Problems · NHTSA complaints

2002 Chevrolet Camaro problems

Owners filed 81 complaints about the 2002 Chevrolet Camaro with NHTSA between Dec 2001 and Sep 2020. The most-cited component is service brakes, hydraulic (23).

Complaints
81
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
6
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Service brakes, hydraulic23
  2. Electrical system12
  3. Visibility11
  4. Engine and engine cooling10
  5. Power train9
  6. Fuel system, gasoline6
  7. Structure5
  8. Exterior lighting5
  9. Equipment5
  10. Steering4
  11. Air bags4
  12. Seat belts4
  13. Suspension4
  14. Tires3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20011
20029
200317
200411
200513
200610
20075
20081
20091
20105
20111
20122
20130
20142
20150
20162
20170
20180
20190
20201

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Service brakes, hydraulic

23 reports1 crash
“MY 2002 GM CHEVROLET CAMARO'S ABS BRAKE SYSTEM HAS FAILED.THERE WERE NO INCIDENTS THAT LED UP TO THE FAILURE OF THE COMPONENT. AS TO DATE 03/02/2010 MY ABS BRAKING SYSTEM IS INOPERABLE,I HAVE NO ABS. ONLY A WARNING LIGHT TELLING ME I HAVE NO ABS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED APPROX. 11/2 YEARS AGO,AND SINCE IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY GM WILL NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM.AGAIN I BELIEVE THAT GM KNOWS OF THIS FAILURE IN THEIR SYSTEMS(ABS..ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM)THE COST TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THIS ABS COMPONENTS IS APPRX.$2,500.00. MY INQUIRES WITH OTHER GM OWNERS OF OTHER MODELS IE;CORVETTE STATE THE SAME PROBLEMS AS THE CAMAROS. FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENTS IS VERY CRITICAL FOR SAFETY IN PREVENTING WHEELS FROM LOCKING UP AND CAUSING A SKID LEADING TO A VERY DANGEROUS ACCIDENT.(THE MAIN REASON CONSUMERS WANT ANTI-LOCK BRAKES!) *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 2, 2010Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10315817

Electrical system

12 reports1 fire
“TYPICALLY IN THE AFTERNOON ON WARM / HOT DAYS AND AFTER THE CAR HAS SAT ALL DAY OUTSIDE, I'LL GO TO START IT, PUT THE KEY INTO START POSITION AND THE STARTER WILL NOT ENGAGE. ALL ELSE SEEMS TO BE FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. THE FUEL AND TEMP GAUGES GO BACK TO 0 POSITION, VOLTAGE DROPS BUT NOT BY MUCH. I HAVE HAD TO SWITCH TO THE START POSITION AS MUCH AS 75 TIMES BEFORE THE STARTER ENGAGES. WHEN IT DOES ENGAGE IT IS TURNS OVER STRONGLY. THIS ISN'T A BATTERY PROBLEM. I CAN'T FIND A PATTERN TO TIE TO WHEN THIS HAPPENS EXCEPT IT IS MOSTLY IN THE AFTERNOON ON WARM / HOT DAYS AND AFTER THE CAR HAS SAT ALL DAY OUTSIDE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 23, 2014Electrical systemODI 10627747

Visibility

11 reports2 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAMARO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. ..UPDATED 12/20/16 *BF *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 19, 2016VisibilityODI 10907564

Engine and engine cooling

10 reports
“2002 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS. CONSUMER STATES ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO WIRING HARNESS PLACEMENT. *TGW ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE NUMBER 7 CYLINDER MAY HAVE PASSED COMPRESSED LIQUID, MOST LIKELY FUEL THAT CAUSED THE PISTON AND ROD TO BE DAMAGED. IT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER WALL WHICH REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO INDICATED THAT THE NUMBER 8 CYLINDER WAS DAMAGED. THE DEALER STATED THE CAUSE FOR THE FUEL INJECTORS REMAINING IN THE OPEN POSITION WAS THE WIRING CONTROLLING THE FUEL INJECTORS WAS CHAFED AND MAKING CONTACT WITH THE BULKHEAD WHICH GROUNDED THE WIRING. THE CONSUMER STATED ONE DAY HE STARTED THE VEHICLE AND WHITE SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE EXHAUST, HE SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND LET IT SIT IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DISTANCE OF THE WIRING FROM THE BULKHEAD IS LESS THAN 1/4 OF AN INCH, THE PCM CAN BE MADE TO MOVE JUST UNDER 1/2 INCH WHICH WOULD BE ENOUGH DISTANCE FOR THE WIRES TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE BULKHEAD. IT WOULD INDICATE THAT OVER TIME, VIBRATION FROM DRIVING CONDITIONS WOULD CAUSE THE PCM TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH WHICH STRONGLY SUGGEST A FLAW IN THE POSITIONING OF THE PCM. THERE WAS EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT AN…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 14, 2010Engine and engine cooling, Electrical systemODI 10319828

Power train

9 reports
“I PURCHASED MY 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS IN DECEMBER, 2004. GREAT LOOKING VEHICLE WITH NUMEROUS PROBLEMS. THE MOST RECENT AND SEVERE HAS COME OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS. WHILE ACCELERATING ON AN ENTRANCE RAMP, THE CAR WILL NOT SHIFT PROPERLY; VERY ROUGH AND THE RPM'S GO TO 4000 OR ABOVE BEFORE SHIFTING OR IF I LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR. I AM TERRIFIED THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING TO COME OUT COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY IN THE VEHICLE; I AM TAKING THE CAR TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. I HAVE ALSO BEEN RESEARCHING OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CAR, AND TO MY HORROR, I AM EXPERIENCING MUCH OF THE SAME AS OTHER CONSUMERS. HOW CAN SO MANY COMPLAINTS BE ISSUED ABOUT THE SAME VEHICLE AND GENERAL MOTORS NOT FIXING THE PROBLEMS?? *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 27, 2007Power trainODI 10210098

Fuel system, gasoline

6 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAMARO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERS WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000. UPDATED 09/22/2014*LJ UPDATED 2/23/2015 *JS THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF TWICE ON THE FREEWAY. UPDATED 2/23/2015 *JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 21, 2014Fuel system, gasoline, EngineODI 10615109
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.