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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.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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

Structure complaints

102 reports
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130,000 miles · Sep 13, 2013
SteeringStructure

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH IN REVERSE, HE NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL HAD BECOME ABNORMALLY LOOSE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE FORWARD BUT HE TURNED THE WHEEL RIGHT AND THE VEHICLE WENT LEFT. THE CONTACT THEN EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE SUB FRAME WAS…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH IN REVERSE, HE NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL HAD BECOME ABNORMALLY LOOSE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE FORWARD BUT HE TURNED THE WHEEL RIGHT AND THE VEHICLE WENT LEFT. THE CONTACT THEN EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE SUB FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. UPDATED 11-04-13 *BF UPDATED 11/8/2013 *JS

NHTSA ODI #10543420

127,000 miles · Aug 2, 2013
Structure

DASHBOARD HAS BEEN DISINTEGRATING THE LAST FEW YEARS. WHOLE CHUNKS HAVE BEEN FALLING THROUGH, INCLUDING WHERE THE VIN PLATE IS LOCATED. I'M NOT HAPPY BECAUSE I HAVE ALWAYS USED A FULL WINDSHIELD SUN SHADE. DATE WHEN IT STARTED IS APPROXIMATE (A GUESS). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10533236

138,839 miles · May 1, 2013
Structure

DASHBOARD IS CRACKING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10510195

Mileage unknown · Apr 2, 2013
Structure

WHOLE DASH HAS OPEN HOLE THE SIZE OF A FOOTBALL, AND CRACKS FROM DRIVERS SIDE TO PASSENGER SIDE. MORE OPEN SPACE THAN DASH LEFT. IT CRACKS, BREAKS, AND CRUMBLES TO WHERE TAPE DOESN'T EVEN WORK ANYMORE. FALLS INTO CAB AND BEHIND DASH. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10505334

190,000 miles · Feb 5, 2013
Air BagsStructure

I HAVE OWNED THE 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 4X4 NEW IN THE DASH IS CRACKED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10496418

108,000 miles · Jan 19, 2013
Structure

I WAS CLEANING FRONT WINDSHIELD. JULY 2007 WAS THE FIRST TIME I SAW THE DASH PANEL CRACK ,HOW LONG IT HAD BEEN THERE I DO NOT KNOW. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10493475

130,000 miles · Mar 22, 2012
Structure

THIS IS MY SECOND DODGE RAM THAT MY DASH HAS CRACKED AND CAME APART. THE LAST ONE WAS A 2002 DODGE RAM. WITH THE SHARP EDGES THIS CAUSES AND THE WIRING DANGERS THIS IS DEFENATLY A HAZARD AND DODGE SHOULD RECALL ALL THESE TRUCKS AND REPLACE AT NO CHARGE. I HAVE SEEN COUNTLESS WEB SITES WITH SO MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SA…

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THIS IS MY SECOND DODGE RAM THAT MY DASH HAS CRACKED AND CAME APART. THE LAST ONE WAS A 2002 DODGE RAM. WITH THE SHARP EDGES THIS CAUSES AND THE WIRING DANGERS THIS IS DEFENATLY A HAZARD AND DODGE SHOULD RECALL ALL THESE TRUCKS AND REPLACE AT NO CHARGE. I HAVE SEEN COUNTLESS WEB SITES WITH SO MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME THING ITS REDICULAS DODGE CAN GET BY WITH THIS... SO MUCH FOR AMERICAN WORKMANSHIP... *TR

NHTSA ODI #10452730

212,000 miles · Jan 28, 2012
Structure

THE DASH BOARD BEGAN TO CRACK, NOW IT IS VIRTUALLY NON EXISTENT. I CANNOT PLACE ANYTHING ON THE DASH BECAUSE IT HAS HUGE CHUNKS MISSING. IF I ROLL DOWN MY WINDOWS ON THE INTERSTATE, SOME MORE PIECES OF THE DASH FALL OFF . IT IS UNUSABLE. IT MAY BE A HAZARD BECAUSE SMALL SHARP PLASTIC PARTS SHOULD NOT BE IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER.…

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THE DASH BOARD BEGAN TO CRACK, NOW IT IS VIRTUALLY NON EXISTENT. I CANNOT PLACE ANYTHING ON THE DASH BECAUSE IT HAS HUGE CHUNKS MISSING. IF I ROLL DOWN MY WINDOWS ON THE INTERSTATE, SOME MORE PIECES OF THE DASH FALL OFF . IT IS UNUSABLE. IT MAY BE A HAZARD BECAUSE SMALL SHARP PLASTIC PARTS SHOULD NOT BE IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER. I HAVE CUT MY HAND ON THE EDGES WHEN I WAS PICKING UP ALL THE BROKEN SHARDS OF PLASTIC. I AM APPALLED THAT DODGE IS NOT ACCOUNTABLE FOR SHORTCOMINGS IN NEARLY EVERY SINGLE DODGE PICKUP TRUCK. I HAVE HAD MECHANICS THAT HAVE TOLD ME TO GO ELSEWHERE, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INEVITABLE BREAKING OF THE DASH THAT OCCURS WHEN YOU HAVE TO WORK ON THE INTERIOR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10445720

160,000 miles · Dec 29, 2011
StructureVisibility

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD FRACTURED INTO PIECES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT BOTH SIDE VIEW MIRRORS FRACTURED DOWN THE MIDDLE WHEN THE DEFROST SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD FRACTURED INTO PIECES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT BOTH SIDE VIEW MIRRORS FRACTURED DOWN THE MIDDLE WHEN THE DEFROST SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

NHTSA ODI #10441668

Mileage unknown · Sep 26, 2011
Structure

I HAVE A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB SPORT 360 4X4 WITH THE 5.9. MY DASH HAS NOW STARTED CRACKING AND THE CRACK IS GETTING WORSE. AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE CRACK IS ABOUT 4 INCHES IN LENGTH AND IS SPREADING. IT IS LOCATED RIGHT ABOVE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CLOSE TO THE VENT BY THE FRONT GLASS. I HAVE BEEN A DEDICATED DODGE OWNER A…

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I HAVE A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB SPORT 360 4X4 WITH THE 5.9. MY DASH HAS NOW STARTED CRACKING AND THE CRACK IS GETTING WORSE. AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE CRACK IS ABOUT 4 INCHES IN LENGTH AND IS SPREADING. IT IS LOCATED RIGHT ABOVE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CLOSE TO THE VENT BY THE FRONT GLASS. I HAVE BEEN A DEDICATED DODGE OWNER ALONG WITH EVENING OWNING A DODGE WEBSITE (WWW.DODGE-CHAT.COM) AND I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT THAT DODGE HAS NOT TAKEN CARE OF THIS ISSUE. I THINK DODGE NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A BIG ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10427472

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.