1998 Dodge Dodge Truck recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Structure

  I OWN A1998 DODGE RAM TRUCK THAT I PURCHASED 5 YEARS AGO WITHIN THIS PAST YEAR IV NOTICED MY DASH BOARD CRACKING AND IT SEEMED TO BE GETTING WORSE TILL I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK A BIG CHUNK OF DASH BOARD BLEW UP AND HIT ME RIGHT IN THE FACE I ALMOST WRECKED MY TRUCK IT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED IF THERE IS A DEFECT IN THESE DODGE TRUCKS DASHBOARDS THEY SHOULD LET THE OWNER OR PUBLIC AWARE SO THEY CAN BE FIXED. *TR

  Jun 15, 2009 · 135,000 miles
• Seat belts

  DODGE 1500 RAM SPORT PICK UP. DASH COVER BROKE IN PIECES. A WHILE LATER I NOTICE THE TWO FRONT SPEAKERS STOP WORKING, THE SPEEDOMETER STOP WORKING, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THE DASH LIGHTS GO CRAZY, THE TOP 12 VOLT ADAPTER STOPS WORKING, ETC. ALSO SEAT BELTS DON'T RETRACT CORRECTLY, AND DRIVER SIDE BUCKLE HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR

  Jul 10, 2007 · 97,348 miles
• Structure

  CRACKED AND BROKEN DASH. *TR

  Jan 1, 2007
• Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly

  DEFECTIVE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELT, IN 98 DODGE RAM. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DODGE HEADQUARTERS, WHEN THE SEATBELTS FAILED THE FIRST TIME TWO YEARS AGO, HQ STATED THAT THEY WOULD PAY FOR LABOR ONLY, AND NOT REPLACE THE PART. DODGE REPLACED THE SEATBELT SENSOR WHICH IS ELECTRONIC UNDER THE SEATS, THE WIRES GET PINCHED OFF, WHEN THE SEATS ARE MOVED FORWARD AND BACK THEREFORE CREATING A SHORT IN THE WIRES, AND THUS THE SEATBELTS FAIL B/C THEY ARE ON AN ELECTRONIC WEIGHT SYSTEM. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY IT TAKES TO CONTINUALLY REPLACE THESE EVERY TWO YEARS, I THINK THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO SINCE IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

  Feb 13, 2007 · 65,000 miles
• Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system

  ON MARCH 8,2002 A SHORT TIME AFTER TAKING DELIVERY OF USED 1998 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE VIN # G WITH ONLY 41,950 MILES. IN FEBRUARY ,2002 THE ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A LOUD PRONOUNCED TAPPING SOUND. AFTER I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER PLAZA MOTORS OF BROOKLYN INC.(AKA) PLAZA DODGE LTD. AND WAS TOLD THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACE. AND THE DEALER ABOVE INSTALLED A USED ENGINE FROM VIN#R WITH 58,310 MILES AND LESS THEN 12 MONTHS THE SECOND ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAIL. THEN THE TRANSMISSION. BASE ON THE INFORMATION ABOVE AND THE REPORTS FROM OTHER CONSUMERS NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE THESE DEFECTS AS A REAL TIME SAFETY PROBLEM. *NM

  Mar 8, 2002 · 42 miles
• Suspension

  I OWN 1998 DODGE SPORT FULL SIZED PICKUP THAT HAS A LOUD BANG WHEN TURNING CORNERS. THE CONSUMER WANTS TO KNOW IF THE TRUCK IS COVERED UNDER SOME RECALL THAT WAS POSTED IN THE PAST. *BF *NM THE SHAKING WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING. *SC *TC *JB

  Jan 1, 1901
• Suspension › Front › Control arm › Upper ball joint1 injury

  AT APPROXIMATELY 40,000 MILES I HAD TO HAVE THE BALL JOINTS REPLACED ON MY 1998 DODGE DAKOTA. MY MECHANIC ADVISED ME THAT BEFORE CHANGE THE BALL JOINTS THAT I SHOULD TAKE MY VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP AND SEE IF THEY WOULD COVER THE COST. THEY RESPONDED BY TELLING ME THAT MY BALL JOINTS WERE FINE. THE REASON I WENT TO MY MECHANIC WAS BECAUSE I HAD HAD MY VEHICLE ALIGNED FOUR TIMES IN THE FIRST 30,000 MILE AND MY TRUCK STILL PULLED TO ONE SIDE. THAT WAS WHEN I WENT TO AN UNBIASED PARTY TO TELL WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I HAD THIS REPAIR WORK DONE IN LATE 2002 OR EARLY 2003. *AK

  Jan 1, 2003 · 40,000 miles
• Suspension › Front › Control arm › Upper ball joint

  I HAVE A '98 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUP TRUCK WITH APPROXIMATELY 58,000 MILES ON IT. THIS PAST JUNE I HAD TO REPLACE A FRONT END BALL JOINT ON THIS VEHICLE. AT THAT TIME THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 52,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK. THE SAME SYMPTOMS ARE STARTING TO OCCUR AGAIN THAT ACCOMPANIED THE LAST BALL JOINT PROBLEM. SO IT'S LIKELY I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE ANOTHER ONE OF THE JOINTS ON THE SUSPENSION OF THIS TRUCK IN THE NEAR FUTURE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT CONSIDERING THERE COULD BE DIRE CONSEQUENCES WITH BALL JOINT FAILURE (THE SUSPENSION COLLAPSING AT HIGH SPEED) THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD REQUIRE DODGE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BY IMPROVING THE DESIGN OF THESE JOINTS AND ISSUE A RECALL. I URGE THE NTSB, NTSA, OR…

  Jul 15, 2003 · 52,000 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.