IllustrationAT 45MPH THE VEHICLE WILL VIBRATE HEAVILY. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED. COMPONENT:SUSPENSION. *AK
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
Suspension complaints
19 reportsTHIS VEHICLE HAS A DANA 70 REAR END. MANUFACTURER FAILED TO SHIM WHEN ORIGINALLY BUILT. THIS CAUSED REAR END TO SHIFT AND ELONGATE MOUNTING SECTION THUS DESTROYING ENTIRE REAR END. MANUFACTURER CLAIMS NO LIABILITY DUE TO PASSING 100,000 MILE LIMIT OF WARRANTY. MY CONCERN IS THAT ANYONE PULLING HEAVY TRAILERS COULD EXPERIENCE…
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THIS VEHICLE HAS A DANA 70 REAR END. MANUFACTURER FAILED TO SHIM WHEN ORIGINALLY BUILT. THIS CAUSED REAR END TO SHIFT AND ELONGATE MOUNTING SECTION THUS DESTROYING ENTIRE REAR END. MANUFACTURER CLAIMS NO LIABILITY DUE TO PASSING 100,000 MILE LIMIT OF WARRANTY. MY CONCERN IS THAT ANYONE PULLING HEAVY TRAILERS COULD EXPERIENCE A TOTAL FAILURE OF THE REAR END WHILE MOVING. THIS WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY CAUSE THE TRAILER TO JACKNIFE AND COULD LEAD TO INJURY OR AT LEAST CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE. WE HAUL SHOW HORSES THAT ARE VALUED IN EXCESS OF $150,000 AND WE JUST WANTED TO ALERT THE NHTSA AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN WHAT WE SEE IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. PERHAPS OURS IS THE ONLY OCCURANCE OR PERHAPS THERE ARE OTHERS WAITING TO HAPPEN.*AK
EXCESSIVE LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT, BUT NO SIGN OF LEAKAGES. VEHICLE BEEN IN / OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON FOUR OCCASIONS, AND STILL UNABLE TO LOCATE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER INTERNTIONALLY WITH HELD THE POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH V-10 ENGINE TO AVOID RECALL. ACCORCING TO THE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM…
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EXCESSIVE LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT, BUT NO SIGN OF LEAKAGES. VEHICLE BEEN IN / OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON FOUR OCCASIONS, AND STILL UNABLE TO LOCATE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER INTERNTIONALLY WITH HELD THE POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH V-10 ENGINE TO AVOID RECALL. ACCORCING TO THE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM INTERNET, THE MANUFACTURER HAD INDICATED THAT THE V-10 HEADS AND CRANKSHAFT COULD EXPERIENCE HAIR LINE CRACKS CAUSING INTERNAL COOLANT LEAKAGE. SPARK PLUGS FAILED. FRONT BRAKE PADS FAIED. LEFT LOWER BALL JOINT FAILED. *YH
THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT LOCKED UP, THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE SEAT BELT SOLENOID SHORTED OUT. *SLC
BRAKES EXPERIENCE HANG UP AND PULLING CONTINUALLY, REPLACEMENT OF THE BRAKES DID NOT RECTIFY PULLING PROBLEMS. MJS
BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER LEAKS. YH
MY TRUCK BRAKES PULL SEVERELY TO THE RIGHT WHEN BRAKING. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS IN ALL RAM 2500 4X4 TRUCKS I HAVE ENCOUNTERED. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED ROTORS; CALIPERS;ALIGNMENT; ETC. I HAVE HAD THE TRUCK IN 9 TIMES (I HAVE DOCUMENTATION) ON THE SAME PROBLEM WITH NO RELIEF. DEALER NOW REFUSES TO LOOK FURTHER INTO THIS PROBLEM. BRAK…
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MY TRUCK BRAKES PULL SEVERELY TO THE RIGHT WHEN BRAKING. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS IN ALL RAM 2500 4X4 TRUCKS I HAVE ENCOUNTERED. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED ROTORS; CALIPERS;ALIGNMENT; ETC. I HAVE HAD THE TRUCK IN 9 TIMES (I HAVE DOCUMENTATION) ON THE SAME PROBLEM WITH NO RELIEF. DEALER NOW REFUSES TO LOOK FURTHER INTO THIS PROBLEM. BRAKES PULL TO RIGHT HARD ENOUGH TO SLIDE TRUCK SIDEWAYS ON WET PAVEMENT. BRAKE PADS WEAR OUT FASTER ON RIGHT FRONT - THERE HAS BEEN EVIDENCE OF THE RIGHT ROTOR GETTING HOT (BRAKES DRAGGING). THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IN A LARGE TALL AND HEAVY TRUCK! ALL DODGE RAM 2500 4X4 OWNERS I HAVE TALKED TO REPORT PERIODIC OR CONTINUOUS SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR BRAKES. *AK
SWAY BAR BOLTS THAT HOLD SWAY BAR FELL OUT, AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. WENT TO DEALER AND GOT IT FIXED. BUT THEN ALL FOUR BOLTS THAT HOLD THE SWAY BAR FELL OUT AGAIN, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. ALSO, WORN GEAR IN THE STEERING BOX CAUSED A LOSS OF STEERING. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK *ML
CONSUMER COMPLAINTNG WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE THE BACK END GO OUT OF CONTROL WHENEVER THE VEHICLE GO OVER A BUMPS OR POT HOLE. VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP MORE THEN TWICE,CONDITION STILL OCCUR. DEALER CAN FIND OR LOCATE THE PROBLEMS.
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.