1998 Dodge RAM Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 1998 Dodge RAM, 14% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 97,400 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (33% of reports).
- 66air bags complaints
- 97,400median miles at failure
- 48mention a crash
- 28mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 23%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.
- Air bag: mentioned in 22 of 66 complaints (33%)
- Upon impact: mentioned in 15 of 66 complaints (23%)
- Frontal collision: mentioned in 12 of 66 complaints (18%)
- Airbags deploy: mentioned in 12 of 66 complaints (18%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 4 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 66 complaints, 48 mention a crash, 28 an injury.
Dodge RAM air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 RAM | 4 | 15% | 6,000 |
| 2008 RAM | 1 | 4% | 6,400 |
| 2006 RAM | 3 | 12% | 27,249 |
| 2005 RAM | 1 | 3% | 8,956 |
| 2004 RAM | 5 | 9% | 60,000 |
| 2003 RAM | 4 | 8% | 8,400 |
| 2002 RAM | 15 | 13% | 23,000 |
| 2001 RAM | 46 | 14% | 36,000 |
| 2000 RAM | 23 | 16% | 133,500 |
| 1999 RAM | 40 | 11% | 66,500 |
| 1998 RAM | 66 | 14% | 97,400 |
| 1997 RAM | 38 | 10% | — |
| 1996 RAM | 38 | 6% | 52,000 |
| 1995 RAM | 38 | 6% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Air bags
Problem: Vehicle description: pickup trucks. Sound deadener material inside the steering wheel could become detached from the cover and housing. Note: the ram pickup trucks were built at the warren assembly plant ("s" in the 11th vin position) from may 16, 2000 through october 23, 2000; st. Louis north assembly plant ("j" in the 11th vin position) from may 19, 2000 through october 23, 2000; lago alberto assembly plant ("m" in the 11th vin position) from may 23, 2000 through october 23, 2000; and saltillo assembly plant ("g" in the 11th vin position) from may 23, 2000 through october 23, 2000. Important: vehicles that have already had the proper clockspring installed, according to warranty records, have been excluded from this recall. In addition, 1997-2000 model year vehicles that have had a suspect replacement clockspring installed, according to warranty records, have been added to this recall.
Risk: When this occurs, the material could interfere with the clockspring ribbon and cause an open circuit. The driver air bag system will become disabled, and the air bag warning lamp will illuminate on the instrument panel.
Fix: Dealers will replace the clockspring assembly. Owner notification began june 18, 2001. Also some 1997-200 model year vehicles that, according to warranty records, have had a suspect replacement clockspring installed, will also be included in this campaign. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Air bags
Problem: Vehicle description: vans and vans used for conversion. If a heavy object impacts the metal casing of the air bag electronic control module (aecm), located under the driver seat, the module could inadvertently deploy the air bags.
Risk: Unexpected air bag deployment can result in occupant injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the aecm with a module that incorporates revised hardware and software on all affected vehicles.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge ram. While driving various speeds, the air bag warning indicator randomly illuminates and the air bag chime will begin to sound. The horn in the vehicle has also stopped working. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and provided them with information he found…
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 dodge ram. The contact stated that the air bag indicator light illuminates and an alarm sounds four times intermittently. Eventually, the air bag light dims. The contact will have the vehicle inspected. There are two air bag recalls (nhtsa campaign id numbers 01v153000…
While driving,the consumer tried to avoid another vehicle that was coming inside of the lane. When the consumer applied the brakes, the pedal went to the floor. The consumer was unable to maintain control of the vehicle and hit a guard rail and flipped into a ditch. Both air bags did not deploy…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Dodge RAMs have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 66 owner complaints about air bags for the 1998 Dodge RAM (14% of the 483 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 air bags?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 97,400 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 1998 Dodge RAM?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 22 of 66 complaints, followed by “upon impact” (15).
Other 1998 Dodge RAM problems
See all 1998 Dodge RAM problems or air bags problems across all RAM years.