IllustrationBALL JOINT LUBRICATION IMPOSSIBLE; NO GREASE FITTINGS. *AK
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 reportsAIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING, RENDERING THE AIR BAGS INOPERATIVE, PER THE DEALERSHIP. *AK
I HAD MY DODGE RAM 1500 4X4 FOR ONLY 2 YEARS BEFORE THE PAINT STARTED FADING ON THE HOOD, TOP OF CAB & TOP OF BED. NOW IT IS 2004 AND THE TRUCKS LOOKS TERRIABLE . EMBARRASSING TO DRIVE. DEALERSHIP SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO, NO RECALLS ON PAINT FOR 1998 TRUCK AND NO WARRANTY. AFTER YOU PAY ALL THAT MONEY FOR A TRUCK AND E…
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I HAD MY DODGE RAM 1500 4X4 FOR ONLY 2 YEARS BEFORE THE PAINT STARTED FADING ON THE HOOD, TOP OF CAB & TOP OF BED. NOW IT IS 2004 AND THE TRUCKS LOOKS TERRIABLE . EMBARRASSING TO DRIVE. DEALERSHIP SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO, NO RECALLS ON PAINT FOR 1998 TRUCK AND NO WARRANTY. AFTER YOU PAY ALL THAT MONEY FOR A TRUCK AND EXPECTED THE BEST QUALITY DUE TO THE PRICE. I HAVE SPOKE WITH SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. I CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE IT PAINTED, CONSIDERING HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO REPLACE THE EMBLEMS AND PURCHASE THE PAINT. IS THERE ANY THING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS? PLEASE HELP! *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON A HILL CONSUMER DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO COME TO A STOP AND BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND ONCE THE SPEED DROPPED BETWEEN 10-15 MPH. CONSUMER VEERED THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD, CRASHING INTO A GUARD RAIL. *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
1998 DODGE RAM 1500 TRANSMISSON; THE TRANMISSION FAILED ON MY TRUCK AT 60,000 MILES! EVIDENTLY, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE DODGE TRANSMISSIONS AND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM.*AK NOBODY CAN SAY THAT 60,000 MILES IS RESONABLE FOR SUCH A MAJOR REPAIR (ABOUT $3,000 IN MY CASE). I WANT DODGE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM…
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1998 DODGE RAM 1500 TRANSMISSON; THE TRANMISSION FAILED ON MY TRUCK AT 60,000 MILES! EVIDENTLY, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE DODGE TRANSMISSIONS AND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM.*AK NOBODY CAN SAY THAT 60,000 MILES IS RESONABLE FOR SUCH A MAJOR REPAIR (ABOUT $3,000 IN MY CASE). I WANT DODGE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM (RECALL PROBABLY) AND REIMBURESE ME FOR THIS REPAIR.
TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 AT 49,000 MILES . PLEASE RECALL, THIS PROBLEM IS PRESENT WITH EVERYONE I KNOW THAT OWNES A DODGE WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.*AK
PREMATURE LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE IN DODGE RAM 1500 . TRUCK HAS HAD UNUSUAL TIRE WEAR SINCE 44K MILES AND DEALER AS WELL AS TIRE SHOPS FOUND NO EXPLANATION. WHEEL BEARINGS AND TIE ROD ENDS WERE PREVIOUSLY REPLACED AT 68K MILES BY MYSELF, WITH RIGHT SIDE TIE ROD SEVERELY WORN. I ASSUMED THE TIE ROD WAS THE TIRE WEAR PROBLEM AN…
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PREMATURE LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE IN DODGE RAM 1500 . TRUCK HAS HAD UNUSUAL TIRE WEAR SINCE 44K MILES AND DEALER AS WELL AS TIRE SHOPS FOUND NO EXPLANATION. WHEEL BEARINGS AND TIE ROD ENDS WERE PREVIOUSLY REPLACED AT 68K MILES BY MYSELF, WITH RIGHT SIDE TIE ROD SEVERELY WORN. I ASSUMED THE TIE ROD WAS THE TIRE WEAR PROBLEM AND DID NOT HAVE PROBLEMS ALIGNING FRONT END UNTIL THIS FEBRUARY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, CLUNK IN STEERING WAS EVIDENT, AND HANDLING BECAME ERRATIC. I CAREFULLY INSPECTED FRONT END AND DISCOVERED RIGHT SIDE LOWER BALL JOINT WORN TO POINT WHERE IT WAS ABOUT TO SEPARATE FROM SOCKET. LEFT SIDE JOINT IS SIGNIFICANTLY WORN AS WELL. LOOKING BACK, THE BALL JOINTS WERE WEARING OUT AT THE 44K MILE POINT. VEHICLE IS DRIVEN MAINLY ON HIGHWAY AND IN 30 YEARS OF DRIVING AND 9 VEHICLES THIS IS THE FIRST ONE TO HAVE A BALL JOINT FAILURE IN THIS MANNER AFTER ONLY 5 YEARS OF SERVICE. RESEARCH ON MY PART HAS INDICATED THAT NUMEROUS DODGE TRUCK OWNERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM, ONSETTING IN AS LITTLE AS 20K MILES CAUSING THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS MY TRUCK, AND IF I WASN'T SO METICULOUS IN PERFORMING VEHICLE MAINTENANCE ON MY OWN THIS MAY WELL HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *JB
WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH VEHICLE VIBRATED FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, CONSUMER HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT RIGHT UPPER BALL JOINT FAILED. *AK
WHILE BRAKING VEHICLE LOST BRAKE POWER, AND CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE INTO SNOW ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO STOP. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHERE THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT RIGHT FRONT ROTOR BLEW APART, CAUSING THE LOSS OF BRAKE POWER. *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.