Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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.
Dt*: the contact stated the clutch assembly will only depress half way. There is a NHTSA recall, #99V239000 regarding the power train: clutch assembly. The contact was not notified of the recall. The clutch assembly has been replaced and the contact is seeking reimbursement from general motors. The manufacturer has been alerted however they will not provide information regarding reimbursement to the contact. Updated 06/27/06.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Camaro. The contact stated the clutch failed to disengage. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 43,000 and the current mileage was 44,000.
The 1999 Camaro has a dangerous so called "feature" called "skip shift" which prevents shifting from 1st to 2nd gear under certain circumstances. Twice I was making a left turn and was unable to shift into 2nd gear - I was stuck without power and cars were coming at me. Several other times this happened while driving straight ahead, and I lost power with cars coming up behind me. Chevy refused to disable this 2nd gear lockout for me, saying that it is needed to meet environmental regulations - or to avoid a gas guzzler tax. This "feature" is dangerous and should be disabled. I wouldn't have bought the car if I knew about it - unfortunately it didn't happen on my test drive because "skip shift" only locks you out after the engine has been warmed up sufficiently. …
Vehicle was purchased with 2,000 miles on it and still under manufacturers warranty.after driving the vehicle at highway speeds for a few days I noticed the steering wheel shimmied back and forth. This was annoying but not enough to cause concern.I wanted to wait a little longer and make sure there were no other issues to bring to the dealers attention before taking it in for warranty work. At about 7,ooo miles the shimmying became much more intense and very dangerous when braking at 50 to 60 MPH.this condition could cause loss of vehicle control and collision. I took vehicle to dealer and was told the rotors were warped due to excessive braking and not covered under warranty.I had to pay to have the rotors turned. I contacted general motors and complained and have not heard back from them. …
I have experienced problems with the stock shifter causing mis-shifts. I am a member on a bbs and there have been numerous entries refering to this problem. Due to the shifter, it is very easy to mis-shift into a lower gear when upshifting. So far has happened to me twice and causes the rear tires to loose control since the engine causes them to nearly stop. I am an experienced manual transmission driver and I have never had this problem before. A worst case senario would be to loose complete control due to the rear tires locking up and also engine damage due to over-revving. There isn't a recall for the shifter so no dealer help can be found. So far others have resolved this problem by replacing the shifter with an aftermarket unit and report no more problems with missed shifts. I hope something can be done before someone gets hurt.
Rear making unnatural noise. Dealers tried to give static that is was the rotors and after they proceded to fix them noise remained. Next they tried to say the noise was natural. I have found from many people in forums that there are problems w/ the rears in these cars, ranging from bearings to gears and even the housing. I have also obtained work orders for parts fixed for other people. Dealership is still giving me static about my car and says the problem is normal. --no other car in the lot does it though, not even used vehicles w/ high mileage on them.
Clutch began slipping, and deadpedaling (sticking to floor) at approx. 5000 miles, has been taken to dealership 6 times and dealership will not fix, stating that there is no problem. Recently had transmission rebuilt under warranty because of bad clutch. Was told that they should not warranty it, because the clutch was bad. I told them that the clutch has been bad, and that I had taken it to them numerous time to fix it. Was informed that the clutch was only warrantied for 12K miles and they would not fix it under warranty.
Noticed rearend noise at highway speeds. Turned vehicle into dealership for repair. Bad pinon seal was cause of rearend to leak fluid. Was replaced under warranty. Same problem has occured now 5 times in the last 14 months. Twice the entire rearend had to be rebuilt with new gears, bearings, and seals. Again all 5 causes were the pinon seal leaking and causing loss of fluid in the rearend. Rearend must have a manufactuer defect to cause 5 pinon seals to leak in less than 14 months and only 8,000 miles.
The consumer heard a loud noise from the rear end. The mechanic broke down the rear end and found that the axle bearings showed very unusual wear patterns that were not normal for a vehicle with little mileage. (replaced the axle bearings/seals, front/rear pinion bearings, and the differential carrier bearings) the consumer feels that the premature wear of the axle is an indication of this being a defective component.
Related recalls
Power train › Clutch assembly
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. The clutch master cylinder May have been built with an incorrect retaining ring.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the hydraulic clutch master cylinder with a new cylinder.
Transmission complaints in other Camaro years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 1999 Chevrolet Camaro?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 1999 Chevrolet Camaro, 22% of the model year's 90 complaints. The component named most often is manual transmission (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Chevrolet Camaro transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 99V-239 (clutch assembly, Aug 27, 1999). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1999 Chevrolet Camaro transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 43,000 miles, and 40% before 25,000 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.