1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Aug 19, 2019 · 125 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Monte Carlo years
Fewer complaints than other years 9th of 15 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 125 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. That ranks 9th out of 15 Monte Carlo model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (45 complaints, 36%), typically at around 65,500 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 6 fires, 1 injury. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Click here for more car pictures at my Flickr site. O'Reilly Auto Parts Street Machine Summer Nationals Minnesota State Fairgrounds St. Paul, Minnesota July 201. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic45 · ~65,500 mi
Engine and Engine Cooling31 · ~77,800 mi
Electrical System10 · ~82,500 mi
Engine9 · ~125,000 mi
Power Train7 · ~54,000 mi
Visibility6
Exterior Lighting5 · ~94,000 mi
Steering5 · ~54,000 mi
Structure4
Air Bags3
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Service Brakes, Hydraulic4536%65,500——
Engine and Engine Cooling3125%77,800——
Electrical System108%82,500——
Engine97%125,000——
Power Train76%54,000——
Visibility65%———
Exterior Lighting54%94,000——
Steering54%54,000——
Structure43%———
Air Bags32%———
Equipment32%121,729——
Fuel System, Gasoline32%198,729——
Seats32%70,450——
Service Brakes32%75,683——
Unknown or Other32%48,000——
Seat Belts22%———
Suspension22%———
Wheels22%54,000——
Fuel/propulsion System11%80,000——
Fuel System, Other11%208,000——
Service Brakes, Air11%54,000——
Tires11%———
Vehicle Speed Control11%125,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2001, with 22 complaints
1999: 6199962000: 16162001: 222001222002: 19192003: 192003192004: 16162005: 7200572006: 112008: 2200822009: 112010: 2201022014: 222015: 3201532016: 662018: 1201812019: 22

n = 125 complaints · Source: NHTSA

1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo recalls (3)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe; engine and engine cooling:engineOct 26, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V701000 · 1,003,556 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.

Risk: Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.

Fix: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engine’s front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1-800-442-6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.

Engine and engine coolingApr 8, 2009 · NHTSA campaign 09V116000 · 1,497,516 vehicles

Problem: General motors is recalling 1,497,516 my 1997-2003 buick regal, my 1998-2003 chevrolet lumina, monte carlo and impala, my 1998-1999 oldsmobile intrigue, my 1997-2003 pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 naturally aspirated engine. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which drops of engine oil may be deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking.

Risk: If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire.

Fix: Dealers will replace the engineâ’s front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engineâ’s plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537, and pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 or http://www.pontiac.com or http:www.gmownercenter.com.

Air bags:frontalDec 9, 2002 · NHTSA campaign 02V329000 · 272 vehicles

Problem: On certain passenger, sport utility vehicles and mini vans, some of these vehicles have a passenger air bag that was manufactured without a check valve pin. An air bag without the check valve pin could produce increased pressure at the onset of the air bag deployment and reduced pressure afterward.

Risk: This could increase the severity of injury to a person who was not properly restrained and who was close to the passenger air bag at the time of deployment. It could also reduce the ab8ility of the air bag to protect a restrained front seat passenger.

Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag. Owner notification began december 16, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, pontiac at 1-800-762-2737, oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537, or saturn at 1-800-553-6000, prompt #3.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Engine compartment fires (EA02030) — opened Oct 22, 2002, closed Mar 9, 2004, led to recall 04V090000.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

Recall

Engine · received Aug 19, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11244983

No anti-lock brakes

Service Brakes · received Jan 14, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11170065

Fan want cool the car when stop at red breaks when fast stoping has slow grip too them

Service Brakes · received Nov 30, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11154913

My car will not turn all the way off to be able to remove the keys from the ignition. I understand there is a recall on 2000 models and up. And there is a recall for the same issue on the 1999 lumina - but not on the monte carlo, given that the mc is so similar to the lumina, i think there has been…

Electrical System · received Oct 17, 2016 · NHTSA complaint 10916644

Nhtsa campaign id number 14v400000 - i sent a prior complaint today regarding my 1999 monte carlo and i apologize for misstating a fact.. I said in the original complaint that my monte carlo was listed on the recall at the year 2000. And that it was similar to the lumina, i meant to say that it is…

Electrical System · received Oct 17, 2016 · NHTSA complaint 10916655

Other Chevrolet Monte Carlo years

← 1998 Monte Carlo · 2000 Monte Carlo →

See all Chevrolet Monte Carlo problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo?

Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, engine and engine cooling, electrical system problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 45 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo?

Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Monte Carlo model years, the 1999 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.