IllustrationA RECALL LETTER WAS RECEIVED, AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT HIS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER DID NOT COME UP IN THE COMPUTER. . RECALL 01V153000. *JB
1998 Dodge RAM 1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Dodge RAM 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 520.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RAM 1500 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
90–25K
2125–50K
4050–75K
5375–100K
61100–150K
43150K+
227 reports with mileage · 293 unknown
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.
- Structure. Review the 102 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 85 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
66 crash reports16 fire reports46 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
63 reportsWHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A TREE. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. *ASK
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING, RENDERING THE AIR BAGS INOPERATIVE, PER THE DEALERSHIP. *AK
TOTAL LOSS ON 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 PICK-UP. ABS DID NOT WORK. WHEELS LOCKED, AND SKIDDED. LEFT ROAD. ENTIRE FRONT END, RIGHT SIDE, CENTER AND LEFTSIDE, WERE DESTROYED. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE, INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. *AK
DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN VEHICLE WAS HIT HEAD ON WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH.*AK
I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB PICKUP TRUCK. I HAD AN ACCIDENT WHERE I HIT ONE RETAINING WALL WITH THE FRONT CORNER OF THE TRUCK, SENDING ME INTO A 360 DEGREE SPIN, HIT A SECOND RETAINING WALL HEAD ON AND WENT INTO A SECOND SPIN. LUCKILY MY SEAT BELT SAVED ME BECAUSE THE AIR BAG NEVER DEPLOYED. MY INSURANCE COMPANY TOT…
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I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB PICKUP TRUCK. I HAD AN ACCIDENT WHERE I HIT ONE RETAINING WALL WITH THE FRONT CORNER OF THE TRUCK, SENDING ME INTO A 360 DEGREE SPIN, HIT A SECOND RETAINING WALL HEAD ON AND WENT INTO A SECOND SPIN. LUCKILY MY SEAT BELT SAVED ME BECAUSE THE AIR BAG NEVER DEPLOYED. MY INSURANCE COMPANY TOTAL THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. I HAVE INJURED MY HEAD, NECK AND BACK BECAUSE OF NOT HAVING THE AIR BAG TO SAVE ME. *LA
WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND NEITHER OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. ALSO, SEAT BELTS FAILED TO HOLD DRIVER AND CONSUMER. NO AIR BAG LIGHT WARNING LIGHT APPEARED PRIOR TO THE CRASH. *AK
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JB *TS *JB
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH. THE DRIVER'S SHOULDER RESTRAINT DID NOT HOLD AND CAUSED CONSUMER TO MOVE FORWARD AND HIT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. *NLM. ALSO, FRONT AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS KILLED IN THE CRASH. THE CONSUMERS TRUCK T-BONED THE OT…
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THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH. THE DRIVER'S SHOULDER RESTRAINT DID NOT HOLD AND CAUSED CONSUMER TO MOVE FORWARD AND HIT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. *NLM. ALSO, FRONT AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS KILLED IN THE CRASH. THE CONSUMERS TRUCK T-BONED THE OTHER VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE.
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE WHERE THE OTHER DRIVER WAS KILLED. THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 50-55 MPH. NEITHER OF THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *NLM
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.