1987 Chevrolet Camaro problems & reliability
28 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1987 Chevrolet Camaro. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1987 Chevrolet Camaro vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts → | 13 | 46% |
| Steering | 5 | 18% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 7% |
| Equipment | 1 | 4% |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 4% |
| Structure | 1 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“During a New York state auto inspection, this recall, #N00043, was brought to my attention by the paperwork and the technician. I've been trying to get this issue resolved for years with no luck from various auto dealers.”
Seat Belts · filed Jan 14, 2023
“Tl* the contact's girlfriend owns a 1987 chevrolet camaro. 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. The contact took the vehicle…”
Seat Belts · filed Aug 13, 2020
“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. The engine started to race without warning and I had to stand on the brake pedal with both feet before I finally got the ignition key…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed May 5, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- THROTTLE STICKING
Engineering Analysis EA92005 · opened Jan 30, 1992 · closed Jan 29, 1993
- REAR AXLE SHAFT FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA90012 · opened Feb 28, 1990 · closed Apr 24, 1991
- SAFETY BUCKLE BREAKAGE
Engineering Analysis EA90001 · opened Oct 3, 1989 · closed Jul 10, 1990 · led to recall 90V105000
- POWER STEERING BRACKET
Engineering Analysis EA89009 · opened Jan 5, 1989 · closed Jan 22, 1990
- P/S BRACKET FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE89002 · opened Oct 7, 1988 · closed Jan 5, 1989
- REAR DISC BRAKES
Engineering Analysis EA88036 · opened Jul 22, 1988 · closed Aug 30, 1991
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1987 Chevrolet Camaro.
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
01697 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1987 Chevrolet Camaro in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1987 Chevrolet Camaro?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.