IllustrationDriving down the road going about forty miles per hour and my dash exploded and the air bag deployed
1998 Dodge RAM 2500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Dodge RAM 2500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 275.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RAM 2500 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
70–25K
925–50K
1450–75K
1575–100K
15100–150K
19150K+
79 reports with mileage · 146 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
19 crash reports3 fire reports14 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
18 reportsTHE UPPER INTERIOR DASH PANEL CRACKING INTO MANY PIECE. DURING ACCIDENT THE PANEL WILL COME A FLYING MISSILE OF PARTS HITTING OCCUPANCIES IN THE COMPARTMENTS AND SMALL CHILDREN. I WAND THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION TO REPAIR IT ASAP. ITS ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPENED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE HORN SOUNDED WITHOUT BEING PROMOTED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE METAL PARTS THAT HELD THE WHEELS WERE CORRODED AND CAUSED THE SPARE TIRE TO DETACH. THE…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE HORN SOUNDED WITHOUT BEING PROMOTED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE METAL PARTS THAT HELD THE WHEELS WERE CORRODED AND CAUSED THE SPARE TIRE TO DETACH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.
DRIVING ON I-89 S. AT 50 MPH WHEN SNOW STORM TURN INTO A WHITE OUT WHEN I CAME UPON A STATE PLOW TRUCK IN PASSING LANE DOING 25 MPH AND BY TIME I SAW IT'S FLASHING LIGHTS I COULDN'T STOP AND AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY CAUSING ME BANG MY HEAD ON DOOR POST, MY LEFT RIBS INTO STEERING WHEEL CRACKING THEM AND MY RIGHT KNEE INTO 4 WHEE…
Read full complaint
DRIVING ON I-89 S. AT 50 MPH WHEN SNOW STORM TURN INTO A WHITE OUT WHEN I CAME UPON A STATE PLOW TRUCK IN PASSING LANE DOING 25 MPH AND BY TIME I SAW IT'S FLASHING LIGHTS I COULDN'T STOP AND AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY CAUSING ME BANG MY HEAD ON DOOR POST, MY LEFT RIBS INTO STEERING WHEEL CRACKING THEM AND MY RIGHT KNEE INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE LEVIER AND DASH CAUSING IT TO BE CRACKED. *TR
1998 DODGE RAM 2500 PICKUP MY DASH IS FALLING APART. IT HAS CRACKS AND LARGE HOLES IN IT. I AM AFRAID IT MY SET OFF MY AIR BAG. THANKS
HIGH SPEED HIGHWAY CRASH (65 MPH) NEITHER SEAT BELT HELD FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS - BOTH OF WHOM WERE HURT. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. 2 VEHICLES TOTALED. *JB
WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HAD A FRONT END COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, CONSUMER BROKE THE NOSE , AND CUT THE LIPS. *AK
VEHICLE WAS TAKEN THE DEALER BECAUSE THE HORN OPERATED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP/MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT DRIVER'S AIR BAG MUST BE REPLACED TO FIX THE HORN. *AK HORN HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO OPERATE SINCE CONSUMER PURCHASED VEHICLE. HORN HAS TO BE DEPRESSED ON THE RIGHT SPOT TO WORK. VEHICLE HAS 55,000 MILES WHEN…
Read full complaint
VEHICLE WAS TAKEN THE DEALER BECAUSE THE HORN OPERATED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP/MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT DRIVER'S AIR BAG MUST BE REPLACED TO FIX THE HORN. *AK HORN HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO OPERATE SINCE CONSUMER PURCHASED VEHICLE. HORN HAS TO BE DEPRESSED ON THE RIGHT SPOT TO WORK. VEHICLE HAS 55,000 MILES WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP FOR ITS REPAIR. CHRYSLER OFFERED TO SPLIT (50/50) THE COST WITH THE REPAIR ON HORN AND AIRBAG ASSEMBLY. CONSUMER FELT AT THAT TIME AND GIVEN THAT THEY HAD EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THEIR VEHICLE THE SITUATION SHOULD BE CORRECTED. VEHICLE NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 78,000 MILES AND CONSUMER SAID THAT CHRYSLER HAS REFUSED TO ADDRESS THE MATTER. *LA
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE CONSUMER STATES' THE BRAKES SOMETIME LOCK UP. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE SLID 120 FEET INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON ICY ROADS AT 25-30MPH. CONSUMER SLID INTO A UTILITY POLE WITH NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYING. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. DEALER NEVER SAID WHY AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY OR SEEM TO BE CONCERNED.*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.