2012 Chevrolet Camaro

Trims, performance, features, fuel economy, safety and known problems — with the pros and cons against similar 2012 models.

Chevrolet Camaro
Pictured: 2019 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS 6.2L front 3.16.19. Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Class
Compact Cars
Body styles
2dr Coupe RWD Ls/Lt, 2dr Coupe RWD SS, Convertible RWD Ls/Lt, Convertible RWD SS
Engines
3.6L 6-cyl, 6.2L 8-cyl
Transmission
automatic
Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline, Premium Gasoline
MPG (best)
22 combined · 19 city / 29 hwy
Length
190.6 in
Curb weight
3,748–3,869 lb
NHTSA rating
Not rated
Recalls
4 campaigns

Pros & cons

What's good

  • Few owner complaints68 complaints filed with NHTSA versus about 303 for similar models.

Watch out for

  • Below-average fuel economyBest version gets 22 MPG combined, 14% below the 2012 compact car average of 25.6 MPG.

Calculated from EPA, NHTSA and vPIC data against 22 similar 2012 models — not a review. How we calculate this →

Overview

The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro is a compact car offered with 2 engines (3.6L 6-cyl and 6.2L 8-cyl) and rear-wheel drive.

It measures about 191 inches long and 76 inches wide on a 112-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 3,748 lb (2dr Coupe RWD Ls/Lt).

EPA rates its most efficient version at 22 MPG combined (19 city / 29 highway), 14% worse than the 2012 compact car average of 25.6 MPG, for an estimated $3,050 a year in fuel.

NHTSA has not published a 5-Star overall rating for this model year.

It has 4 recall campaigns on file and owners have filed 68 complaints with NHTSA since 2015, most often about the air bags.

What changed for 2012

No changes to engines, powertrains, drivetrains, size, EPA ratings or NHTSA crash rating compared with the 2011 Camaro — a carry-over year in the data.

Compared with 2011; trim, feature and price changes aren't covered. See the 2011 Camaro →

Trims, performance & features

Engine–3.6L 6-cyl
Engine–6.2L 8-cyl
Transmissionautomatic

Trims

LTLT2LS2SS

Built in: Oshawa #1 (Osh), Ontario

NHTSA vPIC, as reported by the manufacturer for 5 2012 Camaro configurations; may not list every trim. How we calculate this →

Dimensions & weight

BodyLengthWidthHeightWheelbaseTrack F / RCurb weightWeight F/R
2dr Coupe RWD Ls/Lt190.6 in75.6 in54.3 in112.2 in63.8 / 64.2 in3,748 lb52/48
2dr Coupe RWD SS190.6 in75.6 in54.3 in112.2 in63.8 / 63.8 in3,869 lb52/48
Convertible RWD Ls/Lt190.6 in75.6 in54.3 in112.2 in63.8 / 63.8 in3,750 lb52/48
Convertible RWD SS190.6 in75.6 in54.3 in112.2 in63.8 / 63.8 in3,860 lb52/48

Transport Canada CVS (Open Government Licence – Canada), Canadian-market figures.

Will it fit your garage? Check with your measurements →

Engines, MPG & running costs

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCity / Hwy / Combvs. classFuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Camaro3.6L 6-cylAutomatic (S6)Rear-Wheel Drive18 / 28 / 22-14%$3,050404
Camaro3.6L 6-cylAutomatic 6-spdRear-Wheel Drive19 / 29 / 22-14%$3,050404
Camaro3.6L 6-cylManual 6-spdRear-Wheel Drive17 / 27 / 20-22%$3,350444
Camaro6.2L 8-cylManual 6-spdRear-Wheel Drive16 / 24 / 19-26%$3,550468
Camaro6.2L 8-cylAutomatic (S6)Rear-Wheel Drive15 / 24 / 18-30%$3,700494
Camaro6.2L 8-cylManual 6-spdRear-Wheel Drive14 / 19 / 16-37%$5,150555
Camaro6.2L 8-cylAutomatic (S6)Rear-Wheel Drive12 / 18 / 14-45%$4,800635
Spend $3,250Fuel over 5 years vs. average new car
25.6 MPG2012 Compact Cars average

EPA estimates; "vs. class" is combined MPG against the 2012 EPA class average. How we calculate this →

Safety ratings & technology

NHTSA has not published 5-Star ratings for the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro.

