1997 Chevrolet Camaro Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe cooling-system problems, with coolant leaks, gunked-up or stuck thermostats, and overheating topping the list. A second cluster concerns front lighting: turn signal and daytime running lamp bulbs and sockets failing or behaving oddly, with the DRL module and wiring cited as the source. Brake complaints tend to appear on higher-mileage cars and describe rear brakes that drag or wear out early, while airbag non-deployment is reported mostly from crashes.

1. 1
   Exterior lighting

   Turn signal and daytime running lamp failures

   • 6 complaints (9%)
   • median 24,000 mi at 8.6 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2013

   Complaints describe turn signals that fail to blink, stay lit steadily after a turn, or blow bulbs repeatedly, along with parking lights that stay on constantly and sockets that look burned or shorted. Several owners attribute this to the daytime running lamp module and its wiring, and some reports note the dealer could not resolve it. Some owners raised a separate concern that when one lamp fails the other stays lit and can be mistaken for a turn signal. Reported across a wide mileage range, from cars around 19,000-24,000 miles up to about 39,000 miles; both low-mileage and older vehicles appear.

   What to check: With the engine running, check that all front and rear turn signal and parking lamps work and that the signal self-cancels. Look at the bulb sockets for scorching or melted plastic and ask whether the DRL module or wiring has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This is a general observation of the 1997 and newer Camaro and firebird. If a bulb burns out in the turn signal drl system, the remaining bulb can be misinterpreted as a turn signal instead of a drl. I suggest recalling all such vehicles and disconnecting the drls or require the manufacturer to wire such drls in series. I've filed a similar comment in docket 4124.”

   NHTSA complaint #741749, filed 2001-03

   “Since vehicle purchase turn signal and parking yellow lights were constantly illuminating. Consumer assumed that vehicle was supposed to operate that way. When the right turn signal light blew, consumer took car to dealer, who diagnosed as a electrical wiring problem with vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10024317, filed 2003-06, 24,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbags not deploying in a crash

   • 7 complaints (10%)
   • median 110,000 mi at 7.5 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1996–2004

   Owners report that airbags did not deploy in frontal, side and multi-impact crashes, including impacts at roughly 20-50 mph, and some describe injuries to occupants who hit the windshield or dashboard. In one case both the airbag and the seat belt were reported as not working in the crash. These are accounts of events after a collision rather than a symptom noticed beforehand. Mileage was not recorded in most of these reports, so no mileage pattern can be drawn.

   What to check: Ask whether the airbag warning lamp comes on and goes out normally at startup and whether the system has ever been serviced after a collision. A diagnostic scan for stored airbag codes is a reasonable pre-purchase step on a car this age.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving 20-25 MPH had a direct frontal impact, and driver's/passenger's airbags did not deploy, which did not protect the occupant in this crash. Also the seatbelt system malfunctioned, causing the occupant to hit the front windshield. Please provide further information.”

   NHTSA complaint #851124, filed 1999-10

   “When vehicle was involved in a single car crash, hitting a ditch embankment, destroying front end, there was no deployment of air bags and driver suffered facial injuries. Vehicle has been totalled.”

   NHTSA complaint #811817, filed 1997-04
3. 3
   Engine cooling

   Coolant leaks, rust and overheating

   • 5 complaints (7%)
   • median 74,792 mi at 6.2 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2004

   Owners describe coolant leaking, sometimes with the dealer saying the coolant had broken down and affected engine parts, and other reports of heavy rust in the cooling system, gummed-up thermostats that stick, and false temperature readings leading to overheating. One owner reported repeated engine running problems taken to the dealer many times without a lasting fix. Complaints also mention water pump replacement and repeated intake manifold gasket and oil leak work. Reported from fairly low mileage upward, including one car around 59,000 miles; no single condition dominates.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check coolant condition and level, look for rust-colored residue in the overflow tank, and ask whether the thermostat and water pump have been replaced. Watch the temperature gauge on a test drive in traffic.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Within 5 months of purchase (the mileage was 59585 when issues began) I began having issues with the engine, and took my car to the dealership over 10 times over the next year, and was charged $500 every time for them to put new spark plugs and wires and send me home only to come back a month later with the same problem only worse. This lasted until my warranty expired and then I was told I needed a new engine. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10005061, filed 2003-02, 59,585 miles

   “Dealer has been jerking me around. Replaced the intake manifold gasket once. Year went by, got another oil leak and the water pump went up. Took to the dealership, they replaced water pump, but didn't fill the coolant back up. They alleged to have fixed the intake manifold gasket again. Still getting an oil leak. Checked the problem myslef and found oil coming from pinion seal. Dealership said that it wasn't leaking when I just had the water pump fixed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #716911, filed 2000-01
4. 4
   Brakes

   Rear brakes dragging or wearing early

   • 7 complaints (10%)
   • median 152,690 mi at 19.2 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2015

   Owners describe rear disc pads wearing out far sooner than the fronts, uneven pad wear giving a rough stopping feel, squealing, and calipers or hardware that do not release, so the car behaves as if the brakes are on. One owner also noted that in icy conditions the rear wheels did not seem to brake when the fronts stopped. Some reports say the dealer found nothing wrong. Mostly on higher-mileage cars, with one report near 24,000 miles and another around 152,000 miles; icy or slippery surfaces come up in one account.

   What to check: Ask for rear brake service records and check that rear rotors are not scored, cracked or unusually dirty with brake dust. After a drive, feel for excessive heat at the rear wheels and have the calipers checked for sticking.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This car is a 97 z28 with the 350ci motor and 4 speed auto transmission. What happens is that when the front wheels are not turning, the rear brakes do not engage, no matter how hard you push down on the brake pedal. The issue presents itself under icy conditions. The first time it happened was when I pulled into a spot at a fast food place, the parking spot was icy while the rest of the lot was ice free. As I pulled into the spot, I put on my brakes and the front wheels stopped, but the rear did not. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10816172, filed 2015-12, 152,690 miles

   “Since I bought the car new, it has gone through 4 sets of rear disc pads. The pads have uneven wear from top to bottom which make the car have a not smooth stopping feel. The most recent incident on 6/2002 was the rear brakes making a loud squeeling noise when stopping at a traffic light. The rear wheels are more dirty than the front wheels. Normally, the fronts would be more dirty than the rears. This leads me to believe the rear brakes are hanging up on the rotor (not releasing). …”

   NHTSA complaint #763058, filed 2002-06

Buying note. On a car this age, the cooling system and the front lighting and wiring are the areas owners most often describe problems with, so budget for a cooling-system inspection and a full lighting check. Ask for service records on the rear brakes and have the steering and airbag systems inspected before purchase.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 44 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.