Illustration1998 DODGE RAM 1500 2WD. I HAVE ONE LARGE CRACK IN THE CENTER OF THE DASH AND ANOTHER SMALL ONE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. IF I GET ONE THE PASSENGER SIDE AT THE AIR BAG WELL. *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
Structure complaints
102 reportsSMALL CRACKS IN DASH, WHICH LEAD TO LARGE CRACKING. THE DASHBOARD HAS ALMOST COMPLETELY CAVED IN THE MIDDLE. THE DASHBOARD IS NO LONGER ONE PIECE. VERY DISAPPOINTED, AND IT MAY EVENTUALLY LEAD TO SAFETY RELATED ISSUES. *TR
1998 DODGE PICKUP DASH BOARD CRACKING. *TR
SEVERE FAILURE OF DASHBOARD. NOTICED SMALL CRACKS WHEN PURCHASED USED IN 2005. DASHBOARD HAS SINCE CRACKED EXTREMELY BADLY. HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER DODGE RAM OWNERS WHO, FOR THE MAJORITY, HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. SPOKE WITH DEALER. NO COVERAGE. $1000 PLUS TO FIX. FOUND COMPLAINTS, BUT NO INVESTIGATION. *AK
IN THE 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP, I HAVE EXPERICENCED 3-4 LARGE CRACKS IN THE DASHBOARD, SOME RUNNING THE WHOLE LENGTH FROM THE FRONT EDGE TO THE WINDSHIELD. *AK
1998 DODGE RAM 1500....DASHBOARD IS CRACKED AND SPREADING ACROSS ENTIRE LENGTH. *TR
DASHBOARD CRACKED ON 98 DODGE 1500 TRUCK. MAYBE DEFECTIVE PLASTIC THAT CAN'T HOLD UP LIKE OTHER DASHBOARDS I'VE HAD IN OTHER TRUCKS. COULD LEAD TO SUN MELTING WIRES AND SHORT OUT HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS. THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN PROVEN BY ALOT OF OTHERS WITH SAME VEHICLE. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS DEFECT. FOR SAF…
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DASHBOARD CRACKED ON 98 DODGE 1500 TRUCK. MAYBE DEFECTIVE PLASTIC THAT CAN'T HOLD UP LIKE OTHER DASHBOARDS I'VE HAD IN OTHER TRUCKS. COULD LEAD TO SUN MELTING WIRES AND SHORT OUT HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS. THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN PROVEN BY ALOT OF OTHERS WITH SAME VEHICLE. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS DEFECT. FOR SAFETY REASONS AND ALSO THERE NAME. *TR
I OWN A 1998 & 2002 DODGE TRUCK. BOTH VEHICLES HAVE CRACKED DASHBOARDS. THIS COULD BE A PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE SHOULD THE DASHBOARD COLLAPSE. THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH MANY OF THESE TRUCKS AND FELT IT SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY THE MANUFACTURER. PLEASE ADVISE. *AK
1998 DODGE RAM 1500 P/U DASHBOARD CRACKING AND POSSIBLE IT WILL COLLAPSE. *AK
DASHBOARD CRACKING AND BREAKING. THE DASHBOARD IN THE 1998 DODGE 1500 CRACKED IN MANY PLACES. MANY OF THESE VEHICLESI WERE AFFECTED FROM THE SAME PROBLEM. *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.