Illustration1989 CHEVROLET CAMARO CAUGHT FIRE. CONSUMER PULLED OVER WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND NOTICED IT WAS ON FIRE. *KB ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT, THE FIRE WAS PRESENT A THE LEFT REAR QUARTER OF THE VEHICLE NEAR THE FUEL FILL OPENING. IT WAS UNCERTAIN AS TO ACTUAL CAUSE OF FIRE. OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT. *JB
1989 Chevrolet Camaro
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1989 Chevrolet Camaro do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 32.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Camaro years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 25 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Seat Belts. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports3 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
25 reportsTHE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT, PASSENGER CANNOT USE THE SEAT BELT. *AK
GMC REFUSES TO REPLACE MY FAULTY SEAT BELTS AND HAND BRAKE. *AK
IGNITION/BAT/SECURITY SYSTEM/WIRING/ALTERNATOR/BATTERY THE SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON AND THE CAR WON'T START. SOMETIMES FOR HOURS. ONCE THE SECURITY SYSTEM RESETS IT WILL START. HAVE REPLACED THE IGNITION SEVERAL TIMES. ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY AT LEAST 2 TIMES A YEAR FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS. *JB
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND NOTICED THAT DURING A COLLISION DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WAS BROKEN, AND DID NOT PROTECT DRIVER. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, RIGHT REAR YOKOHAMA MOHAWK MONTEGA A/S TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, RIGHT REAR QUARTER PANEL AND PASSENGER DOOR WERE DAMAGED DUE TO ACCIDENT, TIRE SIZE P215/65R15, DOT # CCIHFH1488. *SLC
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON HIGHWAY, APPLIED BRAKES, AND FRONT END OF VEHICLE WAS VIBRATING, CONSUMER COULDN'T CONTROL VEHICLE. TIRE WAS SLIDDING FRONT TO BACK, TOUCHING THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL WELL. FRONT CROSS MEMBER CONTROL ARM ATTACHMENT WAS BROKEN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*AK
REAR BRAKE CALIPERS INOPERATIVE. TOOK CAR IN FOR EMISSIONS TESTING AND REAR BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP CAR WHILE REAR WHEELS WERE ON ROLLERS. REAR BRAKES WILL NOT STOP WHEELS WHEN REAR OF VEHICLE IS RAISED AND VEHICLE PLACED IN DRIVE. HAVE NOT HAD TO CHANGE REAR BRAKE PADS SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR TWO YEARS AGO. PARKING BRAKE STICK…
Read full complaint
REAR BRAKE CALIPERS INOPERATIVE. TOOK CAR IN FOR EMISSIONS TESTING AND REAR BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP CAR WHILE REAR WHEELS WERE ON ROLLERS. REAR BRAKES WILL NOT STOP WHEELS WHEN REAR OF VEHICLE IS RAISED AND VEHICLE PLACED IN DRIVE. HAVE NOT HAD TO CHANGE REAR BRAKE PADS SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR TWO YEARS AGO. PARKING BRAKE STICKS. HAVE TO MANUALLY RELEASE PARKING BRAKE MECHANISM. CAR SEEMS TO TAKE LONGER TO STOP THAN ANY REAR DRUM CAMARO I'VE EVER OWNED. HAVE ASKED AROUND ON VARIOUS CAMARO SPECIFIC WEB SITES AND HAVE FOUND THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE SAME PROBLEM. ONLY SOLUTION FOR MANY IS TO INSTALL AFTERMARKET SETUPS. FIND IT RIDICULOUS TO HAVE TO BUY AFTERMARKET IN ORDER TO STOP SAFELY. VARIOUS LOCAL DEALERS CONTACTED WITH NO HELP.
THIS AUTO DEALER HAS USE MANY UNLAWFUL ACTS TO SALE THIS CAR. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK
DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED ON THREE OCCASIONS. *YC
Official recalls
390V115000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
Jun 12, 1990
FUEL FEED HOSES MAY PULL OUT OF THE CRIMPED COUPLING AT THE ENGINE END OF THE HOSE ASSEMBLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS COUPLING SEPARATED, ALLOWING GASOLINE TO LEAK,AND AN IGNITION SOURCE IS PRESENT, AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: INSTALL A REDESIGNED FUEL FEED HOSE.
90V105000 · Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly
May 14, 1990
PLASTIC COMPONENTS OF SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES DO NOT CONTAIN AN ULTRA VIOLET STABILIZER, AND EXPOSURE TO DIRECT SUNLIGHT AND ELEVATED INTERIOR TEMPERATURES COULD WEAKEN THE PLASTIC COMPONENTS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN BREAKAGE OF PLASTIC COMPONENTS WHICHCOULD PREVENT BUCKLE FROM LATCHING AND PROTECTING OCCUPANT IN A SUDDEN STOP ORACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPLACE OR REPAIR SEAT BELT BUCKLE.
88V191000 · Seat Belts
Dec 13, 1988
WEBBING ON THE BUCKLE PORTION OF THE REAR LAP/SHOULDER BELTS MAY BE TOO LONG.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A SEVERE VEHICLE CRASH, THE EFFECTIVENESSOF THE LAP/SHOULDER BELT MAY BE REDUCED.
Remedy: REPLACE REAR INBOARD SEAT BELTS WITH BELTS OF THE PROPER LENGTH.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.