This preliminary informational (PI) bulletin provides information to dealership personnel that may be helpful when addressing underbody component corrosion with customers.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2015 Chevrolet Camaro powertrain problems
moderate Owners of the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro have filed 18 NHTSA complaints about the powertrain, typically surfacing around 30,000 miles at roughly $2,500 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See powertrain across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
18
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$2,500
| Model year | powertrain complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 Camaro | 16 |
| 2012 Camaro | 15 |
| 2013 Camaro | 15 |
| 2014 Camaro | 15 |
| 2015 Camaro (this page) | 18 |
| 2016 Camaro | 43 |
| 2017 Camaro | 50 |
| 2018 Camaro | 14 |
| 2019 Camaro | 18 |
When does it fail?
Of the 18 powertrain complaints filed for the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 50,000-75,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA powertrain complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 6 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering powertrain on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
This bulletin provides information on identifying Non-GM Engine Calibrations for Gasoline Engines using the Tech 2 or GDS 2.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides information on the harmful effects of ethylene glycol in transmission fluid.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This informational bulletin explains Unscheduled Supplemental Services and the importance of GM Simplified Maintenance Schedules.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This bulletin provides information on Policies Applicable to All U.S. Dealers for Engine and Transmission Assembly Replacement Under Warranty, Policy or Customer Enthusiasm and information on Submission of Warranty Transaction in Global Warranty Management.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of 2015 Chevrolet Camaros describe a range of powertrain and related electrical faults. The most widely reported issue is ignition key sticking in the park position—owners state they must restart the vehicle and repeatedly move the shifter in and out of park to release the key. This appears specific to automatics and relates to linkage between the gearshift and key release; one dealer service manager acknowledged familiarity with the problem despite denying it was known.
Transmission problems include hard shifting into second gear, with second gear popping out to neutral unexpectedly, grinding noises, and difficulty engaging second during both upshifts and downshifts. Owners report working around this by skipping second gear entirely, then revving high in first to jump to third. One owner states the transmission became completely inoperable three days after purchase, stuck between first and second with no prior warnings.
Several owners report sudden loss of throttle response at highway speeds, with diagnostic trouble codes indicating communication loss across the ECM, TCM, ABS, and SRS modules—causing the vehicle to lose power and become uncontrollable. One owner also documents a persistent engine misfire code followed days later by transmission failure.
Owners also report the infotainment system shorting, causing loud popping sounds through speakers, repeated cycling off and on, and disabling critical audio warnings (seatbelt, reverse gear notification, low fuel, door ajar, transmission overheat, ABS, brake, and turn signal chimes). When the stereo shorts out, owners lose all audible alerts. One manual transmission owner notes the reverse gear notification fails when the radio shorts, creating danger during quick downshifts.
Additional complaints include transmission light illumination with violent shaking, electronic stability and traction control lights activating together with hard jerking, and on one manual transmission model, violent startup shaking with difficulty engaging gears.
Same Chevrolet Camaro powertrain reports on nearby years: 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2016 · 2017
Failure modes owners describe
Ignition key stuck in park position
When the automatic transmission is shifted to park and the engine turned off, the ignition key becomes stuck and cannot be removed. Owner must restart the vehicle and move the shifter repeatedly in and out of park multiple times for the key to release.
When: Began intermittently then worsened; some owners report recurrence multiple times over years of ownership (13,000 miles noted in one case; another owner reports issues at 29,592 miles on a 3-year-old vehicle)
Symptoms owners cite: Key cannot be turned past halfway position in ignition; Key remains stuck when shifted to park and engine is off; Repetitive shifter movement in and out of park required to release key; Vehicle fails to shut off completely due to key being stuck
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer diagnosis indicates gear shifter assembly replacement required; repairs have reoccurred in the same vehicles two to three years and three to four years after initial repair
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No recall mentioned; owners note this is 'widely known by dealers but never admitted' and that the problem is specific to automatic transmissions
Hard shifting into second gear; second gear pops out to neutral
Manual transmission models experience difficulty engaging second gear during both upshifts (1–2) and downshifts (3–2). Second gear engages only with throttle input (gunning the engine) and spontaneously pops out to neutral during driving. Grinding noises occur when attempting to go into second.
