IllustrationPEOPLE IN SERVICE DEPT. AT DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT MY GEAR BOX AND TIE ROD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO AN OVERSIZED TIRE (APPROX. 2 INCHES TALLER THAN FACTORY TIRE) ALSO DUE TO THE FACT OF USING A LOWER GEAR TO PULL A TRAILER. THE TRUCK IS AN AUTOMATIC.
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
What owners actually said
225 reportsWHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE TRUCK PULLS LEFT ACCROSS LANES INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. NLM
WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE KEEPS SHUTTING DOWN DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR. *AK *YC
THERE IS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AT SPEEDS LOWER THAN 20 MPH WHICH COULD CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. DEALER CLAIMS THIS IS NORMAL FEATURE, AND NO SOLUTION IS AVAILABLE. *AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A LEFT FRONTAL COLLISION AT APPROX. 15-20 MPH (ESTIMATED COST OF $6,800) OF DAMAGES, IN WHICH BOTH AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. CONSUMER HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH CHRYSLER ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML
I HAVE HAD THE STEERING DAMPER REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. IT IS UNKNOWN TO ME WHY THIS HAPPENS AND THE DEALER HAS NO ANSWER EITHER. ALL THE COMPONENTS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE "HEAVY-DUTY". BRAKING IS BECOMING MORE OF A PROBLEM AS THE BRAKES WEAR DOWN. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 21,000 MILES ON IT. THE POWER DOOR LOCKS I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT…
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I HAVE HAD THE STEERING DAMPER REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. IT IS UNKNOWN TO ME WHY THIS HAPPENS AND THE DEALER HAS NO ANSWER EITHER. ALL THE COMPONENTS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE "HEAVY-DUTY". BRAKING IS BECOMING MORE OF A PROBLEM AS THE BRAKES WEAR DOWN. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 21,000 MILES ON IT. THE POWER DOOR LOCKS I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THEY JUST STOPPED WORKING ONE DAY, BUT, THEY DO WORK W/ THE REMOTE ENTRY. I ALSO NOTICED THE HORN ACTUATOR IS HARD TO ACTIVATE DUE TO THE HARD "LEATHER" FOR THE AIRBAG COVER. THE DRIVER'S DOOR KEEPS GETTING MISSALIGNED, I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A VEHICLE HAVING THIS MUCH OF A PROBLEM LIKE IT.
WAS LEAVING SHOPPING CENTER WHEN DRIVER BLACKED OUT. VEHICLE HIT LIGHT POLE OFF CENTER. NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE STEERING WHEEL HAD DISCONNECTED & FELL OFF. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED. THE DRIVER SUFFERED TRAUMA TO TORSO. *AK.
WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES CAR VIBRATES. *AK
WHEN APPYLING ABS BRAKES ON WET OR DRY PAVEMENT BRAKES LOCK UP ,CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.
BRAKES EXPERIENCE HANG UP AND PULLING CONTINUALLY, REPLACEMENT OF THE BRAKES DID NOT RECTIFY PULLING PROBLEMS. MJS
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.