 9,000 |
| 2018 Camaro | 4 | 5% | 9,000 |
| 2017 Camaro | 12 | 6% | 37,000 |
| 2016 Camaro | 4 | 3% | 48,000 |
| 2015 Camaro | 14 | 7% | 26,050 |
| 2014 Camaro | 16 | 9% | 21,865 |
| 2013 Camaro | 13 | 7% | 30,000 |
| 2012 Camaro | 22 | 19% | 40,000 |
| 2011 Camaro | 69 | 36% | 48,000 |
| 2010 Camaro | 83 | 28% | 51,071 |
| 2002 Camaro | 2 | 3% | 51,855 |
| 2001 Camaro | 3 | 6% | 51,999 |
| 2000 Camaro | 4 | 5% | 53,000 |
| 1999 Camaro | 7 | 8% | — |
| 1998 Camaro | 7 | 4% | 120,000 |
| 1997 Camaro | 8 | 12% | 110,000 |
| 1996 Camaro | 18 | 16% | 117,075 |
| 1995 Camaro | 32 | 15% | 109,279 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (5)
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Model years: 2013
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal
Model years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Chevrolet Camaro vehicles. The plastic "Camaro" emblem, located on the steering wheel air bag cover, may separate during deployment of the frontal driver air bag.
Risk: In the event of a crash, plastic pieces of emblem may act as projectiles from deployment of the driver air bag can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the frontal driver side air bag module, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212327220.
Air bags:side/window
Model years: 2015
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The affected vehicles have front seat-mounted side impact air bags whose inflator may rupture upon its deployment.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side impact air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 01320.
Air bags
Model years: 2012
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags
Model years: 2012
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic, and model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles. 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.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on February 13, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I am filing an official safety complaint regarding a severe unaddressed factory design defect on my 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. The vehicle suffers from catastrophic water intrusion into the primary electrical system hub in the trunk during normal, everyday rain conditions. Due to a manufacturing or…
The airbag system failed to deploy during a side-impact collision. The vehicle is a 2013 Chevrolet Camaro LS. The vehicle was declared totaled after the accident and may be available for inspection through the insurance company if requested. Description of the Incident and Safety Risk: While…
My Camaro ZL1 has 15300 miles an intermittently Iâll get an air malfunction warning on the DIC. It occurs mainly if I donât drive the vehicle for a couple days. I have no idea if this is a legitimate concern or as electrical gremlin. I would think the air bag system is critical for safety and…
Airbag service light came on, which required us to bring to the dealership. Quote to access and replace airbag module came to roughly $1350.
Traveling at Hwy speed rear ended vehicle which stop on the HOV lane front end driver side crumbled no air bags deployed
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Camaros have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 326 owner complaints about air bags for the Chevrolet Camaro. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Camaro air bags?
Yes: 5 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the Chevrolet Camaro?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,100 (half paid between $970 and $1,400), from 29 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the Chevrolet Camaro?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 124 of 326 complaints, followed by “passenger seat” (52).
Other Chevrolet Camaro problems
See all Chevrolet Camaro problems.