IllustrationTHE REAR AXLE BEARINGS AND SEAL HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. THE PROBLEM WAS DETECTED FROM HEARING SOME REAR AXLE NOISE. PH *JB **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS**753546
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
Power Train complaints
85 reportsAFTER VEHICLE IS WARMED UP IT WILL INTERMITTENTLY NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE. CONSUMER HAS TO SHIFT IT INTO NEUTRAL, THEN, BACK INTO DRIVE BEFORE VEHICLE RESPONDS. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED ABOUT VEHICLE ROLLING BACKWARDS WHEN THIS OCCURS.*AK *YD
VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE, ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE BACK IN REVERSE, BUT VEHICLE WAS STILL IN DRVE. CONSUMER SLAMMED ON BRAKES, AND WENT BACK TO REVERSE, AND DROVE. BUT VEHICLE WAS STIL THE SAME. CONSUMER HAD TO TURN VEHICLE OFF TO GET IT CORRECTLY INTO GEAR. SERVICE MANAGER REFERRED THE CONSUMER TO TO ANOTHER MECHANIC, WHO HAD TO …
Read full complaint
VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE, ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE BACK IN REVERSE, BUT VEHICLE WAS STILL IN DRVE. CONSUMER SLAMMED ON BRAKES, AND WENT BACK TO REVERSE, AND DROVE. BUT VEHICLE WAS STIL THE SAME. CONSUMER HAD TO TURN VEHICLE OFF TO GET IT CORRECTLY INTO GEAR. SERVICE MANAGER REFERRED THE CONSUMER TO TO ANOTHER MECHANIC, WHO HAD TO REPLACE STEERING COLUMN.*AK
STANDARD MAINTENANCE FOLLOWED AS RECOMMENDED BY DEALER, JACK CAROLL LYNNWOOD DODGE. PREMATURE REAR AXLE BEARING FAILURE. COMMON LIGHT DUTY USE OF VEHICLE AND ALL FLUIDS CHANGES AND MAINTAINED ON SCHEDULE.
CONSUMER CAN SHIFT VEHICLE INTO ANY GEAR. STEPPED ON GAS PEDAL AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. RPMS REVVED HIGH OR LOW BEFORE VEHICLE HAD A DELAYED RESPONSE BY LURCHING FORWARD IN WHATEVER GEAR IT WAS IN. DIAGNOSTIC TEST SHOWED NO CODES AND SHIFTED AS NORMAL. PROBLEM HAD TO DUPLICATE TO BE REMEDIED. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLES. *AK
WE WERE TAVELING ON HWY. 400 AT APPROX. 65MPH, WHEN THE DRIVESHAFT FELL OUT OF THE TRUCK, DUE TO A BROKEN BOLT HEAD. BEING THAT IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY , CHRYSLER DOESN'T WANT TO DO ANY THING ABOUT IT. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD, AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER SOMETHING OTHER THAN A TYPICAL WARRANTY, SINCE THE TRUCK HAS BE…
Read full complaint
WE WERE TAVELING ON HWY. 400 AT APPROX. 65MPH, WHEN THE DRIVESHAFT FELL OUT OF THE TRUCK, DUE TO A BROKEN BOLT HEAD. BEING THAT IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY , CHRYSLER DOESN'T WANT TO DO ANY THING ABOUT IT. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD, AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER SOMETHING OTHER THAN A TYPICAL WARRANTY, SINCE THE TRUCK HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND TAKEN CARE OF. BY THE GRACE OF GOD WE WERE ABLE TO STEER THE TRUCK INTO THE MEDIAN WITHOUT GETTING HIT.
WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 25 MPH AND TAKING FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR, THERE IS A WHINING NOISE COMING FROM REAR AXLE OF VEHICLE, SPECIFICALLY REAR DIFFERENTIAL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK
FRONT AXLE STARTED MAKING A NOISE AT 35,000 MILES. IT WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, BUT PROBLEM COULDN'T BE DULPICATED FOR REPAIRS. CURRENTLY, AT 39,000 MILES BEARINGS ARE SHOT AT U-JOINT. DEALER OFFERS TO PAY FOR PART AT BOTH SIDES.*AK
TRANSMISSION GEAR CAN BE PUSHED INTO DRIVE WITHOUT PUTTING FOOT ON BRAKE FIRST. CONCERNED BECAUSE CONSUMER HAS SMALL CHILDREN. *AK CONSUMER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THIS FEATURE PRIOR TO PURCHASE OF VEHICLE. *SLC
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.