10 THINGS CHEVY CAMARO OWNERS KEEP QUIET ABOUT

The Chevrolet Camaro is one of America’s most iconic models. Yet, Chevy plans to retire the vehicle temporarily and the 2024 model year Camaro will be the last Camaro that we'll see for a while. Although the sixth-generation Camaro debuted successfully, with Chevrolet selling over 72,700 vehicles in the first model year, it has proven to be a disaster for Chevy over time, as subsequent models sold poorly, with yearly sales reaching their nadir in 2021 when Chevy sold 21,893 units.

A decade earlier, Chevy had sold over 88,000 Chevy Camaros. The figures show that the sixth-gen Camaro was wildly unpopular, which probably contributed to GM's decision to rethink and redesign the Camaro. The Camaro name will live on, but the era of the exclusively gas-powered Camaro will seemingly end with the 2024 model year Camaro.

Despite dwindling sales and its impending hiatus, the Camaro is an American legend. It's ubiquitous on American roads - and for good reason: the Camaro is fast and part of muscle car royalty. Before you buy one, however, there are secrets you must know about Camaro ownership and here are 10 things Camaro owners keep quiet about.

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Reliability Issues Plague the 5th-Gen Camaro

The 5th-generation Camaro suffered from a host of reliability issues. It's no wonder it lasted only five model years. The 3.6-liter V-6 engine in lower models was the popular choice. Unfortunately, many drivers who opted for the engine reported premature timing chain wear, which, if left unresolved, could lead to expensive engine damage. Camaro owners also reported upward shifting issues with the transmission.

But perhaps the most concerning reliability issue with the 5th-Gen Camaro was the malfunctioning of the passenger-side airbag sensors. The fault mostly appeared in the 2010 and 2011 model year Camaros. It formed the basis of a lawsuit against General Motors, claiming the manufacturer sold the vehicles despite knowing they had faulty airbag sensors. Other reliability gremlins that plagued the Camaro include the infotainment system and starter motor faults.

The RWD Camaro Isn't An Ideal All-Weather Car

Despite having truckloads of power, RWD Camaros are virtually useless in snowy and muddy terrain. The heavy, rear-wheel-drive setup means, the Camaro tends to slide around and spin its wheels on snowy and muddy roads.

The very feature that makes a Camaro such a fun car to drive when the conditions are right, also severely limits its capabilities when the going gets tough. The lack of weight over the drive axle makes it challenging for the vehicle to find a grip on slippery surfaces and put that power down. Therefore, it isn’t advisable for someone living in a snowy or rainy area to buy a Camaro.

The Unflattering Perception Of Some Camaros

Like it or not, people perceive you differently depending on the car you drive. Chevrolets, especially Camaros and Berettas, were favored by rednecks and hillbillies in the 80s who get a bad rep.

Modern Camaros are no longer associated with hillbillies. However, some older models can still confer hillbilly status. Younger drivers are unlikely to connect Camaros to hillbillies, but an old-timer from the 80s might unfairly dismiss a Camaro driver as a troublemaker.

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An Outdated Interior

The price you pay for buying an inexpensive Camaro is having to sit inside a sporty but plasticky interior. The Camaro is not a luxury vehicle, and for that price, no one expects the vehicle to have a luxurious interior. Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem like Chevy even tried to sprinkle a bit of class onto the Camaro’s cabin. A digital gauge cluster, head-up display, and climate control are available, but the plasticky materials in the cabin limit their impact.

Therefore, the Camaro lags behind the competition in terms of the interior. Chevy could have updated the pony car's cabin to keep up with the times, but the automaker had no interest in significantly upgrading the sixth-gen Camaro.

Above Average Insurance Costs

Insurance rates for the Camaro vary depending on the model year: people pay higher for more recent models. For instance, an average 30-year-old male buying a 2021 model-year Camaro would pay more in annual auto insurance than a similar person buying a 2014 model-year Camaro.

Factors like the owner’s age, area of residence, and driving records affect the insurance premiums offered to Camaro owners. Regardless, the data shows that, generally, Camaro owners have to dig deeper into their purses than the average American to pay for insurance.

