← New search

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 →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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

What owners actually said

520 reports
140,000 miles · Oct 19, 2009
Structure

CRACKING DASH ON DODGE RAM SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE SINCE CHRYSLER WILL NOT. CRACKS ARE CAUSING SHARP EDGES AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10288955

149,000 miles · Oct 8, 2009
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

BRAKES FAILED DUE TO CORRODED REAR BRAKE LINE!!!!! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10286833

130,000 miles · Aug 28, 2009
Structure

I JUST WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT DODGE RAM TRUCKS I OWN A 98 DODGE TRUCK IS THERE ANY RECALLS ABOUT THE DASHES CRACKING AND COMING APART WHILE YOUR DRIVING THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME I ALMOST WRECKED MY TRUCKED PLEASE LET ME KNOW THANK YOU *TR

NHTSA ODI #10282081

114,863 miles · Aug 8, 2009
Latches/locks/linkages

TAILGATE CABLE FAILURE. DRIVER'S SIDE TAILGATE CABLE ON MY 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 4X4 BROKE INTO TWO PIECES. THE CABLE UNDERNEATH THE PROTECTIVE PLASTIC SLEEVE RUSTED THROUGH AT THE FLEX POINT. THIS TRUCK IS NOT ABUSED AND IS AN OCCASIONAL USE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10279794

115,000 miles · Jul 28, 2009
Seat Belts

1998 DODGE RAM 1500 4WD - DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELTS DO NOT WORK. THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN WRECKED, THEY JUST QUIT WORKING ONE DAY. WE CALLED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID WE COULD REPLACE EACH SEATBELT FOR $198.00. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10278585

260,000 miles · Jul 21, 2009
Fuel System, GasolineFire

1998 DODGE 1500 FUEL LINE BREAK ITS THE CROSSOVER LINE BETWEEN THE FUEL RAILS ON THE 5.2 LTR ENGINE A SMALL RUBBER LINE. BECAUSE I DROVE MY TRUCK 3 MILES TO A CAR WASH TO WASH LAWNMOWER ON TRAILER DIDN'T WASH TRUCK DIDN'T SMELL GAS STARTED TRUCK TO GET GAS AT STATION DROVE IT 1 BLOCK TO STATION TURNED TRUCK OFF AND AT THAT MOM…

Read full complaint

1998 DODGE 1500 FUEL LINE BREAK ITS THE CROSSOVER LINE BETWEEN THE FUEL RAILS ON THE 5.2 LTR ENGINE A SMALL RUBBER LINE. BECAUSE I DROVE MY TRUCK 3 MILES TO A CAR WASH TO WASH LAWNMOWER ON TRAILER DIDN'T WASH TRUCK DIDN'T SMELL GAS STARTED TRUCK TO GET GAS AT STATION DROVE IT 1 BLOCK TO STATION TURNED TRUCK OFF AND AT THAT MOMENT I HERD A WHOOMPING NOISE AND THEN WHITE SMOKE AND FLAMES CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BETWEEN THE WINDSHIELD AND THE HOOD BIG FLAMES THEN BLACK SMOKE I HAD BARLEY HAD ENOUGH TIME TO UNHOOK TRAILER RAN TO DRIVERS SIDE BLACK SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE CAB PUT TRUCK IN NEUTRAL AND PUSHED IT AWAY FROM GAS PUMPS THEN CALLED 911. FROM THE TIME I GOT TO THE GAS PUMPS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT THE FIRE OUT WAS 15 MIN AND IT COMPLETELY GUTTED THE CAB AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FUEL RAIL CROSSOVER LINE IS THE ONLY WAY THAT I FIGURED THE FIRE STARTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BECAUSE THE FUEL AND RETURN FUEL LINE IS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. I'M AFRAID IF THIS WOULD OF HAPPENED DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH PASSENGERS SOMEBODY COULD IF GOTTEN SERIOUSLY HURT . *TR

NHTSA ODI #10277545

Mileage unknown · Jul 8, 2009
Structure

I HAVE FOUND THAT THE DODGE PU'S ALL HAVE DEFECTIVE AND FAILING DASHES. WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET YOU TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED. A CHILD DECAPITATED IN A MINOR ACCIDENT FROM A "KNOWN DEFECT" IN DODGES DASHES. A FAMILY BURNED ALIVE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE THE DASH CAVES IN AND SHORTS OUT WIRING. OR PERHAPS AN AC…

