I8ABMR

The new Camaro SS is definitely one of the hottest pony cars to come along in the last decade, but so far it hasn't been all roses for the car, with a recall over a faulty battery and now a new problem with breaking manual transmissions.


The Tremec TR6060 sourced to send the LS3's power to the rear wheels is a popular industry choice, found in a wide range of muscle and performance cars including Chevrolet's own Corvette, but the units installed in Camaro SS models apparently have some internal flaw that lends them to sudden and catastrophic failure.

Reports of the problem have been emerging on enthusiast forums for the past several weeks, usually with breakage occurring during use of the built-in launch control. Owner speculation points toward the output shaft being the weak link, but today GM issued a statement to Camaro5, one of the largest Camaro enthusiast sites on the web.

The statement reveals only that GM has decided to temporarily stop shipment of the car to dealers, and that an 'in production' review will be made. GM makes it clear that it is "NOT requesting vehicles be returned for any service or dealer deliveries stopped as a result of this action."

Once the problem, if any, is found, expect GM to take further action. Camaro SS owners out there might want to refrain from using their traction control for hard launches for the near future, however, to avoid a lot of downtime as their transmission is replaced.

Automatic SS models and all other Camaros are unaffected by the problem.

TJW98LS

iTrader: (1)

How many years in R&D?

Sad... Just Sad.

Habious

I'm usually one of the first in line to American-Car bash. I've never seen one I liked.

But, that being said...transmission catastrophically failing when using launch control? Does this sound familiar to anyone else? Like...say...on the GTR? THE car of 2008?

Even with years of R&D, nothing can replace actually putting the item in the field and having is tested daily in real-world conditions.

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

I agree with Habious. Launch control seems to be the gadget to have for performance cars, but it doesn't look like cost efficient trannys have kept up.

habeeb89

iTrader: (3)

Like Habious said, I love to bash American cars But, it's not just he Camaro with tranny problems especially with LC.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

i wonder if they'll have to get the 'car czar' or obama's approval to decide what to do.

IS-SV

I think the 'car czar' resigned recently, per WSJ.

Hopefully GM focuses on a smooth and easy fix for the owners, instead of focusing on making excuses.

I still see the modern V6 as the preferred Camaro anyway.

Byprodrive

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like GM failed to properly test/thrash the launch control feature, being a patriotic kinda guy I want to be the first to volunteer my years of experience in this area.

LeslieRC

Well, like others here, I must admit to a certain disdain for American cars; however, I made an exception to those feelings when I saw the new Camaro. In fact, if I didn't already possess a " just got to have fun" car, I would have purchased one of those SS versions. This Camaro is a game-changer and the SS is going to be a legendary car for the Chevy brand. As frustrating as I sure it is to the owners, these are teething problems and the type of thing that usually occurs in the first year of a new model. I could be wrong, but those who protest just might want to be careful aboult maligning this car because it just might very soon eat your lunch!

bagwell

+1

the battery cable issue was ridiculous...this is a different story...hopefully its resolved quickly.

Stormforge

you took the words right out of my mouth!

correct me if i'm wrong on this, but i read somewhere that nissan will not cover repairs due to launch mode, stating that GTR owners were racing their cars and therefore warranty is voided?

mmarshall

This is one of the reasons why non-Cobra Mustangs use an old-fashioned live axle in the rear. Live axles are unsophisticated and tend to hop up and down under some conditions, but they are durable and withstand the kind of burnout abuse that V8 ponycars often get.

True, the Camaro problem seems to be transmission-related more than with the rear-end, but it will be interesting to see how long the IRS Camaros hold up back there, too.

Cobra/Shelby Mustangs use the more sophisticated IRS because their owners generally don't abuse them as much as the cheaper GTs.

Stormforce is correct........there also comes a point where automakers have to draw a line between normal hard use and clear abuse.

ViniZaoD

This is because the first thing everyone does in a new Camaro SS is do a burnout. After 20 the transmission breaks.

Surprised?

mmarshall

For street (non-racing) cars, manufacturer break-in policy is no redlining or max-performance/full-throttle accelerations for the first 1000 miles. That MEANS what it says. Of course, this affects engines more than transmissions, but transmissions should also not be abused during the break-in. The clutch lining, disc, and pressure-plate have to all seat properly.

Byprodrive

iTrader: (1)

Don't forget everytime you start a cold vehicle the lubricants have to get to the wear surfaces before they are protected.
Every vehicle has a weakest link it might be in the rearend or trans or driveshaft but whatever the weakest link is it is usually the first to fail