Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1989 Chevrolet Camaro, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Seat belts6
- Service brakes, hydraulic4
- Electrical system4
- Engine and engine cooling2
- Fuel system, gasoline2
- Steering2
- Seats1
- Unknown or other1
- Suspension1
- Vehicle speed control1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 4 1989 Camaro vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 4 people died inside them, and 2 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1989 Chevrolet Camaro failed the safety check 0.57% of the time — 30% less often than the average 1989 passenger car (0.81%). Median odometer at inspection: 59,973 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
21 first registered in 1989 are on Dutch roads; 81% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm2
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage1
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)1
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In Finland
55 of these cars first registered in 1989 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 117,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
39 1989 cars are on the New Zealand register; 97% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 1989 Chevrolet Camaro.
| 1990091 19 Jun 1990 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, the seat belt buckle assemblies may not latch or release due to fracture of the red push button. This would prevent a person from using hi… |
| 1990081 6 Jun 1990 | Fuel System NOTE: VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.8.L V6 ENGINES. THE FUEL FEED HOSES MAY PULL OUT OF THE CRIMPED COUPLING AT THE ENGINE END OF THE HOSE ASSEMBLY. THIS COULD RE… |
| 1988155 10 Nov 1988 | Seats And Restraints NOTE: CAMARO CONVERTIBLES ONLY VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITH REAR INBOARD SEAT BELTS THAT ARE TOO LONG. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THIS CONDITION… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
FUEL FEED HOSES MAY PULL OUT OF THE CRIMPED COUPLING AT THE ENGINE END OF THE HOSE ASSEMBLY.
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.
WEBBING ON THE BUCKLE PORTION OF THE REAR LAP/SHOULDER BELTS MAY BE TOO LONG.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Chevrolet told its dealers about the 1989 Chevrolet Camaro: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10006297 | NO SERIAL DATA COMMUNICATIONS USING THE TECH 1 WITH A 1986 OR NEWER CAMARO, FIREBIRD OR CORVETTE WITH A 5.0 OR 5.7 LITRE ENGINE. SIT BULLETIN 1450640. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)