IllustrationCHEVROLET REFUSED TO REPAIR TRANSMISSION FAILURE. LOST SECOND AND FOURTH GEAR AS WELL AS REVERSE. *AK
1998 Chevrolet Camaro
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Camaro years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Chevrolet Camaro are substantially higher than the model-year median of 32.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Camaro years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 13 of 173 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 84 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports5 fire reports11 injury reports
Power Train complaints
15 reportsUPON TAKE OFF, TRANSMISSION STARTED MAKING NOISE AND DID NOT WANT TO GO INTO SECOND GEAR. TRIED BACKING UP AND REVERSE WAS GONE. CAR WILL SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR WITH HELP. CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED PROPERLY AND TRANSMISSION SERVICED AT REQUIRED TIME. PRESENTLY AWAITING WORD FROM CHEVY TO SEE IF THEY WILL REPLACE TRANSMI…
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UPON TAKE OFF, TRANSMISSION STARTED MAKING NOISE AND DID NOT WANT TO GO INTO SECOND GEAR. TRIED BACKING UP AND REVERSE WAS GONE. CAR WILL SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR WITH HELP. CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED PROPERLY AND TRANSMISSION SERVICED AT REQUIRED TIME. PRESENTLY AWAITING WORD FROM CHEVY TO SEE IF THEY WILL REPLACE TRANSMISSION AT NO COST OR LITTLE COST AS MILEAGE IS LOW AND CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED.*AK
TRANSMISSION & TORQUE CONVERTER HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 54,000 MILES. EASY, HIGHWAY MILEAGE ONLY ON VEHICLE. I HAVE ALL RECEIPTS FOR MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLE SINCE DAY PURCHASED. VEHICLE MAINTAINED IN STRICT ADHERENCE TO OWNER'S MANUAL LONG TRIP/HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. *AK
CLUCH STUCK WHILE DEPRESSED AND ENGINE WAS ENGAGED. GEAR SHIFT WAS STUCK IN REVERSE. CAR WAS MOVING BY ITSELF AND WOULD NOT STOP WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. COULD NOT FORCE IT OUT OF GEAR OR GET CLUTCH TO RELEASE. HAD TO PULL EMERGENCY BRAKE TO GET CAR TO STOP AND ENGINE TO KILL. AFTER CAR DIED TRIED TO TURN THE KEY TO SEE I…
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CLUCH STUCK WHILE DEPRESSED AND ENGINE WAS ENGAGED. GEAR SHIFT WAS STUCK IN REVERSE. CAR WAS MOVING BY ITSELF AND WOULD NOT STOP WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. COULD NOT FORCE IT OUT OF GEAR OR GET CLUTCH TO RELEASE. HAD TO PULL EMERGENCY BRAKE TO GET CAR TO STOP AND ENGINE TO KILL. AFTER CAR DIED TRIED TO TURN THE KEY TO SEE IF CLUTCH WOULD COME UP WHEN KEY WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION AND CAR STARTED AGAIN AND BEGAN TO MOVE ON IT'S OWN. AGAIN, I KILLED ENGINE BY PULLING EMERGENCY BRAKE. EVENTUALLY WAS ABLE TO FORCE CAR OUT OF GEAR WHILE IT WAS OFF AND THEN HAD TO FORCE CLUTCH UP AND WORK IT BACK AND FORTH UNTIL IT LOOSED UP AND CAR COULD BE MOVED FORWARD, BACK INTO OUR DRIVEWAY.
DRIVESHAFT HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES, CONSUMER STATES THAT IT SEEMS TO FAIL EVERY 10,000 MILES AND DOES NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. *SLC
WINSHIELD WIPERS OCCASIONALLY FAILED TO OPERATE, DEALER REPLACED MODULE. RECALL ISSUED ON THE SAME PART FOR THE 1996 CHEV S10. *AK *ML
LEFT REAR DIFFERENTIAL SEAL FAILED. *ET
CAR HAS BEEN IN REPAIR 5 TIMES FOR THE BRAKES. 2 TIMES FOR A CALIPER BOLT THAT FELL OUT, AND THE WHEEL LOCKED. BOTH TIMES I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT IF MY WHEEL WOULD HAVE LOCKED UP ON THE INTERSTATE. THEY NEVER DO ANYTHING AT THE DEALERSHIP BUT TURN/CLEAN ROTERS WHICH BECOME FAULTY AGAIN. I'M LOOKING INTO SUEING CH…
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CAR HAS BEEN IN REPAIR 5 TIMES FOR THE BRAKES. 2 TIMES FOR A CALIPER BOLT THAT FELL OUT, AND THE WHEEL LOCKED. BOTH TIMES I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT IF MY WHEEL WOULD HAVE LOCKED UP ON THE INTERSTATE. THEY NEVER DO ANYTHING AT THE DEALERSHIP BUT TURN/CLEAN ROTERS WHICH BECOME FAULTY AGAIN. I'M LOOKING INTO SUEING CHEVROLET IF THEY DON'T FIX THIS DEFECT. IT IS WAY TOO DANGEROUS FOR SOMETHING OF THIS NATURE TO KEEP OCCURING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. NEXT TIME I MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCKY. *AK
I HAVE TALKED TO QUITE A FEW PEOPLE DESCRIBING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THERE CLUTCHES NOT WORKING PROPERLY IN THE COLD, ALSO MANY PEOPLE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THERE ROTORS WARPING.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P275/40/17 )
MY CAR HAS DONE A 'TINK-TINK' SOUND SINCE I TOOK IT OUT OF THE DEALER WITH ONLY 8 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. EVERY TIME I PUT IT IN DRIVE OR REVERSE, IT MAKES A DOUBLE TINK-POP FROM UNDER. WHEN YOU ACCELERATE, IT SOUNDS AGAIN, AND SOMETIMES SOUNDS AS THE TRASMISSION CHANGES GEARS (AUTOMATIC) OR YOU BRAKE. I'M CONCERNED THAT IT COULD…
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MY CAR HAS DONE A 'TINK-TINK' SOUND SINCE I TOOK IT OUT OF THE DEALER WITH ONLY 8 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. EVERY TIME I PUT IT IN DRIVE OR REVERSE, IT MAKES A DOUBLE TINK-POP FROM UNDER. WHEN YOU ACCELERATE, IT SOUNDS AGAIN, AND SOMETIMES SOUNDS AS THE TRASMISSION CHANGES GEARS (AUTOMATIC) OR YOU BRAKE. I'M CONCERNED THAT IT COULD BREAK WHILE DRIVING, AND CAUSING A POTENTIAL HAZARD WITH A CRASH AS IT BECOMES UNDRIVEABLE. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.