[Camaro455ss]

Guys something I've been pondering about... how long does a company support parts for its models once the entire line (ie camaro) are gone?



Something's that's been in the back of my mind...with not only the 6th gens going out of production, but the entire camaro line at least ICE engines (specifically our v8s),

how long will GM support our cars from availability aspect ? Let's say something from the drive line (engine/ tranny) goes wrong which can be covered by the warranty... or say a body panel bolt/ part breaks and needs to be replaced, how long will the manufacturer carry / produce the part??


With the 23's - 24s being the last production year of an entire BRAND name, not counting the (2003-2009 hiatus)... say you need parts of an engine or tranny how long will GM produce needed parts? Especially since from 2020-22s because of the pandemic almost all companies had problems getting parts to simply put a car together...... and with a car going out of production shortly thereafter (Camaros) that... say 5-10 years if you baby the car, and keep it for what it's worth, how long will GM support the camaro parts?


The 3rd gens ( i know almost 40 years later) some OEM parts now cant be found anymore...but GM had a hard time getting camaro's out the door due to shortage of parts when the car was in production in 2019-2022)... but will they have enough parts in case parts are needed sometime down the road...
and yes im talking about for those that want to garage the last year model cars and not daily drive them... How long will the part support last?

[Curr]

Nobody knows. As someone with some insight into manufacturing...

It's a combination of unknown factors (to us)...

Which parts break the most?
How long are the contracts going to produce parts?
Did they get stop orders for those contracts when the Camaro was killed off?
What is current inventory?
Does GM care enough to track and keep a meaningful supply on hand?
Are there equivalent parts in other platforms?
etc

Unless someone is actually in the planning chain in that pipeline, it's all just a WAG.

[18.2SS.1LE]

Federal law states they must manufacture parts for the vehicle for 10 years after the discontinuation of the model. Supply and demand after that.

[Silveradoss573]

Originally Posted by 18.2SS.1LE

Federal law states they must manufacture parts for the vehicle for 10 years after the discontinuation of the model. Supply and demand after that.

Completely false but whatever helps you sleep at night...

[SomeGeoffGuy]

I have an 11 year old 2013 Escalade EXT with 180k miles on it. I buy parts for this all the time! What I have seen is that parts like shocks, tie rods, suspension, bushings, etc... are all available - even though a lot of it is aftermarket. Even the MR shocks are available on Amazon from the Chinese company that bought Delphi.

The truck has an LS based 6.2 engine, so plenty of stuff there both OEM and aftermarket. I assume the aftermarket will still make the transmission parts I need too, since you can still service a trans built 50 years ago. You may not be able to buy replacement crate engines and transmissions for long though, if you even still can.

Where I find a lack of parts is things like body parts and interior trim - my center console is all chipped up but OEM parts are long gone. My heated steering wheel went out on the coldest day of the year this year. There were some budget OEM replacement options from other GMT900 models, but right now the only replacement steering wheel available at GM has the wood trim and is $500. The GMT900 steering wheels I could have subbed in for half price without the wood trim are long gone.

So I would stock up on things like A-Pillar trim (if you are doing gauges), knee bolsters, seat covers, etc... Anything that will fade in the sun - like the trim on your dash - is probably a good candidate for getting spares. The white seat covers were pretty faded on my 2016 when I sold it in 2023, so if I kept it I would have probably replaced them. Even floormats will probably wear out in 10 years if you want OEM stuff. So I am making a list...

-Geoff

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by 18.2SS.1LE

Federal law states they must manufacture parts for the vehicle for 10 years after the discontinuation of the model. Supply and demand after that.

It would be nice, but I'm afraid that law does not exist. There are Camaro parts that went missing literally when the last model years they were used in just exited the bumper-to-bumper time window.

[SomeGeoffGuy]

Originally Posted by arpad_m

It would be nice, but I'm afraid that law does not exist. There are Camaro parts that went missing literally when the last model years they were used in just exited the bumper-to-bumper time window.

I think it is a law but it only applies to emissions. They have to be able to keep them compliant for 10 years. Even a lot of that goes to the aftermaket.

-Geoff

[TransamGTA350]

I have also heard this, but never knew how true it was and never dug into it to verify. I have also heard it only applies to safety equipment, so who knows. In reality, I have experienced many unavailable parts at the dealer for vehicles under 10 years old.

It's the end of the 6th gen run, so some parts will become unavailable. Doesn't really matter much that there isn't a 7th gen. 6th gen specific parts will run out. I remember in 1997 trying to buy a headliner for my 86' Iroc and the Chevy dealer telling me they couldn't get one. It was only 5 years since the last 3rd gen was made and lots of parts were already discontinued. This isn't new.

Interior and trim components are typically the first to get scarce. A lot of the driveline parts are used across other GM vehicles, so they'll be available for a long time. General maintenance and misc replacement mechanical parts will be available through vendors like RockAuto, Napa, Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, etc. for the forseeable future. You'll be able to get the parts to keep it on the road, but a random plastic trim piece, emblem, etc. may be tougher to get. But, if you look hard enough and in the right places, can usually find it.

I went through this with a couple of 3rd gen F-bodies and a 4th gen. The low point is when they are about 15 years old. The dealers have almost nothing (they usually sell of remaining parts inventory to places like Classic Industries by then) and the reproduction market hasn't really started up yet. Right now, 3rd gens have a lot of repro parts and 4th gens are starting to as well.

It's just how it goes.