IllustrationDT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHT COVERS HAVE YELLOWED WHICH REDUCED VISIBILITY ON THE ROAD AT NIGHT. THE SERVICE DEALER OFFERED NO SOLUTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED.
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
What owners actually said
520 reportsIN NOV. 2005 ANOTHER DRIVER RUN A STOP SIGN DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I HIT A SMALL PICK UP BROADSIDE AT 30 MPH. IT DID $2500 DAMAGE. NEITHER RIGHT OR LEFT SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *NM
HORN BUTTON DOESN'T WORK. WHEN IT DOES WORK, IT WON'T TURN OFF. HORN BUTTON IS CONNECTED TO THE AIRBAG ON MY TRUCK. *NM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING OUT FROM A STOP AND TURNING EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. BOTH FRONT BALL JOINTS AND PITTMAN ARM WERE REPLACED. THERE IS NHTSA RECALL, # 04V596000, REGARDING THE SUSPENSION: UPPER…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING OUT FROM A STOP AND TURNING EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. BOTH FRONT BALL JOINTS AND PITTMAN ARM WERE REPLACED. THERE IS NHTSA RECALL, # 04V596000, REGARDING THE SUSPENSION: UPPER BALL JOINTS. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE YEAR, MODEL AND VIN.
(1) STARTED TO PULL AS IF IT WERE NOT GETTING FUEL (2) THE TRANS TEMP LIGHT CAME ON (3)THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT CAME ON (4) PERIODICALLY THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE (5) TRUCK WOULD DELAY OR JERK WHEN PUT IN DRIVE (6)WILL NO LONGER GO IN DRIVE OR REVERSE (7) TRUCK HAS STALLED AND IS NO LONGER RUNNING. *JB
LOUD DRIVE TRAIN NOISE COMING FROM TRUCK. SERVICED AT 70K BY DODGE DEALERSHIP, REPLACING REAR DIFFERENTIAL/BEARINGS. TRUCK IS NOW MAKING SAME NOISE AT 99K AND FIRST ESTIMATE OF REPAIR INDICATES REAR DIFFERENTIAL/BEARINGS AGAIN. *NM
THE HORN ON MY 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 WILL ONLY BLOW WITH ABOUT 50 LBS OF PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE STEERING WHEEL AND ONLY IF YOU PUSH ON THE EXACT SPOT. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE A GUY BACKED OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND RIGHT INTO THE SIDE OF MY TRUCK . I TRIED TO BLOW THE HORN BUT I COULDN'T GET IT TO WORK UNTIL IT WAS TO LATE. *JB
THE DASH ON THE 94-01 DODGE RAM 1500 HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CRACKING AS MINE DID. NOT SURE IF THIS WILL CAUSE A SAFETY ISSUE OR CAUSE THE UNSAFE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS BAD AND NEED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. ADDITIONALLY, THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT OF A WARRANTY EXTENSION ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IN T…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS BAD AND NEED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. ADDITIONALLY, THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT OF A WARRANTY EXTENSION ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IN THE 1500 SERIES WITH A LARGER ENGINE. DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE LATCH THAT HOLDS THE CHILD IN THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT COMES UNLATCHED VERY EASILY. THE STRAPS BECOME VERY LOOSE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED 3/22/2006 - THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. A RECALL HAD BEEN INITIATED FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT THE CONSUMER SEAT WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CONSUMER SENT THE CONSUMER A REPAIR KIT FOR THE DESIGNER 22'S WHICH FIXED THE PROBLEM WITH IS SEAT (22-390-VIN, OG2B, 1/28/2004). *NM
MY 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP DASH HAS A LARGE CRACK IN IT. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THIS I FOUND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER DODGE RAM TRUCK OWNERS WITH THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY THE FACTORY. *JB
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.