2016 Chevrolet Camaro Electrical Problems

31 owners have reported electrical system problems with the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro to NHTSA — 22% of all 141 complaints for this model year. The typical failure happened around 36,000 miles. That ranks #5 of 21 Camaro model years for electrical complaints (a typical year has 16). One related recall has been issued.

31complaints
36ktypical miles
1related recalls
1crashes
2fires
0injuries

Which parts fail

  • Starter assembly
    1
  • Ignition › Interlock/lockout
    1

Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    542%
  • 25k–50k
    433%
  • 50k–75k
    217%
  • 75k–100k
    18%
  • 100k–150k
    00%
  • 150k+
    00%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Chevrolet Camaro owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that while driving over the train tracks at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that there was smoke and a burning odor coming through the vents. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact opened the hood and inspected the engine compartment, but the contact could not find the origin of the burning odor. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where the contact discovered that the smoke and the burning odor were coming from the starter that was 3 inches away from the exhaust manifold, by design. The contact purchased the starter from the dealer, and the contact replaced the starter; however, the failure persisted. The contact then noticed that the wires and the wiring harness of the starter were severely burned. …

Starter assembly · 59,000 miles · Nov 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel was firm, and the accelerator pedal was difficult to depress. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle had been diagnosed by the mechanic and it was determined that the vehicle had experienced an electrical system failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

53,000 miles · Jul 2023

I took my 2016 Camaro in to get checked out because bit was driving funny. Come to find out the sensor in the transmission was going out. After i put it in for the warranty, my screen , dash, and all the sound went out in my vehicle. The next day on November 27th my car battery drained out and i had to get it replaced. 2 days later on November 29th 2021 my car battery went out again and had to get another battery. So at this point something is draining the battery down so i changed the batter and noticed there was water in the trunk of my car after it rained. But didn't think nothing of it. That same day i parked my car at work turned the car off and went inside the building. 45 mins later they said my car was on fire from the trunk. The fire department came and put the fire out... …

Dec 2021 · fire

1: convertible top needs replacement. The glass is separating from the actual convertible top. there is also a plastic trim piece that also breaks constantly. This part could fly off with the top down. The glass could also come off causing me and others to be at risk. The dealer has confirmed the issue but wants me to pay out of pocket when my car is used but only a year old. This is not the first time I have heard people have this issue. New cars and older ones need to be recalled and they need to fix these mistakes with manufacturing. It's unacceptable and putting lives in danger. 2: RPM will flutter / fluctuate so I'm assuming it is an electrical failure. I have no idea exactly what is wrong which puts everyone at danger. I could have a car fire one day. Or maybe the car will just die on a freeway going 65+. The dealer has inspected and acknowledged the issues. …

Mar 2022

Before purchasing a 2016 camaro last year I took it to a Chevrolet dealership for a safety inspection with no safety concerns found and after purchasing it around 57,000 miles went to another Chevrolet dealership to diagnose any electrical concerns occurring with the car that I noticed. There was nothing found but I still noticed humming sound and let them know and they found no concerns whatsoever. The battery was replaced twice as over the course of the year the electricals decreased in power. I then notified my insurance there was an issue with the car drawing power and it would not start. Upon checking the trunk noticed water had gotten into and possibly damaged the trunk/rear fuse block. …

Apr 2024 · fire

The transmission temperature sensor has gone bad in my 2016 Camaro ss with 6.2L engine, GM has recalled thousands of 2016 vehicles with this very issue, these transmissions have enough issues as it is, and GM knows it's an issue or they wouldn't have already recalled all those other 2016 vehicles. It can cause damage to the already fragile/finicky transmission in the 2016 models and other years, causing overheating of the transmission and causing the car to go into limp mode, and in my case it didn't even throw a check engine light, I took my car to a mechanic about a different concern and he told me and showed me the code, he cleared it out and It immediately came back and still no check engine light.it's a P0711 code, faulty/dead transmission temperature sensor. …

Apr 2025

Oh wow I don't even know where to start. The second I came home with the car for $32,995 off the used dealership it was a horrific disaster. I have replaced the rear fuse panel 2x already(water damage). The amp was fried from water damanage. The ambient lights and screen along with the gear lights only sometimes work. My morimoto aftermarket headlights wiring all have completely melted and needed to be replaced and that is just the small things. The car has always had severe driving malfunctions. These include: Jerking when putting into gear (any gear), shudders, it will rev up when i am braking, usuallu after a small hill or bump it will get really loud like it is in a much higher gear, it looses power and goes into random limp mode, the car has recently died in mid drive just completely lost acceleration power until it died. It will start right back up, but then same thing. …

Jan 2023 · crash

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 design failure in the rear trunk decklid seals and wiring harnesses, ordinary rainfall flows directly into the trunk floorboard. This standing water submerges the vehicle's primary battery, rear fuse block, and factory audio amplifier. This has disabled my infotainment/central command screen, causing a total electrical no-start condition. Most critically, this ongoing flooding creates a severe safety and crash hazard that compromises the vehicle's steering infrastructure. …

Jul 2026

The RPM gauge is malfunctioning, it's hard pin point when it exactly it happens because i could be driving one day and it would be fine but the next it would be happening. What happens with the gauge is that It jumps to high rpms without any rev sounds the meter just seems to jump like crazy, it coursed a safety concern because the first time it happened was in a freeway going around 60mph and it started to bounce a lot and braked thinking my car was revving high and almost got rear ended, i pulled over and turned my E-Lights and turned the car off and turned it back on and it was fine after that, i took it to the dealer and they said they could not find anything and that it was probably something that would go away, i left and to this day it still does it not every time but there is times it randomly jumps a lot, sometimes when I accelerate sometimes when I'm decelerating i really …

Apr 2022

The blind spot warning system stopped working, and yes it is available for inspection upon request. I have heard this leads to further electrical problems and am worried this may compromise my safety if not dealt with. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer. The component has not been inspected. There was a warning that popped up stating "service side detection system" that appeared randomly on my drive home the other day. I had not hit anything or done anything to the car that might have caused this. After a couple of rain storms, it appears that this is directly related to water intrusion.

May 2025

Related recalls

Electrical system › Software

NHTSA recall 16V-084 · Feb 11, 2016 · 139 vehicles

Genera Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Camaro, Malibu, Silverado and GMC Sierra vehicles. The radio may intermittently fail to provide an audio warning when the key has been left in the ignition and the door is opened or when the driver does not fasten their seat belt.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at…

Electrical complaints in other Camaro years

’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23221561612115842292781991113125207735
Electrical complaints per model year, Chevrolet Camaro.

Frequently asked questions

How common are electrical problems on the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro?

NHTSA has 31 complaints about the electrical system of the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro, 22% of the model year's 141 complaints. The component named most often is starter assembly (1 mentions).

Is there a recall for 2016 Chevrolet Camaro electrical problems?

Yes — NHTSA recall 16V-084 (software, Feb 11, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

At what mileage do 2016 Chevrolet Camaro electrical problems start?

Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 36,000 miles, and 42% before 25,000 miles.

Is it dangerous?

Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.

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.