2018 Chevrolet Camaro: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
44%
33 of 75 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
44% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 54% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 5 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 41%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN06/29/2020CRASH1 INJURED
ENGINE CUTS OUT WHEN STARTING OUT IN 1ST GEAR. MANUAL TRANSMISSION. ENGINE STALLED EASILY. WAS REAR ENDED BECAUSE ENGINE CUT OUT WHEN STARTING FROM LIGHT AND TRUCK BEHIND ME DROVE INTO ME.
POWER TRAIN08/31/2026
I am writing to express my frustration and concern regarding the well documented transmission shudder issue affecting my 2018 Chevrolet Camaro LT. My vehicle currently has only 29,800 miles, yet it has begun experiencing the same symptoms described in Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 18-NA-355. The vehicle's RPM gauge…
ENGINE01/11/2026
Lifter collapsed. Car had new gm lifters put in with a new camshaft in august of 2025 they have about 5k miles on them and failed they are the gm high performance lifters
Three of 33 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (2)
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…
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Cadillac CTS, 2017-2018 Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Camaro, and Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. The electric power steeri…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
2 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle. Combined across 3 body styles NHTSA files separately.