IllustrationTHE DASH HAS STARTED CRACKING IN TWO PLACES. *JS
1998 Dodge RAM Pickup
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RAM Pickup 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
Limited mileage data: 10 of 18 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Air Bags. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
18 reports1998 DODGE RAM PICKUP 1500 THE DASH HAS CRACKED SO BAD IT IS UNSAFE. IT HAS SHARP EDGED FRAGMENTS. *TT
I WAS IN A HOSPITAL PARKING AREA IN TUCSON AZ., ROLLING IN 2ND GEAR, AFTER ATTEMPTING TO DEPRESS THE CLUTCH IT FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING LEAVING THE 7200 LB. TRUCK SILL UNDER POWER. LUCKY FOR ME AND NOTHING ELSE I WAS ABLE TO STOP IN A NEAR BY FIELD. THIS IS THE FIRST EVENT FOR ME BUT I HAVE TALKED TO ANOTHER DODGE OWNER AND TH…
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I WAS IN A HOSPITAL PARKING AREA IN TUCSON AZ., ROLLING IN 2ND GEAR, AFTER ATTEMPTING TO DEPRESS THE CLUTCH IT FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING LEAVING THE 7200 LB. TRUCK SILL UNDER POWER. LUCKY FOR ME AND NOTHING ELSE I WAS ABLE TO STOP IN A NEAR BY FIELD. THIS IS THE FIRST EVENT FOR ME BUT I HAVE TALKED TO ANOTHER DODGE OWNER AND THE SAME PROBLEM (HE ALMOST BACKED THOUGH A WALL ) THE FAILURE WAS REPAIRED WITH A NEW HYDRAULIC ASSY. PART. THIS HAPPENED WITH 135K MI. ON THE ODO. THE OTHER OWNER SAID HIS BROKE AT APPROX. 75K MI. *TR
I WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD AFTER DRIVING UP AND DOWN THE STEEP HILL,WHEN I HEARD POP, AND LOOK AT MY REAR VIEW MIRROR AND MY TRUCK WAS ON FIRE MOSTLY AROUND THE LEFT HAND REAR TIRE AND AROUND RIGHT BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SIDE. I DROVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND GOT, THAN I CALL THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPT. FOR ASSISTANT/HELP. *TR
DASH BOARD ON 98 TRUCK. *TR
AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON SEVERAL TIMES DURING OPERATION MEANING THE AIR BAG WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY. *TR
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. HE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. CHRYSLER SENT AN INVESTIGATOR ON 11-29-05 AND TOOK PICTURES INSIDE AND OUT OF THE TRUCK. THEN, STATED THE TRUCK DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT; THUS, THE TRUCK WAS NOT DAMAGED. CHRYSLER SENT THE CO…
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DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. HE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. CHRYSLER SENT AN INVESTIGATOR ON 11-29-05 AND TOOK PICTURES INSIDE AND OUT OF THE TRUCK. THEN, STATED THE TRUCK DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT; THUS, THE TRUCK WAS NOT DAMAGED. CHRYSLER SENT THE CONTACT A LETTER ON 12-5-05 STATING THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOR A SUBSTANTIAL PERIOD OF TIME. THEREFORE, THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS NOT ON PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, AND THAT HE WAS AWARE THAT IF THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED IT WAS AN INDICATOR THAT THE AIR BAG WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THEREFORE, IT SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED PREMATURELY. WHEN HE HAD THE CAR SERVICED AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP THEY DID NOT MENTION THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATING. *AK UPDATED 02/07/06. *JB
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHCILE WA TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE GOVERNOR PRESSURE SENSOR AND THE GOVERNOR PRESSURE SOLENOID FAILED. THE TRANSMISSION ALSO SLIPPED MOMENTARILY. *AK THESE PARTS WERE REPLACED TWICE. *BF
BOTH FRONTAL SEAT BELTS STUCK IN THEIR HOLSTER AND WOULDN'T RELEASE. THE SEAT BELT SHOWED NO SIGN OR ABUSE OR WEAR WHEN THIS OCCURRED. DEALERSHIP REPLACED BOTH SHOULDER BELTS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER NOTICED THAT VEHICLE USED A LARGE AMOUNT OF COOLANT. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN AN INDEPENDENT SHOP FOR A NEW CLUTCH MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE CYLINDER HEADS HAD SEVERAL CRACKS. THE CYLINDER HEADS WERE SCHEDULED TO BE REPLACED. *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.