When: Occurs within weeks to months of ownership; owners report the issue persists daily
Symptoms owners cite: Second gear pops out into neutral unexpectedly while driving; Grinding noise when shifting into second gear; Difficulty engaging second gear on both upshift and downshift; Smooth engagement only after applying throttle (gunning the engine); Motor bogging down and stalling when slowing for turns; Engine degradation from required high-revving in first gear to jump to third
Repairs/costs cited: Shops have attempted troubleshooting three or more times but cannot replicate or pinpoint the problem despite owner reproducing it daily; some online sources suggest a simple adjustment through the gear shift cover, but dealers have not attempted this approach
Complete loss of throttle control at highway speeds
Accelerator becomes non-responsive during highway driving. Engine idles but accelerator input produces no throttle response. Loss of all throttle control accompanied by multiple CAN bus communication failures (ECM, TCM, ABS, SRS modules report no communication).
When: Occurred at highway speeds in heavy traffic approximately 3 days after purchase
Symptoms owners cite: Accelerator unresponsive at highway speeds; Engine continues to run at idle only; No throttle response even when flooring accelerator; Loss of vehicle control at highway speeds in traffic; Symptom resolves after turning off engine and restarting
Codes mentioned: U100 – ECM no communication, U101 – TCM no communication, U121 – ABS no communication, U176 – SRS no communication
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer troubleshot for 9 days; final diagnosis and repair method not stated
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM's official response was an oil change coupon; owner states the manufacturer view is perceived as dismissive
Transmission stuck between first and second gear; complete transmission failure
Three days after purchase, transmission became stuck between first and second gears and seized entirely (owner describes as 'burned, melted'). Vehicle lost all power, warning lights illuminated briefly, then engine shut down permanently and would not restart.
When: 5/9/2015; three days after purchase on 5/2/2015; vehicle had only received a diagnostic for engine misfire two days prior (5/6/2015)
Symptoms owners cite: Transmission overheat warning light illuminated; Vehicle completely shut down and would not restart; Transmission stuck mechanically between first and second gears; Owner reports transmission appeared burned and melted upon dealer inspection
Codes mentioned: Engine misfire code (recorded 5/6/2015, two days prior to transmission failure)
Repairs/costs cited: Transmission required complete replacement; owner reports GM and dealership voided warranty and refused coverage on one-year-old vehicle
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Warranty voided; no replacement offered
Infotainment system short circuit causing audio loss and disabled warning chimes
Stereo system experiences electrical short that causes the unit and all connected systems to shut off, then power back on repeatedly. Each power cycle produces a loud popping sound from speakers. When the stereo is shorted and remains off, all vehicle audio warnings are disabled.
When: Occurs intermittently; may happen once after startup with radio not returning for duration of trip, or repeatedly throughout drive
Symptoms owners cite: Loud pop sound from speakers similar to balloon popping during short cycles; Stereo and connected systems shut off then power back on repeatedly; All audio warnings disabled when stereo is shorted (seatbelt warning, low fuel warning, door ajar warning, reverse gear notification, engine overheat warning, power steering warning, transmission overheat warning, parking lamp notification, headlamp notification, parking brake warning, ABS warning, turn signal chime); Loud popping is unexpected and startling, can distract driver; Turn signal audio chime fails to operate for entire duration vehicle is running when stereo is shorted; On manual transmission vehicles, reverse gear audio notification does not operate when radio is shorted, creating danger if driver accidentally shifts to reverse instead of first gear
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer diagnosis confirmed short in stereo system; repair not detailed in narrative
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer described this as a 'well known issue' for this generation of Camaros
Transmission light and stability control faults with violent shaking and jerking
Transmission warning light, traction control light, and electronic stability control light illuminate simultaneously. Vehicle experiences violent shaking while stationary and hard jerking motions while driving.
