Illustration#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
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 reportsI HAVE A RUBBING SOUND,PULTSATING.LIKE WARPED ROTOR BUT I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE A BEARING GOING,BUT I WAS TOLD IT MAT BE THE WHEEL HUB.I DON'T ABUSE THE TRUCK AND IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE IT WAS BEFORE I GOT IT SO,I WAS WONDERING IF IT ME BE THE RECALL ON THE FRACTURED HUB.DOES IT SOUND LIKE THE SYMPTOMS ?*AK
REAR AXLES SEALS LEAKED LUBRICANT ON THE BRAKE SHOES CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKING. THIS PROBLEM A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN WHEN TOWING A TRAILER DUE TO LOSS OF BRAKING AND COULD CAUSE A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. THE SECOND ISSUE IS THE FUEL SENDER IN THE FUEK TANK FAILING.THE FUEL GAUGE READING WILLINDICATE ZERO TO FULL RANDOMLY, THU…
Read full complaint
REAR AXLES SEALS LEAKED LUBRICANT ON THE BRAKE SHOES CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKING. THIS PROBLEM A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN WHEN TOWING A TRAILER DUE TO LOSS OF BRAKING AND COULD CAUSE A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. THE SECOND ISSUE IS THE FUEL SENDER IN THE FUEK TANK FAILING.THE FUEL GAUGE READING WILLINDICATE ZERO TO FULL RANDOMLY, THUS YOU NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL RESERVE YOU HAVE. THIS HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE BEFORE UNDER WARRANTY. UPON INSPECTION THE THE SENDING UNIT THE WIPER MECHANISM APPEARS TO WEAR OUT PREMATURELY AND SENDING ERRONEOUS SIGNAL TO THE FUEL GAUGE IN THE DASH.*AK
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN A LOUD GRINDING NOISE CAN BE HEARD. DEALER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, SIDEWALL SEPARATED FROM RIGHT FRONT TIRE AND BLEW OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. ORIGINAL MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT ON A DODGE, RAM,1998, TIRE SIZE P26575R16, AND MILEAGE 30,000. *AK CONSUMER ADDED THAT BACK LEFT TIRE SIDEWALL IS STARTING TO PEEL AT FIRESTONE MARKINGS, DOT NUMBERS FOR TIRES ARE BM14474-3 AND BM14976-…
Read full complaint
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, SIDEWALL SEPARATED FROM RIGHT FRONT TIRE AND BLEW OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. ORIGINAL MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT ON A DODGE, RAM,1998, TIRE SIZE P26575R16, AND MILEAGE 30,000. *AK CONSUMER ADDED THAT BACK LEFT TIRE SIDEWALL IS STARTING TO PEEL AT FIRESTONE MARKINGS, DOT NUMBERS FOR TIRES ARE BM14474-3 AND BM14976-1. *TT
THE FRONT BRAKE PADS REQUIRED REPLACING AT 16,000 MILES, 8,500 MILES BEFORE SUGGESTED MAINTENANCE. AT 35,975 MILES THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS REQUIRED REPLACING. DODGE INFORMED ME THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR, NOT WITHIN WARRANTY AND NOT CONSIDERED A PROBLEM. THEY DID NOT INFORM ME OF THE TSB ALREADY RELEASED STATING THE KNOWN PROB…
Read full complaint
THE FRONT BRAKE PADS REQUIRED REPLACING AT 16,000 MILES, 8,500 MILES BEFORE SUGGESTED MAINTENANCE. AT 35,975 MILES THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS REQUIRED REPLACING. DODGE INFORMED ME THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR, NOT WITHIN WARRANTY AND NOT CONSIDERED A PROBLEM. THEY DID NOT INFORM ME OF THE TSB ALREADY RELEASED STATING THE KNOWN PROBLEM OF EARLY WEAR ON FRONT BRAKE PADS.
I REPORTED THE FAILURE TO CHRYSLER WHO AGREED TO A DIAGNOSIS. A REPRESENTATIVE VERBALLY AGREED THAT CHRYSLER WOULD PAY FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR IF PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY FACTORY DEFECT. A DIAGNOSIS SHOWED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A FACTORY DEFECT. AT LEAST ONE METAL PART WAS MISSING FROM THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING THE FAILURE…
Read full complaint
I REPORTED THE FAILURE TO CHRYSLER WHO AGREED TO A DIAGNOSIS. A REPRESENTATIVE VERBALLY AGREED THAT CHRYSLER WOULD PAY FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR IF PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY FACTORY DEFECT. A DIAGNOSIS SHOWED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A FACTORY DEFECT. AT LEAST ONE METAL PART WAS MISSING FROM THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING THE FAILURE. CHRYSLER THEN SAID I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR $350 OF THE REPAIR COST, GOING AGAINST THEIR EARLIER AGREEMENT.*AK
THE REAR AXLE BEARINGS AND SEAL HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. THE PROBLEM WAS DETECTED FROM HEARING SOME REAR AXLE NOISE. PH *JB **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS**753546
IN APRIL OF 2001, THE LUGS: NUTS OF FRONT/PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL SHEARED OFF AND THE WHEEL FELL OFF. I WAS GOING 5 MPH PULLING INTO A GAS STATION AT THE TIME, BUT 30 SECONDS BEFORE THE INCIDENT I WAS GOING 55 MPH ON A HIGHWAY.*AK
AFTER VEHICLE IS WARMED UP IT WILL INTERMITTENTLY NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE. CONSUMER HAS TO SHIFT IT INTO NEUTRAL, THEN, BACK INTO DRIVE BEFORE VEHICLE RESPONDS. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED ABOUT VEHICLE ROLLING BACKWARDS WHEN THIS OCCURS.*AK *YD
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.