Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Chevrolet Camaro owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Front brake rotors warped on 1998 Chevrolet Camaro z28; I know of several people personally that have 1998 and up camaros/firebirds that had this issue. I have also heard many similar complaints from people in car clubs and internet message boards. People refer to the stock rotors as junk because they warp so often which leads me to the conclusion that the car manufacture did not put adequately designed rotors on the vehicles. People with this issue say to buy non-OEM rotors because they will warp again and simply having the rotors turned does not help as they warp again. I have actually had my rotors turned and new brakes (installed by dealership with OEM parts) put on the car and I have the warping issue. Mechanics that I know also agree that the brakes/rotors are not adequately designed for these vehicles.
While driving 70 MPH the brake caliper bolt separated from underneath the vehicle. When the brakes were applied, the driver began to hear a rumbling sound. The vehicle then surged back and forth violently. As a result, the driver sustained severe neck injuries.
Brake rotors warped as a result of factory flaw, separated 3 times before 20,000 miles, but pa Chevrolet refused to replace and only turned rotors on 2 separate occasions, causing a brake failure leading to accident.( dot number: tire size: p23555r16 )
While driving at 20 MPH applied the brakes, and the brakes went straight to the floorboard, causing the consumer to rear end another vehicle. Vehicle kept going, causing the consumer to pump the brakes to bring the vehicle to a stop.
Vehicle was involved in an accident at approximately 40-45 MPH. Upon impact, air bags did not deploy, and ABS brakes failed to stop vehicle . Dealer notifed, and vehicle is being inspected and repaired that this time.
There has been a slight shimmy in the front end when applying the brakes at highway speeds since the car was new. The shimmy progressivly got worse and worse. I brought the car to the dealer to have it looked at. He says the rotors are warped and need to be resurfaced. He said that it is not a warrantee repair and I will have to pay for it. I argued that the car has always had the shimmy but I didn't supect a problem, this being my first car with ABS brakes. The car only has 18,577 miles, the brake rotors should not be warped. My arguing with the dealer has not gotten anywhere, since the car is no longer safe to be driven in its current condition, I agreed to pay for the repair. Now, after doing some looking around on the internet I have found out that many Camaro owners have the same exact problem. Though some dealers have been repairing the rotors under warantee, but most don't. …
Camaro was brand new off the lot 6-99. At 28000 miles I began to notice while traveling at speeds of 55-70 MPH. And applied the brakes the front end of the Camaro began to shake. The car now has more than 33000 miles and the shake is much worse. I went to tom bannen Chevrolet to talk with the service mgr. And the new car sales manager. They both told me the front rotors were worn out and needed to be replaced with the total cost being my responsability. I have been driving for more than thirty five years and never had to replace rotors. I'am a retired truck driver. Should I ever find myself on icy slick roads and have to apply the brakes at the speeds mentioned, I will certainly go into a spin. I feel the the manufacture should be responsible for replacing the pre wearing rotors escpecially considering the intial price charged to me for the new Camaro. …
I started experiencing a pulsating sensation from the brakes after about 5 thousand miles. This sensation usually occurs during moderate braking at freeway speeds. The pulsing continued to increase over time. It got to the point where the steering wheel would vibrate in my hands as I applied the brakes while approaching a stop sign at 35 MPH. I contacted my dealer about bringing my car in to have them service the brakes. They told me the rotors were warped and that this would not be covered under warranty. I decided to pull the rotors myself and have them resurfaced. Once this procedure was performed the brakes operated perfectly. It is now 3 thousand miles later and I have the same problem again. This is the fifth Camaro z28 I have owned and I have not had any problems with the brakes on my other vehicles( 2 1992, 1 1995, 1 1996). …
I first noticed that I was having a problem with my brakes when I would apply the brakes to either slow down or to stop. The steering wheel would have a slight shimmy to it. I took it and had a mechanic that I know and trust take a look at it and he had to "machine" the right front rotor. I didn't write down the mileage at the time because I didn't think it was that improtant. I took it to the dealership on 3/3/99 and asked them to take a look at the brakes because I could hear a scraping noise coming from the right front brake when I would apply the brakes. The shop looked at the brakes and said that they were fine. I took the shop foreman for a ride with me so that he was clear on what I was hearing and he told me that they were suppose to sound like that. I have not been back to that dealership since. …
The brake rotors on this car warp over a 10,000 mile period, causing steering wheel shaking and possible loss of control. This car is 18 months old and has 42240 miles on it. The rotors were resurfaced by the dealer on 4/9/98 at 11,633 miles, again on 8/11/98 at 21,181 miles, then they replaced the rotors on 12/23/98 at 31,376 miles, then these new rotors warped and were resurfaced on 5/20/99 at 41,830 miles. As you can see, the brake rotors need to be done every 10,000 miles. The shaking in the steering wheel begins to appear again at about 8,000 miles after the last work is done and gets worse until the shake is uncontrolable at about 10,000 miles. The dealer and Chevrolet say they cannot figure out what is causing this (I have called customer assistance many times and have sent a certified letter to Chevrolet motor division). …
Brake complaints in other Camaro years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1998 Chevrolet Camaro?
NHTSA has 92 complaints about the brakes of the 1998 Chevrolet Camaro, 53% of the model year's 173 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › rotor (37 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Chevrolet Camaro brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 1998 Chevrolet Camaro. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Chevrolet Camaro brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 43,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.