1987 Chevrolet Camaro: common problems

Owners of the 1987 Chevrolet Camaro filed 28 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and steering. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 28
involving a crash: 2

What fails most often

1 Seat belts 46% of all complaints
2 Steering 18% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
5 Equipment 4% of all complaints
6 Parking brake 4% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
8 Structure 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Seat belts: 13 complaints (46% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Steering: 5 complaints (18% of all).
Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (11% of all).
Electrical system: 2 complaints (7% of all).
Equipment: 1 complaints (4% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
5 L · petrol · 8 cyl
5.7 L · petrol · 8 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 28 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts11 · 39%
brake failure2 · 7%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 7%
stalls while driving2 · 7%
knocking, grinding or other noise1 · 4%
rollaway, parking brake1 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Seat belts	13	1
Steering	5	0
Engine and cooling	3	0
Electrical system	2	0
Equipment	1	0
Parking brake	1	1
Service brakes	1	0
Structure	1	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Rear parking brake failed, resulting in an accident/injuries.
Parking brake · crash · 1996-07-19 · NHTSA complaint #506469
The drivers side seatbelt buckle failed to latch, did not restrain occupant in an accident, resulting in an injury prior to recall (90v-105).
Seat belts · crash · 1996-01-30 · NHTSA complaint #978402
The contact stated that the driver's side seat belt had become defective. Upon research, the contact discovered that there was a recall that had been placed on the vehicle for the seat belts however, the recall number was unknown.
Seat belts · 2020-08-13 · NHTSA complaint #11349097
I was at the entrance gate to the parking lot where I was working, at the time, about to put my card in the card reader, to open the gate. The car was in drive and my foot on the brake.
Vehicle speed control · 2004-05-05 · NHTSA complaint #10068318
Neither seat belt will lock. Passengers use to lock but could not get out of the seat belt and pulled on it and it fell apart. If I was in a accident I would not be protected.
Seat belts · 2003-11-25 · NHTSA complaint #10047584
(tilt steering) steering wheel very loose. Hard to steer in curves and on turns. Steering wheel move about a inch or 2 when trying to steer. Feels like the steering is going to fall off, have had it checked and the mechanic said that the bolts on the tilt are falling out. That there should be a recall on this problem.
Steering · 2003-11-25 · NHTSA complaint #10047588
Car was sitting still running in netural when it exploded in to flames with" no warning signs" totally destroyed car passanger side is burned the most! [passengers "mother and son " managed to excape the burning car inferno } this 1987 z-28 camaro inferno took place in wal-mart parking lot.
Electrical system · 2001-02-26 · NHTSA complaint #741042
When driving after 2 or 3 minutes the car starts to pause, as if it is stalling. Dealer has not seen.
Engine and cooling · 1998-11-04 · NHTSA complaint #830113

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19953
19964
19974
19983
19991
20004
20013
20033
20042
20201
20231

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 7,081 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Camaro has 78 complaints (41 years in the data). This year has 28, below average.

What to check before buying

Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1987 Chevrolet Camaro?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, steering, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 28. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (39%), brake failure (7%), smoke, burning smell, fire (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 Chevrolet Camaro?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1987 Chevrolet Camaro from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1987 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.