IllustrationNOTICED IN 2004 THE DASH OF MY 98 DODGE RAM 1500 WAS BEGINNING TO CRACK AND RECENTLY NOTICED IT HAS GOTTEN CONSIDERABLY WORSE TOO WHERE A BIG PIECE HAS CAME OUT. *TR
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
What owners actually said
520 reportsMY SON AND I PURCHASED A1998 DODGE RAM 1500 CLUB CAB PICK UP TRUCK AND THE DASH STARTED COMING APART (CRACKING/COLLAPSING IN CHUNKS) AND IN ONE INSTANCE AFTER DRIVING DOWN THE BUMPY DIRT ROADS HERE IN SC (WHICH IS LIKE DRIVING DOWN A SET OF RAILROAD TRACKS AT TIMES EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS). PART OF THE DASH FLEW UP A CAUGHT ME IN THE…
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MY SON AND I PURCHASED A1998 DODGE RAM 1500 CLUB CAB PICK UP TRUCK AND THE DASH STARTED COMING APART (CRACKING/COLLAPSING IN CHUNKS) AND IN ONE INSTANCE AFTER DRIVING DOWN THE BUMPY DIRT ROADS HERE IN SC (WHICH IS LIKE DRIVING DOWN A SET OF RAILROAD TRACKS AT TIMES EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS). PART OF THE DASH FLEW UP A CAUGHT ME IN THE EYE AND FACE. I WEAR GLASS', SO I DIDN'T SUFFER SERIOUS INJURY, BUT COULD HAVE EASY ENOUGH. I HAVE SINCE USED A COVER, BUT SO MUCH OF THE DASH HAS NOW FALLEN APART THAT'S NOT A SOLUTION ANYMORE. I'M NOT SURE WHO DESIGNED THIS DASH, BUT I ALSO DRIVE A 05 DODGE DURANGO AND A 06 DODGE POLICE CHARGER AND THIS HAS NOT YET HAPPENED IN THEM. THE DASH SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN WORSE AND WORSE TO THE POINT I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S HOLDING IT TO THE REST OF THE TRUCK. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND WE NEED A NEW DASH OR TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF HARD COVER. DOESN'T SEEM FAIR WE WOULD HAVE TO SPEND THE EXTRA MONEY. *TR
PLASTIC DASH ON 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE DASH STARTED WITH 1 SMALL CRACK THEN THE WHOLE DASH IS CRACKED EVERYWHERE. IF INVOLVED IN A WRECK THE DASH WOULD BE DANGEROUS TO EVERYONE INSIDE FROM THE FLYING PIECES. *TR
FRONT END WOBBLES AFTER HITTING BUMP. WOBBLE IS SO SEVERE ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED, THERE ARE NO WORN OUT PARTS THAT CAUSED THIS. THIS DEATH WOBBLE IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH DODGE TRUCKS. *TR
I HAVE A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP TRUCK. LIKE MANY OF THESE TRUCKS MY DASHBOARD IS LITERALLY BREAKING APART AND COLLAPSING. I HAVE READ ON LINE WHERE THIS IS VERY COMMON WITH MY VEHICLE. MY TRUCK HAS AN AIRBAG BUILT IN THE DASH BOARD AND I AM CONCERNED THAT A SHARP PLASTIC SHARD COULD CAUSE SEVERE BODILY INJURY IF THE AIRBA…
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I HAVE A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP TRUCK. LIKE MANY OF THESE TRUCKS MY DASHBOARD IS LITERALLY BREAKING APART AND COLLAPSING. I HAVE READ ON LINE WHERE THIS IS VERY COMMON WITH MY VEHICLE. MY TRUCK HAS AN AIRBAG BUILT IN THE DASH BOARD AND I AM CONCERNED THAT A SHARP PLASTIC SHARD COULD CAUSE SEVERE BODILY INJURY IF THE AIRBAG IS DEPLOYED OR IF THE AIRBAG WILL EVEN WORK SINCE THE DASH BOARD HAS CAVED IN. DEALERS ARE NOT WILLING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE DASHBOARD WIRING COULD CATCH FIRE. *TR
1998 DODGE 1500 DASH CRACKED AND CAME APART IN TWO PLACES, HAS VERY SHARP EDGES THAT CAN CUT HANDS. *TR
DASH ON 1998 AND 1999 DODGE RAM CRACKED. PCS COULD COME LOOSE AND CAUSE A WRECK. ALSO PAINT IS DEFECTIVE PAINT. JUST LIKE THE PROBLEM FORD HAD WITH THERE CAR AND TRUCKS. *TR
CRACKED DASH COVER IS A HAZARD. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REVERSE GEAR WAS NON-FUNCTIONAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REVERSE GEAR RETENTION CLIP CAME OUT AND DISINTEGRATED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,53…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REVERSE GEAR WAS NON-FUNCTIONAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REVERSE GEAR RETENTION CLIP CAME OUT AND DISINTEGRATED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,534.
WE OWN THREE DODGE RAMS, THE 99 & 98 DASHES HAVE CRACKED UP DUE TO DODGE USING CHEAP MATERIAL. WE CAN NOT AFFORD THE $1200 TO REPLACE JUST ONE OF THE DASH, NOR CAN WE FIND A USED ONE. NOW MY 6YR GRANDCHILD HAS CUT HIS HAND FROM ONE OF THE CRACKS SHARP EDGES. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS, I LOVE MY PERSONAL TRUCK BUT I UNABLE T…
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WE OWN THREE DODGE RAMS, THE 99 & 98 DASHES HAVE CRACKED UP DUE TO DODGE USING CHEAP MATERIAL. WE CAN NOT AFFORD THE $1200 TO REPLACE JUST ONE OF THE DASH, NOR CAN WE FIND A USED ONE. NOW MY 6YR GRANDCHILD HAS CUT HIS HAND FROM ONE OF THE CRACKS SHARP EDGES. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS, I LOVE MY PERSONAL TRUCK BUT I UNABLE TO KEEP MY GRANDSON SAFE IN IT. *TR
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.