Read full complaint

I HAVE FOUND THAT THE DODGE PU'S ALL HAVE DEFECTIVE AND FAILING DASHES. WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET YOU TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED. A CHILD DECAPITATED IN A MINOR ACCIDENT FROM A "KNOWN DEFECT" IN DODGES DASHES. A FAMILY BURNED ALIVE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE THE DASH CAVES IN AND SHORTS OUT WIRING. OR PERHAPS AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYS AT 70 MPH DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND DODGE/CHRYSLER NEED TO ADDRESS IT AND FIX IT NOW. OR PERHAPS WE ARE TOO BUSY FINANCING THE CONTINUED DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING OF DEATH TRAPS BY DODGE/CHRYSLER WITH TAX PAYERS DOLLARS TO BE CONCERNED WITH LIVES OF WORKING CLASS AMERICANS WHO SUPPORTED THE COMPANY BY PURCHASING THEIR JUNK VEHICLES. MY DASHBOARD IS FALLING APART AROUND ME AND THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR A LONG, LONG TIME. YOU HAVE KNOWN OF IT, YET NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED. CHRYSLER AND DODGE HAVE KNOWN OF IT, "PROFITS OVER LIFE SEEMS TO BE THEIR ONLY CONCERN". DO A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND YOU WILL LITERALLY FIND THOUSANDS OF DODGE RAM PU OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUES AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VEHICLE. AND YOU WILL ALSO FIND THAT CHRYSLER AND DODGE FULLY INTEND TO JUST IGNORE THE PROBLEM. PERSONALLY, I DON'T THINK MY TAX DOLLARS SHOULD GO TO BAIL OUT A COMPANY THAT "WILLINGLY MANUFACTURES AND SELLS DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS TO CONSUMERS AND WHEN BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTENTION, THEY WILL JUST BRUSH IT ASIDE OR BLAME THE CONSUMER". AND I STRONGLY FEEL THAT YOUR AGENCY NEEDS TO BE A BIT MORE FORCEFUL WITH CHRYSLER AND DODGE TO GET THESE SUBSTANDARD ITEMS REPAIRED AND REPLACED AT THEIR EXPENSE BEFORE MORE "TAXPAYERS WHO BAILED THEM OUT GET INJURED OR DIE FROM THEIR KNOWN DEFECTS". *TR

NHTSA ODI #10276066

102,040 miles · Jun 10, 2009
Latches/locks/linkages

SECONDARY HOOD LATCH STUCK IN OPEN POSITION, CAUSING HOOD TO FLY UP WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. DAMAGED HOOD HINGES. SO FAR, HAS ONLY HAPPENED ONCE, BUT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IF IT HAPPENS MORE OFTEN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10273482

39,898 miles · Mar 15, 2009
Power TrainSeat Belts

THE DRIVER SEAT BELT BECAME UNBUCKLED VARIOUS TIMES. I HAVE REPLACE THE BUCKLE SIDE OF IT ON MY OWN. ALSO THE REAR END IS MAKING NOISE RIGHT AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED, NOW I'M SUPPOSED TO REPLACE IT ONMY OWN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10261919

Mileage unknown · Feb 25, 2009
Tires

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB. THE VEHICLE HAS COOPER DISCOVERER S/T TIRES, SIZE 37X12.50R17LT. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD UNTIL SOMEONE WAS ABLE TO CHANGE THE TIRE. THE ENTIRE TIRE BENEATH THE TREAD AN…

Read full complaint

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB. THE VEHICLE HAS COOPER DISCOVERER S/T TIRES, SIZE 37X12.50R17LT. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD UNTIL SOMEONE WAS ABLE TO CHANGE THE TIRE. THE ENTIRE TIRE BENEATH THE TREAD AND THE SIDEWALL BLEW OUT COMPLETELY. THERE WAS A RECALL INITIATED BY COOPER TIRES; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE IF THE MANUFACTURER WOULD REIMBURSE HER FOR THE DAMAGES. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06T016000 (TIRES:TREAD/BELT) WAS REFERENCED. THE VIN, DOT NUMBER, AND MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI #10259976

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.