Similar 2012 compact cars

ModelBest MPG / rangeNHTSA overallRecalls
2012 Chevrolet Camaro (this car)22 MPGNot rated4
2012 Ford Mustang23 MPGNot rated6
2012 Honda Accord27 MPGNot rated8
2012 Chevrolet Impala22 MPGNot rated3
2012 Toyota Camry40 MPGNot rated2
2012 Nissan GT-R19 MPGNot rated0
2012 Volkswagen Golf/GTI32 MPGNot rated6

Recalls (4)

Seats › Front Assembly › Power Adjust · Jul 23, 2014

NHTSA campaign 14V447000 · 414,333 vehicles

Problem
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt that secures the driver's and passenger's power front seat height adjuster may fall out causing the seat to drop suddenly to the lowest vertical position.
Risk
If the driver's seat unexpectedly drops, the distraction and altered seat position may affect the drivers' control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.
Electrical System › Ignition · Jun 20, 2014

NHTSA campaign 14V346000 · 464,712 vehicles

Problem
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling all 2010-2014 Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured December 3, 2008 to May 23, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the driver may accidentally hit the ignition key with their knee, unintentionally knocking the key out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Risk
If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position could cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix
GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the key blade from the original flip key/RKE transmitter assemblies, and provide two new keys and two key rings per key. The recall began August 25, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14294. Note: Until the recall has been performed, it is very important that drivers adjust their seat and steering column to allow clearance between their knee and the ignition key.
Air Bags · Jun 6, 2014

NHTSA campaign 14V300000 · 31,520 vehicles

Problem
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles manufactured December 2, 2011 to July, 16, 2012, Chevrolet Cruze vehicles manufactured December 7, 2011 to July 25, 2012, Chevrolet Sonic vehicles manufactured December 5, 2011 to August 2, 2012, and Chevrolet Camaro vehicles manufactured December 1, 2011 to June 11, 2012. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
Risk
If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
Fix
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The recall began on July 25, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact GM at 1-800-222-1020. Buick owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. Note: This is an expansion of recalls 12V-522 and 13V-023.
Air Bags · Jan 24, 2013

NHTSA campaign 13V023000 · 4,167 vehicles

Problem
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2012 Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze and Sonic, and model year 2012 Buick Verano vehicles. The driver side frontal air bag has a shorting bar which may intermittently contact the air bag terminals.
Risk
If the bar and terminals are contacting each other at the time of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, that air bag will not deploy, increasing the driver's risk of injury.
Fix
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel air bag coil, free of charge. The safety recall began on February 13, 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
Check your VIN for open recalls at NHTSA ↗

Not every 2012 Chevrolet Camaro is affected — only a VIN check confirms your car.

Owner-reported problems

68Complaints to NHTSA since 2015
6Involved a crash
1Involved a fire
2Injuries reported
68,000 miTypical mileage at failure
Air Bags17
Engine17
Electrical System15
Unknown Or Other6
Power Train5
Structure › Body5
Steering4
Visibility/Wiper4
Complaints received per month (last 24 months with reports)
19/06: 119/08: 219/10: 119/11: 320/01: 320/03: 120/04: 120/07: 121/02: 121/05: 121/06: 122/03: 122/12: 223/02: 123/03: 123/07: 123/12: 124/01: 124/06: 124/08: 125/12: 126/01: 126/06: 126/07: 319/0619/1120/0421/0522/1223/0724/0626/01max 3

Unverified owner reports; best-sellers collect more.

Used 2012 Chevrolet Camaro buyer's checklist

  1. Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 4 recalls this year — ask for proof of repairs.
  2. Air Bags — 17 owner reports. Confirm the airbag warning light turns off after start-up and any airbag recall was completed.
  3. Engine — 17 owner reports. Cold-start the engine, listen for knocking, and watch for warning lights or hesitation on acceleration.
  4. Electrical System — 15 owner reports. Test every window, lock, light, screen and USB port; check the battery age.
  5. Mileage to watch. Owners typically reported problems around 68,000 miles; ask what was repaired near that point.
  6. Before you pay: service records, a history report and an independent inspection.

Generated by DecodedCars from NHTSA recalls and owner complaints for the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro. Not a substitute for a professional inspection.

Other Camaro years

Compare all years →
YearMPG (best)LengthOverallRecallsComplaints
2024 Camaro22188.2 inNot rated04
2023 Camaro25188.2 inNot rated016
2022 Camaro25188.2 in★★★★★114
2021 Camaro25188.2 in★★★★★420
2020 Camaro25188.2 in★★★★★332
2019 Camaro25188.2 in★★★★★153
2018 Camaro25188.2 in★★★★★281
2017 Camaro25188.2 inNot rated3190
2016 Camaro25188.2 inNot rated1141
2015 Camaro22190.6 inNot rated1205
2014 Camaro22190.6 inNot rated3161
2013 Camaro22190.6 inNot rated3143

Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Transport Canada, Wikimedia Commons. Not affiliated with NHTSA, the EPA or Chevrolet. How we calculate this →