When: Occurred after vehicle sat unused for extended period during COVID
Symptoms owners cite: Violent shaking while vehicle stationary; Transmission light illuminates; Traction control light illuminates; Electronic stability control light illuminates; Hard jerking motions during driving
Service StabiliTrak and traction control faults with uncontrollable shaking and speed
Service StabiliTrak warning and traction control light activate together. Engine light blinks constantly. Vehicle exhibits uncontrollable shaking and speed fluctuations. Same fault recurs within six months after previous repair costing approximately $900.
When: First occurrence required $900 repair at dealership; same fault recurred within less than six months
Symptoms owners cite: Service StabiliTrak warning lights; Traction control light illumination; Engine light blinking constantly; Uncontrollable shaking; Uncontrollable speed fluctuations
Repairs/costs cited: Repaired at dealership with approximately $900 cost (with dealership coupon); same failure recurred
Engine misfire and loss of highway power
Engine misfire condition documented by dealer diagnostic. Subsequently, while driving on highway, vehicle loses all engine power, requiring driver to dodge traffic. Owner reports having to change pistons and valves.
When: Misfire documented early in ownership; power loss incident occurred during highway driving
Symptoms owners cite: Engine misfire condition; Complete loss of power while driving on highway; Engine power dropout requiring evasive driving in traffic
Codes mentioned: Engine misfire code
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer performed piston and valve replacement
Manual transmission startup shaking and gear engagement difficulty
Manual transmission vehicle produces loud popping noise immediately upon starting. Vehicle behaves as if it is in gear even with clutch fully depressed. Extremely difficult to engage first or second gear once running.
When: Occurs on startup
Symptoms owners cite: Loud popping noise on startup only; Vehicle attempts to move forward even with clutch fully pressed and transmission in neutral; Extreme difficulty engaging first or second gear; Vehicle behaves as if in gear with clutch fully depressed; Driving is very dangerous due to engagement difficulty
Shifter proximity hazard—reverse adjacent to first gear
On automatic transmissions, the first gear and reverse gear positions are located adjacent to each other with minimal buffer between them. Shifter movement is effortless, making it very easy to move into reverse when intending to select first gear.
When: Design issue present from manufacture
Symptoms owners cite: Unintended reverse selection when trying to select first gear from stop position; Multiple close calls with vehicle moving backward instead of forward; Hazardous configuration during acceleration from stopped position
Infotainment system freezing and random power cycling
Infotainment system freezes intermittently and powers on and off randomly during normal operation.
Symptoms owners cite: Infotainment system freezes; Infotainment system turns on and off randomly
Park gear does not hold; vehicle rolls when parked
When vehicle is placed in park and brake pedal is released, the vehicle rolls instead of holding position. Park gear fails to engage or maintain engagement.
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle rolls into park position instead of holding; Park gear fails to hold vehicle in place; Vehicle rolls when brake pedal is released after parking
Rear noise—clunking or popping sound
Unexplained clunking or popping noise emanates from rear of vehicle during operation.
Symptoms owners cite: Clunking noise from rear of vehicle; Popping sound from rear of vehicle
Second gear difficulty—spat out when back on throttle
Vehicle exhibits difficulty shifting into second gear and ejects from second gear ('spit out') when driver returns to throttle after initial gear engagement on non-aggressive city driving.
When: Persistent issue over three months of ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Difficulty shifting into second gear; Second gear ejects (spat out) when returning throttle after initial engagement; Issue persists over extended ownership period
Synthesized from 18 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
The stereo has a "short" as determined by my local dealer. The local dealer also informed me that this is a "well known issue" for this generation of camaros. The issue causes the stereo and all connected systems to short, turn off, then turn back on. During each cycle of this process a loud pop comes from the stereo speakers that is similar to a balloon popping in close proximity to an…
Car will not heat in the winter, started this winter. I only had the car 2 years.
Takata inflators: known recall. Need to be replaced before anything happen. Heater is not working at all. Blowing out cold air.
Had powertrain trouble with your 2015 Chevrolet Camaro?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 18 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $2,500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Across the 11 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most powertrain failures cluster between 18,000 and 34,000 miles, with the median around 30,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 18,000; a quarter make it past 34,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2015/Chevrolet/Camaro.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.