Mileage when the problem started
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. …
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, requiring the contact to use excessive force to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that upon replacing the battery, the power steering feature returned for one day before the failure returned. While the vehicle was idling, the contact attempted to turn the steering wheel, and the message "Power Steering Assist Unavailable - Drive Safely" was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V175000 (Steering) and 19V086000 (Steering); however, the model year was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recalls. The failure mileage was approximately 47,204.
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering disengaged. The contact was unable to turn the steering wheel. The loss of power steering function message was displayed. After restarting the vehicle, the message was no longer displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V086000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
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.
I was leaving the gas station when a message showed up on my dash saying "Service Power Steering Drive With Care" My steering wheel got very hard and I had a very hard time turning the steering wheel to the right or left, somehow I manged to leave the store. I was really worried for my safety and others because If an accident were to happen I would not be able to turn my steering wheel to get out of the way to avoid a major accident. As I was driving home the message dispersed and the steering wheel went back to normal. I took the car into the dealership and they looked at it and said nothing was wrong with it, when clearly there was a problem with it.
I expereinced sudden and complete loss of Electric Power Steering Assist. A warning ,message appeared on dash notification area that power steering assist had failed. I understand that this is a known problem that has been recalled for this model, but my VIN was not included in that recall. I was travelling at 60 MPH at the time and narrowly avoiding losing control and crashing the vehicle. After stopping and restarting the car, the problem went away and then appeared again 2 days later. I am not confident that it will not happen again. The existing recall must be expanded to include my vehicle and possibly many other vins.
The power steering shuts of randomly with loss of steering. When I try to turn under this condition, the steering wheel bounces back and forth violently. I have ran into curbs and almost hit other vehicles due to the loss of power steering. There has never been an engine light or warning lamp displayed during the loss of steering while driving the vehicle. There's no way to have the issue diagnosed without a stored code.
The electric power steering fails at no giving time. The vehicle is a 2016 and out of warranty but only has 39,000 on it. There are no codes set by this fault. This is a huge safety consern being the steering works as it should and without no warning comes and goes.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated that while his son was accelerating from a stop light and making a right turn, the steering wheel ceased. As a result the vehicle jumped a concrete median, hitting a vehicle on the opposite side of the roadway. No warning lights were illuminated and the air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that no injuries were sustained by either vehicle occupants. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The failure was diagnosed as a rack and pinion failure that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer or the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 26,000.
The transmission fails. The car shuts off in traffic without warning or without codes sometimes in a parkimg lot and sometimes on the highway. Wont start and sometimes wont shut off. The traction control comes on and slows the car to 35mph on dry pavement. There is a clunk when shifting or driving under the car. The crank shaft has been replaced because of thrusting me forward, hard shifts and delayed shifting.
Steering complaints in other Camaro years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the steering of the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro, 16% of the model year's 141 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Chevrolet Camaro steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2016 Chevrolet Camaro steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 36,000 miles, and 36% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to steering 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.