IllustrationTHE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE WHERE THE OTHER DRIVER WAS KILLED. THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 50-55 MPH. NEITHER OF THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *NLM
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 reportsWHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY PULLED TO THE RIGHT. *NLM
WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL FELL OFF. *NLM
WHILE DRIVING HOOD FLEW OPEN RESULTING IN LOSS OF VISIBILITY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE LATCH BUT THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED. *NLM
BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOORS WOULD NOT LATCH PROPERY AND PREVENTED THE DOORS FROM CLOSING. *NLM
I OWN A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON ME AND THE PICKUP ONLY HAD 61000 MILES ON IT. THERE WAS ACTUALLY FIRE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION, YOU COULD TELL WHEN THE MECHANIC DROPPED THE PAN, THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT EVERY THING WAS FRIED. THAT COULD OF STARTED THE WHOLE PICKUP ON FIRE AND I COULD OF BEEN KILLED OR BADL…
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I OWN A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON ME AND THE PICKUP ONLY HAD 61000 MILES ON IT. THERE WAS ACTUALLY FIRE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION, YOU COULD TELL WHEN THE MECHANIC DROPPED THE PAN, THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT EVERY THING WAS FRIED. THAT COULD OF STARTED THE WHOLE PICKUP ON FIRE AND I COULD OF BEEN KILLED OR BADLY HURT. I HAVE TALKED TO SOME OTHER GUYS AND THEY OWNED 1998 RAMS AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. NOW THIS IS A BIG SAFETY THING AND THERE WAS NOT A RECALL ON THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER TO SEE IF THEY WOULD PAY FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION AND THEY SAID NO, THEY WOULDN'T EVEN HELP ME OUT. THIS COULD OF BEEN A BIG LAW SUIT IF I WOULD OF GOTTEN HURT. *JB
FROM THE DAY I SAW THAT 96 DODGE TRUCK ROLLING DOWN THE STREET I FELL IN LOVE. I SAVED EVERY WAY POSSIBLE TO PURCHASE THE BIG BAD 1500 4X4 5.9(98)WITH EVERY OPTION AVAIL. HAD EVERYTHING AND FROM WEEK 1 HAD PROBLEMS. FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING "DUE TO FRAME STRESS" IT ABOUT 2 WEEKS INTO IT. BRAKE FAILURE CAUSE SERIOU…
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FROM THE DAY I SAW THAT 96 DODGE TRUCK ROLLING DOWN THE STREET I FELL IN LOVE. I SAVED EVERY WAY POSSIBLE TO PURCHASE THE BIG BAD 1500 4X4 5.9(98)WITH EVERY OPTION AVAIL. HAD EVERYTHING AND FROM WEEK 1 HAD PROBLEMS. FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING "DUE TO FRAME STRESS" IT ABOUT 2 WEEKS INTO IT. BRAKE FAILURE CAUSE SERIOUS ASSAULT ON GUARD RAIL, AND DODGE SAID I MUST HAVE BEEN DRIVING TO FAST (@ 30 MPH). THEY REFUSED ANY WARRANTY BECAUSE "NOTHING CAN TOUCH THE WHEEL" AND SINCE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER 93 DAYS LEMON LAWS DID NOT APPLY SO AFTER (2) $900 BRAKE JOBS TWO WEEKS APART EVERYTHING WAS FINE. NOT TO MENTION DAMAGE TO BODY I PAID FOR OUT OF POCKET. NOW I JUST GO THROUGH AN ENTIRE SET OF BRAKES EVERY 6 MONTHS. BUT I STOP UNTIL THEN.. I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT 38 K MILES, NOTE THE WARRANTY ON THAT IS 36 K MILES. I HAVE HAD STEERING LINKAGE BECOME SO LOOSE INSTANTANEOUSLY (OR 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS) THAT IT FELT LIKE I WAS RUNNING OVER MY OWN AXLE, WHICH IS ANOTHER $1000 EACH TIME. FOR THE PAST THREE EMISSIONS INSPECTIONS THE ON BOARD COMPUTER FAILS SO I HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER WHILE THEY CHARGE $200 TO FIX IT, BUT WILL NOT GIVE STRAIGHT ANSWER TO WHAT IS PROBLEM. AND TO NIGHT AS I TYPE, I SPREAD THE GRIME OF ENGINE CRUD ACROSS MY KEYBOARD AS I TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHY THE FUEL FILTER SUDDENLY STOPPED. AMAZINGLY I HAVE HAD THIS TRUCK FOR 5 YEARS BECAUSE IT HAS KEPT ME TOO BROKE TO BUY SOMETHING ELSE. ANY "LEGAL" SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT CAN BE DONE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. I RECOGNIZE I HAVE SPENT MORE THAN $15,000 TRYING TO KEEP THIS THING RUNNING RIGHT, AND THAT IS TOO MUCH FOR A "LATE MODEL" TRUCK. I WOULD LOVE TO BLAME A DEALER BUT I HAVE BEEN TO JUST ABOUT ALL OF THEM AROUND HERE AND WITH THE SMILES ON THERE FACES I HEAR "THAT WILL BE ANOTHER $950 SIR".. GOOD GRIEF. *NLM
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JB
THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THE PAINT ON 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM THAT ARE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE PAINT, MINE INCLUDED. THE RECALL IS ONLY FOR 97 RED DODGES. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW PAINT JOB WHEN THERE ARE OTHER RECALLS FOR THE TRUCK. *NLM
THROTTLE STUCK WIDE OPEN. HAD IT LOOKED AT AND THERE WAS NO CONCLUSION AS TO WHY IT HAPPENED. *JB
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.