Most common 2012 Chevrolet Camaro problems
Share of the 113 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Camaro complaints by model year
Best Camaro years: 2021, 2022, 2023. Years to avoid: 2010, 2015, 1995. Compare all years →
2012 Chevrolet Camaro recalls (4)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
Air bags
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.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro:
Air Bag Non-deployment
General Motors (GM) has initiated a safety recall of 31,520 model year (MY) 2012 Buick Verano and Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic vehicles to address a defect condition that could result in the primary or secondary stage air bag not deploying.These vehicles are a small percentage of all MY 2012 vehicles and were built on several specific production dates broadly ranging from December 1, 2011 to August 2, 2012 (see…
What 2012 Chevrolet Camaro owners say
Electrical system all 27 →
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the engine seized with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to several dealers several times. The alternator and the engine fuse were replaced, and a tune-up was completed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a wiring harness failure. The contact was informed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that parts were no longer being manufactured. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a left turn, the contact's knee hit the ignition key and the vehicle shutoff and drove over into an oncoming lane. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle was driven back into the intended lane. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V346000 (Electrical System); however, the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Engine & cooling all 26 →
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with a defective timing chain and gear. The contact was informed that the timing chain and gear needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was provided a case number. After repeated calls to the manufacturer, the manufacturer helped with the repair. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was 75,559.
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that the check engine warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
Air bags all 22 →
car only has today 46,500 miles and passenger airbag sensor stopped working last year,started intermittenly working after 30,000 miles and now completely not working, repeated problem for all chevy Camaros having this problem with few miles on cars and barely any passengers sitting in seat to activate use.
Air bag on passenger side. transmission stared vibration brought in they repair it . This was still under warranty at the time. Now it doing it again. Seat they want change driver side motor . I fix it myself .it was the switch.
2012 Chevrolet Camaro engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 18 / 28 / 22 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 17 / 27 / 20 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 24 / 18 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl supercharged | 6-speed manual | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl supercharged | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 18 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro a good car?
Based on 113 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Camaro rates better than average: 41% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Camaro at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro?
The electrical system — 27 complaints, 24% of all complaints for this model year, most often about ignition. Next are the engine & cooling (26) and air bags (22).
How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, the most recent from July 23, 2014 (power adjust). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Camaro?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2021, 2022 and 2023. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2010, 2015 and 1995. See the full Chevrolet Camaro years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Chevrolet Camaro problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 34,000 miles; 61% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.