1997 Chevrolet Camaro review from North America

Ignition coil died a week after purchasing the car, resulting in a misfire and a flashing Service Engine Soon light. This was replaced under my extended warranty. The problem has not resurfaced.

Car would not start in a city park. This was caused by the wires for the PassKey system breaking or coming loose. This requires the ignition key cylinder to be replaced. Generally, this is a part that needs to be replaced every five or six years due to general wear. The part is relatively cheap, but the labor will kill you ($99 CAD part, $300 CAD labor), and cannot be easily done by a backyard mechanic.

The shock sensor for the factory alarm shorted out, still have yet to replace, trying to find one on eBay. :)

Wipers are messed up. When turning the wipers off, they will park themselves straight up on the windshield, as opposed to going down and sitting neatly at the bottom. Required a replacement of the wiper motor, a VERY EXPENSIVE part (to the tune of $400 CAD), find a used one if you can.

The car, with its 3800 Series II engine, is quick, and can certainly hold its own against most imports you hear buzzing around these days. Thanks to this powerplant's use on the Grand Prix GTP, aftermarket is sprouting up everywhere.

The interior (despite what most say) is very nice. Kinda like a Corvette interior. Black is best. :) The seats are also very comfortable, and will hold you in place for those occasional 40 MPH yield turns. ;)

The exhaust note is nice, although not quite up to par like its V8 big brother.

The car hugs the road with its beefy P245/50ZR16 Goodyear Eagle GS-C tires.

The suspension is not too punishing either, and still provides a nice ride.

The T-Tops do not leak, and are great for... any day in the summer.

If you have snow where you live, as I do, learn this: Respect your throttle. This car is better in the winter than its previous generations, but is still not easy to winter drive. The tires will spin VERY VERY easily and the rear end will choose its own course if you're not careful. Learn to correct when the rear lashes out, and you'll be fine. Also, make sure you have your block heater cables out. I forgot to, and one nice winter day, the snow got moist, then the next day it froze to the tune of -52 degrees Celsius, and I couldn't open the hood because the latch had frozen shut. If you can, get a winter beater.

I love this car, would DEFINITELY buy another one, and next time, I'm getting the LT1.