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 1999 Chevrolet Camaro owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The vehicle jerked backwards when accelerating from a complete stop. Also, the vehicle jerked when automatically shifting gears. The engine check light illuminated. The dealer did a diagnostic test, and could not determine the cause of the problem. A transmission kit was added but the problem still occurred. The transmission was rebuilt. The consumer was informed to drive in overdrive when traveling long distance but this did not work. The brakes were noisy, the rear coil spring were rubbing when stopping, the water pump and intake gaskets leaked, the alternator was replaced due to the engine not starting on one occasion, and there was a 3-4 second valve binding.
Car only has 40000 miles on it and whenever I would brake or come up to a stop light, the wheels would shimmy and the steering wheel would vibrate. I was afraid it would not stop and would cause an accident. I took it to the Chevrolet dealer in waldorf md. The mechanic said he could find nothing wrong with it and could not make it do it. That was 2 months ago and it still does it all the time. Sounds like all these other similar complaints for this vehicle.. Defective warped rotors. This is very dangerous and I cannot get a dealership to fix it.
Very bad shimmy and shake when braking, also when trying to spped up from a dead stop or otherwise car pulls back, or stumbles. At about 45000 miles a valve broke into three pieces. Had heads replaced. Brakes and stumbling is reoccuring brakes since I bought the car new in 99 and stumble since early 2004. Speakers located in the back seat panels also keep blowing out.
Car will not brake or stop smoothly. Condition is warped rotors. Selected a well known popular parts shop for replacement rotor. Replacement rotor is diamond cut w/o holes. Bigger cooling vains with a set of porcelin pads. Unknown at this time if this corrects the warping problem.
I bought my vehicle new 7 months ago. Now the brake system is getting worse. The front-end, steering wheel, shakes violently when I apply the brakes during normal driving. I took the car to the dealership to inquire about the problem 3 days ago, and the service man told me it was probably warped front rotors so I made an appointment for today. I went in and the service man (a different one) told me that they could fix it, but that it wasn't covered under warranty. This is what upsets me most. The vehicle is still under the warranty period. I have been driving the car under normal conditions, so why do I still have to pay for the rotors to be fixed? This is a known problem with the 1998 and newer Camaro's and should be covered under the bumper-to-bumper warranty.
A continued grinding noise from right rear wheel. Vehicle been in dealer shop on several occasions, and still unable to correct the problem. The brake system failure is due to defect in vehicle. There is noise in brake, in rear differential area and there is a shimmey steering wheel when braking due to rotors failure. The vehicle makes grinding sound on hard right turns due to rear brake lining failure. There is a noise from rear right wheel due to right rear cliper improper clearance. There is a rattling noise from under the vehicle caused by catalytic converter.
I have had to bring the car in for front rotor machining or replacement appoximately every 8 - 10,000 miles. The brakes pulsate and the wheel vibrates when the brakes are applied at highway speeds when the defect occurs. Turning the rotors or replacing them has fixed the probelm, but it seems to be quite frequent to have brake repairs of the same type to occur this frequently, my previous car a 1995 Camaro only required the same service once in approximately 60,000 miles and only when the brake pads had worn out and metal to metal contact with the rotors occurred.
There are instances of severe jerking to either left or right when applying the brakes. This is an intermittent problem that is unpredictable and unexpected. It is most noted at slower speeds, probably because it is less expected. Despite the single date and mileage listed in this report, it has happened throughout the life of the vehicle. The dealer has replaced brake pads once without curing the problem. This is an accident waiting to happen.
Brakes have been replaced 3 times within the 11 months of owning the car, brakes were squealing and shaking when stopping. Mechanic said brakes were warped. Each time rotors and brakes had to be replaced. Electrical system malfunctons causeing lights to dim. Defroster component failed. T-tops leaks continue after fixing it several times.
Dealer has refaced front brake rotors twice once under warranty and once for $100.00 I believe the rotors to be defective due to OEM quality or heat treat specifications and engineering standards, there are aftermarket rotors available that do not warp with the severity and frequency of the OEM parts.
Brake complaints in other Camaro years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1999 Chevrolet Camaro?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the brakes of the 1999 Chevrolet Camaro, 36% of the model year's 90 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › rotor (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Chevrolet Camaro brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 1999 Chevrolet Camaro, though it has 1 recall for other components. 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 1999 Chevrolet Camaro brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles.
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.