1998 Dodge RAM 1500 Structure Problems
Owners have filed 102 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 1998 Dodge RAM 1500, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 96,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “dash cracked” (11% of reports).
- 102structure complaints
- 96,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 17%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Dash cracked: mentioned in 11 of 102 complaints (11%)
- Falling apart: mentioned in 10 of 102 complaints (10%)
- Sharp edges: mentioned in 7 of 102 complaints (7%)
- Dashboard cracking: mentioned in 6 of 102 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 70 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 102 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 3 an injury.
Dodge RAM 1500 structure complaints by model year
| Model year | Structure complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 RAM 1500 | 24 | 3% | 75,500 |
| 2011 RAM 1500 | 23 | 3% | 60,500 |
| 2010 RAM 1500 | 26 | 5% | 70,000 |
| 2009 RAM 1500 | 41 | 6% | 69,000 |
| 2008 RAM 1500 | 11 | 2% | 92,556 |
| 2007 RAM 1500 | 10 | 2% | 58,000 |
| 2006 RAM 1500 | 17 | 2% | 78,000 |
| 2005 RAM 1500 | 24 | 2% | 87,250 |
| 2004 RAM 1500 | 50 | 5% | 68,000 |
| 2003 RAM 1500 | 237 | 20% | 75,000 |
| 2002 RAM 1500 | 278 | 34% | 75,000 |
| 2001 RAM 1500 | 548 | 49% | 75,965 |
| 2000 RAM 1500 | 248 | 48% | 78,000 |
| 1999 RAM 1500 | 240 | 39% | 86,308 |
| 1998 RAM 1500 | 102 | 20% | 96,000 |
| 1997 RAM 1500 | 70 | 19% | 100,000 |
| 1996 RAM 1500 | 35 | 12% | 136,000 |
| 1995 RAM 1500 | 36 | 17% | 93,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists structure for the 1998 Dodge RAM 1500. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I purchased a truck about 6 months ago and i had nothing but problems with it. I had to replaced so many things on it. I was told that the truck only had 72,000 miles on it when i bought it, after driving it for a few months. I encountered problems with it. I ended up running carfax on it and found…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD WAS CRACKED. THE CONTACT STATED AN OCCUPANT SUSTAINED AN INJURY DUE TO THE SHARP DASHBOARD PIECES. THE CONTACT CALLED PIEDMONT CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM AEV (4015 CLEMSON BLVD, ANDERSON, SC 29621, [redacted]) AND WAS…
To whom it may concern, these rubber brake lines almost killed me barreling thru a downhill red light. Fixed bad part,then hit guard rail,damaged front grille,bumper and fender when the other line popped while driving. I was told this is a notorious problem with dodge trucks. I'm not as angry about…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Dodge RAM 1500s have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 102 owner complaints about structure for the 1998 Dodge RAM 1500 (20% of the 520 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Dodge RAM 1500 structure?
No recall currently lists structure for this vehicle.
At what mileage do structure problems start?
The median reported mileage is 96,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about structure problems on the 1998 Dodge RAM 1500?
The most frequent phrase is “dash cracked”, in 11 of 102 complaints, followed by “falling apart” (10).
Other 1998 Dodge RAM 1500 problems
See all 1998 Dodge RAM 1500 problems or structure problems across all RAM 1500 years.