IllustrationSTEERING IS MAKING A NOISE, AND WAS TOLD IT IS CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE RACK OPINION. ALSO, TOLD IT IS NOT REPAIRABLE. CONSUMER MIGHT BE RIDING DOWN THE ROAD AND LOSE COMPLETE CONTROL. *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
What owners actually said
173 reportsSTEERING COMPONENTS IN STEERING WHEEL CAME APART, CONTACTED DEALER AND DEALER STATED DEFECT COULD BE A MAJOR PROBLEM WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE. *AK CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED AS A LOSS OF HIGH BEAM SWITCH FUNCTION ON THE STEERING COLUMN.*SLC
WHILE DRIVING AIR BAG COMPUTER DEPLOYED, BUT AIR BAGS DID NOT COME OUT. AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED NOTHING THEY COULD DO. HAD TO REPLACE COMPUTER MODULE. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT GM DENIED TO REPLACE THE AIR BAG MODULE. *YH
VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WITH A TREE, AVOIDED HITTING A DEER. UPON IMPACT, FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
AFTER I WAS HIT DASH CAUGHT FIRE, AND THE FAN WAS STILL RUNNING WHEN THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT IN THE CAR.*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
SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER EXITING THE I10 FREEWAY WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN TO A RESIDENTIAL AREA THE TIRE HAD A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT. *AK (DOT NUMBER: 4B18FJDR TIRESIZE: 235/55R/16)
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…
Read full complaint
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.
FACTORY BATTERY HAD A CRACK, POST CORRODED OFF, AND WAS LEAKING ACID, DEALER SAID POSSIBLY DUE TO OVERTIGHTENING WHEN INSTALLED. NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *AK
ROTORS WERE TURNED AROUND IN APRIL 1999, AND WERE WARPED AT THIS TIME. WHEN APPLYING BRAKES STEERING WHEEL SHAKES. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER 3 TIMES FOR ROTOR PROBLEMS. *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.