IllustrationWHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE CONSUMER STATES' THE BRAKES SOMETIME LOCK UP. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE SLID 120 FEET INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
1998 Dodge RAM 2500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Dodge RAM 2500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 275.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RAM 2500 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
70–25K
925–50K
1450–75K
1575–100K
15100–150K
19150K+
79 reports with mileage · 146 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
19 crash reports3 fire reports14 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
37 reportsCONSUMER STATES, WHILE DRIVING OVER 50MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE IS VIBRATING HEAVILY AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.. TS
FRONT BRAKE PADS AND SHOES WEAR EXCESSIVELY AND CAUSE TRUCK TO PULL WHEN DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL. OTHER FAILURE INVOLVED A BOLT THAT HOLDS 5TH GEAR IN PLACE FELL OFF WHILE TRUCK WAS BEING DRIVEN. HAD ITEM REPAIRED, AND IT FELL OFF AGAIN. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
THERE WAS A SQUEAK NOISE WHEN BRAKING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED THAT ROTORS NEEDED TURNING. AT 9000 MILES DEALER STATED ROTORS WERE CRACKED. CAUSE WAS UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
RIGHT REAR WHEELS INTERMITTENTLY LOCKED UP WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED OF A ABS SENSOR AND HYDRO BOOSTER FAILURE. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER.*AK
HAVING TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE, BRAKES WORK ONE MINUTE THEN THE NEXT MINUTE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR AND NOT STOPPING. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO SEVERAL MECHANICS AND HAVE HAD TWO MASTER CYLINDERS PUT ON THINKING THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS THE PROBLEM, BUT STILL HAVING BRAKE FAILURE. NO ONE SEEMS TO HAVE AN IDEA AS TO WHAT IS CAUSING THIS …
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HAVING TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE, BRAKES WORK ONE MINUTE THEN THE NEXT MINUTE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR AND NOT STOPPING. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO SEVERAL MECHANICS AND HAVE HAD TWO MASTER CYLINDERS PUT ON THINKING THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS THE PROBLEM, BUT STILL HAVING BRAKE FAILURE. NO ONE SEEMS TO HAVE AN IDEA AS TO WHAT IS CAUSING THIS TO HAPPEN. CALLED DEALERSHIP AND THEY WERE NO HELP AND WAS UNSUCCESFUL IN CONTACTING THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION. *AK
EXCESSIVE LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT, BUT NO SIGN OF LEAKAGES. VEHICLE BEEN IN / OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON FOUR OCCASIONS, AND STILL UNABLE TO LOCATE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER INTERNTIONALLY WITH HELD THE POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH V-10 ENGINE TO AVOID RECALL. ACCORCING TO THE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM…
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EXCESSIVE LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT, BUT NO SIGN OF LEAKAGES. VEHICLE BEEN IN / OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON FOUR OCCASIONS, AND STILL UNABLE TO LOCATE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER INTERNTIONALLY WITH HELD THE POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH V-10 ENGINE TO AVOID RECALL. ACCORCING TO THE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM INTERNET, THE MANUFACTURER HAD INDICATED THAT THE V-10 HEADS AND CRANKSHAFT COULD EXPERIENCE HAIR LINE CRACKS CAUSING INTERNAL COOLANT LEAKAGE. SPARK PLUGS FAILED. FRONT BRAKE PADS FAIED. LEFT LOWER BALL JOINT FAILED. *YH
WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH RIGHT FRONT BRAKE PAD FELL OFF. NO ACCIDENT OR INJURIES ACCURRED. MADE EXCESSIVE NOISE. REPLACED BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES. WHILE TRYING TO STOP ON WET PAVEMENT REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP. HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEAR MISSES. HAS TAKEN TO DEALER ONCE. *AK
SEVERE PULLING TO LEFT WHENEVER BRAKES ARE APPLIED; BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. *AK THE DEALER FIXED THE VEHICLE BUT THE PROBLEM RETURNED AFTERWARDS. *YH
WHEN DRIVING ON WET PAVEMENT AND UPON DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL TO MAKE A NORMAL STOP VEHICLE WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP, POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE CAUSED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. *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.