IllustrationINTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKS WHICH CAUSES A MIXTURE OF OIL AND GAS. AS A RESULT VEHICLE LOSES POWER AND CONSUMES EXCESSIVE OIL. THERE IS A TSB 1001522 ON THIS ISSUE. *AK
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
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
35 reportsOIL PRESSURE GAUGE DROPPED TO ZERO AND LIFTERS ON ENGINE WERE TAPPING, SO I HAD TO PARK MY VEHICLE BEFORE I LOST MY ENGINE. VEHICLE IS A 98 DODGE RAM 1500 V6 WITH 70K MILES. WAS CAUSED BY A CLOGGED OIL PUMP INTAKE SCREEN. ALMOST LOST ENGINE BECAUSE SCREEN IS OF DEFECTIVE DESIGN. SCREEN IS COVERED BY A CAP THAT PREVENTS ALL O…
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OIL PRESSURE GAUGE DROPPED TO ZERO AND LIFTERS ON ENGINE WERE TAPPING, SO I HAD TO PARK MY VEHICLE BEFORE I LOST MY ENGINE. VEHICLE IS A 98 DODGE RAM 1500 V6 WITH 70K MILES. WAS CAUSED BY A CLOGGED OIL PUMP INTAKE SCREEN. ALMOST LOST ENGINE BECAUSE SCREEN IS OF DEFECTIVE DESIGN. SCREEN IS COVERED BY A CAP THAT PREVENTS ALL OF THE SOLIDS FROM DROPPING BACK INTO THE PAN. THE OIL PAN ITSELF HAS A HALF INCH RISE INSIDE TO RECEIVE THE OIL DRAIN PLUG. THIS HALF INCH RISE PREVENTS HEAVY SOLIDS FROM BEING DRAINED DURING ROUTINE OIL CHANGES. THE OIL PUMP INTAKE IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ABOVE THESE SOLIDS, TRAPPED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN, AND SUCKS THEM DIRECTLY INTO THE SCREEN. THEREFORE, OVER TIME THE CONDITION WILL REOCCUR. POST RESEARCH I FOUND NUMEROUS PERSONS WITH IDENTICAL DESCRIPTIONS TO MINE WHO HAD LOST THEIR ENGINES ON VARIES YEARS AND MODELS OF DODGE TRUCKS. ALTHOUGH HEARSAY, THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE TOLD BY DEALERSHIPS THAT THEY HAD SLUDGE IN THE BOTTOM OF THEIR PANS, STATING THE REASON FOR FAILURE WAS DO TO NOT ROUTINELY CHANGING OIL. I CAN DOCUMENT MY ROUTINE OIL CHANGES, AND I STILL HAD SOLIDS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN ON MY VEHICLE THAT CANNOT BE REMOVED BY ROUTINE OIL CHANGES. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A BREACH OF THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. I HAVE DOCUMENTED THE PROBLEM ON VIDEO AS WELL. *JB
THE ENGINE CONSUMED SIX QUARTS OF OIL IN THE LAST 3000 MILES. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *NLM
THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OVER NIGHT WITH ENGINE TURN OFF. THE NEXT MORNING VEHICLE HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
WHILE SITTING IN VEHICLE CONSUMER PLACE HANDS UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT AND BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
THE HEAD GASKET HAS CRACKED AND CAUSING OIL TO BURN PREMATURELY.THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*JB
GEAR SELECTOR SHAFT BROKE INSIDE STEERING COLUMN HOUSING, 3 DEALERS COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN HAS TO BE REPLACED. *TT . ZLSO, STEERING COLUMN/TRACK BAR FOR FRONT AXLE, AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
WHILE ON A BUSY HIGHWAY CONSUMER HEARD A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE. CONSUMER THOUGHT NOISE WAS COMING FROM FUEL THAT WAS PUT IN EARLIER, CHANGED FUEL, BUT THE RATTLING NOISE WAS STILL PRESENT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEAR ON THE DASBOARD WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NLM SPEED SENSOR WAS ON RECALL BUT THE RECALL DID NOT COVER THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. *YH
#4 CYLINDER HEAD CRACKED, BUT HEAD GASKET WORN ON OTHER HEAD AS WELL SO WE CHOSE TO REPLACE BOTH HEADS. WE REPORTED TO CHRYSLER AND THEY AGREED TO PAY HALF THE COST TO REPLACE THE TWO HEADS INCLUDING LABOR. *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.