Airbag complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | 20% | — |
| 2022 | 2 | 14% | — |
| 2021 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 2% | 9,000 miles |
| 2018 | 4 | 5% | 16,000 miles |
| 2017 | 12 | 6% | 50,000 miles |
| 2016 | 4 | 3% | 50,000 miles |
| 2015 | 14 | 7% | 31,000 miles |
| 2014 | 16 | 9% | 35,000 miles |
| 2013 | 13 | 7% | 30,000 miles |
| 2012 | 22 | 19% | 40,000 miles |
| 2011 | 69 | 36% | 48,000 miles |
| 2010 | 83 | 28% | 51,000 miles |
| 2002 | 2 | 3% | 52,000 miles |
| 2001 | 3 | 6% | 52,000 miles |
| 2000 | 4 | 5% | 53,000 miles |
| 1999 | 7 | 8% | — |
| 1998 | 7 | 4% | 120,000 miles |
| 1997 | 8 | 12% | 110,000 miles |
| 1996 | 18 | 16% | 175,000 miles |
| 1995 | 32 | 15% | 109,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I was involved in a motor vehicle accident. My airbags failed to deploy & I received a notification through my Chevrolet app on my phone, right after the accident stating "your 2023 Camaro airbag system has an issue. Schedule service". My safety belt system also states there is an issue detected and to schedule service.
The passenger and driver side roof rail air bags deployed without any crash impact just was driving around a corner and they went off there was no crash nothing was so scary I was also the only one in the vehicle at the time this happened. this also happened 2 days after Chevy had it. They had it to upgrade the system due to a recall. I called Chevy right away and asked them if the upgrade to my cars system had anything to do with the safety system they said no but they did not no what exactly it did do. This locked my seatbelts and caused my heated and cooled seats to no longer work it was looked at 2 days ago waiting for the cost estimate as we speak
I was in a hit and run accident and my car was totaled. I had a passenger and her airbags deployed but the driver side didn't. I had reported that the service airbag alert was on when I first got the vehicle at carmax and they told us to take it to the chevy service center . I picked up the car a few days later and was told that it was fixed but after the accident , I'm sure it wasnt.
I purchased a vehicle from superstar motorz on Portland, Oregon on 1/12/25 and was not adviced the vehicle did not have working airbags and the vehicle is now at a Chevy service in Puyallup, WA. The vehicle does not have functioning air bags. I was advised by the repair facility that in the event of an accident neither of the airbags will deploy. I sent the dealership a formal email asking for a resolution for helping with the repair. But I would also like them to be investigated to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else.
We purchased a vehicle from shamley in El Paso Texas and we were in volved in a head on coullsion. We tried to stop and the breaks didn't function we were going 25 mph. We lost traction control and hit a car who took the red light and the air bags popped and the driver airbags emblem was marked on my forearm. May you please assist me
I had bought a 2017 camaro on 5/18/2021 and on 6/13/2021 I was in a car accident and once we were hit the air bags pop out we were not going to fast and on the driver side the embrome pop out and also smoke the driver had put his arm to cover his face and he has the mark on his arm of the embrome
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. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the front wheels shook uncontrollably. The contact lost control of the vehicle as it spun around twice and crashed into a metal divider. None of the frontal air bags deployed. There were no warning indicators illuminated. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
Related recalls (5)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Frontal
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.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Side/window
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.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side impact air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015.
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 investigations
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Camaro years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2010 (83), 2011 (69), 1995 (32), 2012 (22) and 1996 (18) model years. Airbag complaints make up 28% of all complaints for the 2010.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Camaro airbag problems?
Yes — 5 recalls, including 23V-516 (inflator module, Jul 27, 2023); 21V-211 (frontal, Mar 25, 2021); 15V-666 (side/window, Oct 16, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Camaro airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 49,000 miles; 52% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (67 mentions), followed by the frontal › sensor/control module (3).
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.