IllustrationREAR SEAT BELT WILL NOT STAY LOCKED. IT WOULD BE HARD TO KEEP CHILD SEAT LOCKED IN PROPERLY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT THE REAR RIGHT SIDE SEAT BELT CAME APART INTO PIECES ALLOWING STRAP TO NOT RETAIN BABY SEAT. *YH
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 reportsSEAT BELT RETRACTOR IS DEFECTIVE. PASSENGER FRONT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. DRIVER'S FRONT BELT EXTRACTS INTERMITTENTLY. RETRACTORS ARE MOTORIZED. CONSUMER STATES MOTOR MAKES STRANGE GRINDING NOISE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE PULLS TO LEFT, WHICH AS A RESULT OF A DESIGN FLAW. AXLE WHEEL BASE IS NOT THE SAME MEASUREMENT.*AK
I WAS ON THE FREEWAY, AND AS I WENT TO PASS A SLOWER VEHICLE, I FELT THE TRANSMISSION "SLIP" AND WATCHED THE RPM'S INCREASE DRAMATICALLY, WHILE MY SPEED ACTUALLY DECREASED. I SLOWED DOWN AND TRIED TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE AT A SLOWER SPEED, HOWEVER THIS BECAME IMPOSSIBLE VERY QUICKLY. I ALSO SMELLED SOMETHING, PROBABLY THE CLUTCHE…
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I WAS ON THE FREEWAY, AND AS I WENT TO PASS A SLOWER VEHICLE, I FELT THE TRANSMISSION "SLIP" AND WATCHED THE RPM'S INCREASE DRAMATICALLY, WHILE MY SPEED ACTUALLY DECREASED. I SLOWED DOWN AND TRIED TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE AT A SLOWER SPEED, HOWEVER THIS BECAME IMPOSSIBLE VERY QUICKLY. I ALSO SMELLED SOMETHING, PROBABLY THE CLUTCHES "SLIPPING" SO I PULLED OVER AND CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK.*AK
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
HEARING NOISES IN STEERING COLUMN CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
DURING NORMAL BRAKING, BRAKE PEDAL WOULD PULSATE. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK *SCC
MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE, BUT DID NOT NOTIFY CONSUMERS OF POSSIBILITY OF BACTERIA AND FUNGI GROWTH IN AC/HEATING SYSTEM CAUSING HEALTH CONCERNS FOR THE OCCUPENTS OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF FUNGI AND MOLD SPORES EMITTED THROUGH THE AC SYSTEM. OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE HAD EXTRAORIDNARY PROBLEMS WITH SINUS INFECTIONS CAUSED BY MO…
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MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE, BUT DID NOT NOTIFY CONSUMERS OF POSSIBILITY OF BACTERIA AND FUNGI GROWTH IN AC/HEATING SYSTEM CAUSING HEALTH CONCERNS FOR THE OCCUPENTS OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF FUNGI AND MOLD SPORES EMITTED THROUGH THE AC SYSTEM. OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE HAD EXTRAORIDNARY PROBLEMS WITH SINUS INFECTIONS CAUSED BY MOLD SPORES AND FUNGI SPORES BEING EMITTED WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THE VENTILATION SYSTEM OF THE VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF CONDITION, AND HAD ISSUED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT DID NOT NOTIFY CONSUMERS PUTTING THEIR/MY HEALTH AT RISK.*AK
FUEL PUMP FAILED AS I WAS SLOWING FOR A STOP SIGN, ON A HEAVILY TRAVELED ROAD. HAD IT REPLACED AT FAYETTEVILLE DODGE, WITHIN 2 DAYS. IF IT HAD FAILED ON A THRUWAY, I COULD IMAGINE THE RESULTS MIGHT HAVE BEEN MORE SERIOUS . *AK
LOST CONTROL WHILE DRIVING /STRUCK A PHONE POLE, AND ROLLED OVER. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*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.