A Lack Of Exclusivity

One of the primary reasons the Camaro is so popular is its affordability. It would cost you a little over $32,000 to own a base Chevy Camaro. Considering the offerings of the Camaro - blending muscle and sports car aesthetics and mind-blowing speed - $32,000 seems like a bargain. Compared to other cars in the segment, the Camaro has always been affordable.

Predictably, therefore, the vehicle has attracted many American buyers. One of the reasons for buying a sports car or a high-performance model is exclusivity. However, Camaro drivers enjoy little to no exclusivity. Camaros are so common they rarely get more than one look from passersby and other drivers (unless, of course, you show up in something like a 1969 Chevy Camaro SS).

RELATED: Why This Is The Best Chevrolet Camaro To Buy In 2023

Some Camaro Models Are Annoyingly Loud

The base Camaro powertrain features a decent-sounding 335 horsepower V-6. However, the optional 455-horsepower V-8 and the ZL1’s 650-horsepower V-8 produce far superior melodies. No enthusiast anywhere can find fault in the rumble of a finely-tuned V-8. Even so, a Camaro V-8 paired with the 1LE Track Performance package can get annoyingly loud, especially if you use it as a daily driver.

The ZL1 1LE’s noise is so high that the ones sold in Australia had to have their exhausts modified. The vehicle’s exhausts exceeded the maximum permitted volume - 74 dB for automatic cars and 75 dB for manuals - necessitating the installation of resonators before delivery to customers. Living with an excessively loud car can be annoying, though no Camaro owner will admit it. You might get used to the racket, but the neighbors won’t be happy.

Some Camaros Are Comparatively Poor At Cornering

Camaros have come a long way in terms of cornering ability. Newer models, especially those fitted with the 1LE Track Performance package, are fun and responsive on windy roads and straights. The ZL1 1LE is the cream of the crop, a track monster capable of beating premier offerings from across the Atlantic. 1LE Camaros have improved handling thanks to larger brakes, special suspension settings, and a limited-slip differential.

Drivers unable or unwilling to splash the cash on the 1LE package are stuck with Camaros that struggle to go around corners. In whatever trim, the Camaro is a brilliant straight-line speed machine, its over 3,700-pound curb weight notwithstanding. However, weight becomes an issue when an RWD Camaro without the 1LE package tries negotiating a corner at speed.

Insufficient Passenger And Cargo Space

The Chevy Camaro has four passenger seats, but getting four adults to fit in the car is an awkward undertaking. Due to the vehicle’s design, accessing the rear seats is a nightmare. Further, it’s near-impossible for two adults to ride comfortably in the back of a Camaro.

Cargo space isn’t much of a priority for sports car manufacturers. With that stated, it doesn’t seem like Chevy considered cargo space at all when designing the Camaro: coupe owners get 9.1 cubic feet of trunk space; convertible owners get about two cubic feet less. To exacerbate the issue, the trunk has a small and unusual opening, complicating loading. Chevy Camaro owners won’t tell you this, but the Camaro can prove useless even on a simple grocery run.

Interior Dimensions: Chevy Camaro Vs. Competition

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The Camaro’s Outward Visibility Is Severely Limited

The ideal scenario for any driver is to have unhindered views through the windshield, rear glass, and side glasses. It improves safety, allowing a driver to switch lanes or merge into traffic with a clear picture of their surroundings. Unfortunately, some car designs engineered to improve aerodynamic efficiency or crash safety inadvertently limit the driver’s outside visibility.

The Camaro sits low and wide and has a low roof, which is excellent for acceleration but bad for visibility. Therefore, the space between the body panels and the roof - where the windshield, rear glass, and side glass sit - is limited. Chevrolet had an opportunity to improve the Camaro’s visibility when developing the sixth-generation model, but they stuck with the vehicle’s signature design.

Rather than redesigning the car, Chevrolet added safety features like blind-spot monitoring. However, it’s safer and more reassuring for drivers to see what is around them than to rely on technology to do it for them. Experienced Camaro drivers have grown used to the limited visibility, which influenced Chevy's decision to stick with its design. New drivers, however, would struggle to confidently drive the Camaro, especially on busy roads.

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