IllustrationI WAS PULLING A CAR FROM INDIO CA TO PHX. AZ WHEN IT STARTED TICKING AND SMOKEING AND LOST POWER I PULLEDOVER CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS 2 QUARTS LOW IT HAD NEVER USED OIL BEFORE THIS IT NEVER GOT HOT THOUGH I SLOWED WAY DOWN AND BARELY MADE IT HOME.
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
What owners actually said
225 reportsBRAKE LINE RUSTED OUT AND FAILED CAUSING LOOSE OF BRAKE IN TRAFFIC. ONCE FUEL TANK WAS REMOVED THIS EXPOSED THE PROBLEM AREA. REAR WIRING HARNESS RUNS DIRECTLY AGAINST THE FUEL LINE TRAPPING ROAD GRIM, WATER, SALT, CAUSING CORROSION AT THIS POINT.
THE 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.
THE PASSENGER SIDE LOWER REAR ARM SUPPORT BRACKET WELD ARE CRACKING TWISTING TEARING FROM MAIN FRAME RAIL. THE FRAME WELD IS TEARING HORIZONTALLY AND ACROSS SAME RATES. THE CRACK ARE NEXT TO WELDS AN SOME LOCATION TEARING CIRCLING ROTATING. THE VEHICLE NEVER OPERATED OFF-ROAD AND MILEAGE IS 171,550 MILES. THE CRACK ARE 65% AN…
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THE PASSENGER SIDE LOWER REAR ARM SUPPORT BRACKET WELD ARE CRACKING TWISTING TEARING FROM MAIN FRAME RAIL. THE FRAME WELD IS TEARING HORIZONTALLY AND ACROSS SAME RATES. THE CRACK ARE NEXT TO WELDS AN SOME LOCATION TEARING CIRCLING ROTATING. THE VEHICLE NEVER OPERATED OFF-ROAD AND MILEAGE IS 171,550 MILES. THE CRACK ARE 65% AND VEHICLE UNFIT TO BE OPERATED SAFETY. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE I DIDN'T HAVE A ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE ROW OVER ON I LEFT SIDE WITHOUT NO WARNING . I WAS PREFORMING VEHICLE BRAKE INSPECTIONS AND I NOTICE RUST ON THE LOWER REAR SUPPORT HANGER WHICH HOLD THE LOWER ARM BRACKET AND COIL SPRING. I AM VERY FORTUNATE THAT I DIDN'T LOAN MY VEHICLE TO MY RELATIVES. I HAVE PICTURES AVAILABLE. I WANT THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION TO REPAIR THIS ASAP!!!
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…
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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.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT EXTEND OR RETRACT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE THE SEAT BELTS WERE TIED TO THE AIR BAG AND SEVERAL ELECTRICAL SENSORS IN THE VEHICLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRAILER HITCH FRACTURED IN THE AREA WHERE THE TRAILER HITCH MOUNTS TO THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMP…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRAILER HITCH FRACTURED IN THE AREA WHERE THE TRAILER HITCH MOUNTS TO THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 00V107000 (TRAILER HITCHES). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,000.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE TENDS TO WANDER AND REQUIRES CONSTANT ADJUSTMENT TO MAINTAIN PROPER LOCATION TIN TRAFFIC LANE. $1000 REPAIRS LAST A FEW THOUSAND MILES. TALKING WITH OTHER OWNERS OF SIMILAR VEHICLES INDICATES THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE. MA 10/8 UPDATED 12/11/2017*CN
DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE VIA THE BRAKE OR BY HITTING OFF ON THE STEERING WHEEL. IF I PUT THE CLUTCH IN THE ENGINE WAS IDLING AT 2300 RPMS. THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK ON AND I COULD NOT SLOW DOWN... I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND TURNING IT BACK ON AGAIN THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESET. MY CLUTCH AND …
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DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE VIA THE BRAKE OR BY HITTING OFF ON THE STEERING WHEEL. IF I PUT THE CLUTCH IN THE ENGINE WAS IDLING AT 2300 RPMS. THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK ON AND I COULD NOT SLOW DOWN... I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND TURNING IT BACK ON AGAIN THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESET. MY CLUTCH AND BREAKS GOT A LITTLE BURNT UP MAKING IT HOME THAT NIGHT...AS THE PROBLEM HAPPENED WHEN I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. ONE I MADE IT HOME I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND MANUALLY JIGGLED THE THROTTLE LINKAGES ON THE SIDE OF THE INJECTION PUMP. RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE PROBLEM WAS RESET UNTIL CRUISE CONTROL WAS USED AGAIN.... THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE THE THROTTLE STICKING AT SUCH HIGH SPEED... SO I LOOKED INTO SAFETY RECALLS #B15 THINKING GREAT MY TRUCK IS COVERED... ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT RECALL WAS ALREADY PERFORMED. ALSO THE FUEL HEATER RECALL WAS PERFORMED AND IT SO HAPPENS IN THE LAST 4 MOTH HAVE TO DO THE FUEL HEATER DELETE BECAUSE THE WIRING AND PLASTIC PIECE WAS ALL BURNT UP. LOOKS LIKE THESE TRUCKS ARE HAVING A SECOND ROUND OF THE SAME OR SIMILAR SAFETY RECALL ISSUES. *TR
DASHBOARD IS SERIOUSLY CRACKED AND BROKEN, CHUNKS ARE MISSING, CRACKS GO FROM FRONT ALL THE WAY TO THE WINDSHIELD, GIVING VEHICLE TO SON NEXT YEAR, WORRIED PIECES OF PLASTIC MAY FLY INTO HIS EYES, AND IT LOOKS EMBARRASSING ALSO. *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.