1997 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 from North America - Comments

Where to start, where to start.

I ordered this car, (first mistake) apparently GM does not put quality into vehicles that are already sold.

The first thing was an oil leak, from the top of the engine (of all places).

Then after the dealer fixed that leak, the EGR valve failed.

Then the reverse switch in the 6 speed transmission died, along with several light bulbs...

The front seal on the rear axle began to leak, and the fuel pump failed, stranding us for a couple of hours.

After all of that, the air pump failed (the last straw).

When I confronted the service manager he said that these cars are prone to breakdowns, and that there was nothing they could do, but continue to fix the problems as they emerged.

It's nice to know that for 23K you can buy a vehicle that's prone to breakdowns, and has a warranty limited to the verge of them all!

I managed to dump this lemon at the end of the MFG warranty.

When I contacted the MFG customer service line they were of no use (a real waste of time, and oxygen)

Since then I've made the fantastic quality known, and changed a few minds that were thinking about buying a Camaro.

Never, never, NEVER order a vehicle, and never buy a Camaro. (free advice for those who will listen)

Hey, my name is Chris and I would like to say generally the Chevrolet Camaro is an extremely reliable car, I own three. One of which is a ninety seven Z-28 and have yet to have a problem. Along with that a ninety five which only had a problem with the radiator cap. So my advice is one car gone bad does not mean the Chevrolet Camaro deserves such a reputation. Thank you.

I own a 1987 Iroc Z28 and I also own a 1999 Z28 and not only have I not had one problem with either car, but they both run very strong and are easy to work with if you have the know how. If you want a muscle car why would you settle for one that is slow and useless (mustang) I think this is just one person who is sour about something and is trying to ruin it for everyone.

I've got a 1996 Z28 (automatic trans) that I bought in new in Houston back in March of 1997. It presently has 92,400 miles on the odometer. While the vehicle has been a joy to drive, it has been an absolute maintenance nightmare. I keep a meticulous maintenance record and you would not believe this list. The car has never been raced and has mainly been an intercity daily driver. The oil has been changed religiously at every 3000 miles. The only consolation is that I had the presents of mind to purchase an extended warranty that did not run out until March of 2002. Here are just some of the problems. The rear brakes were gone by 9,000 miles. There have been two new window motors in the passenger side and one in the driver's side. The water pump has been replaced three times. The rear end has been replaced once. The radiator has been replaced twice. The thermostat has been replace three times. (The car has always run warm.) The headliner had to be replaced. The remote door openers have been replaced twice. The O2 sensors had to be replaced early on. The ABS module had to be replaced. The ignition cylinder had to be replaced due to the "security" light staying on. The transmission cross member has broken twice. There have been numerous oil leaks including a front seal that propagated into a timing chain cover leak that was a nightmare. (It took one dealer three times to get it right.) Currently engine code 32 is set (EGR) and the rear seal has a small leak, but not too bad. The maintenance totals are in the $9k range mostly due to labor. Since the extended warranty has run out I do all the work I can - myself. I already have the EGR valve and solenoid - just trying to figure out the best way to replace it. It's been paid off for a very long time and I suppose it's only worth anything - to me. I've made up mine mind to keep it a daily driver - no plans to dump it - even with all the headaches it's still a nice ride. Bang-for-the-buck (Rear Wheel HP) it was a bargain back in 96' and I was sad to see the F-body go...

PS - I had another friend who had a 1995 Z - (manual trans) which he sold two years ago and he agrees with me that the f-body Z's are indeed a high maintenance vehicle.

Alan.

Alan, my car also has the problem with the security light stayin on. can you tell me how much it costed to have that repaired, or what the cost is on the new ignition cylinder?