Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1998 record →
REA RAXLE FAILED, CAUSING THE TIRE WHEEL AND HUB TO SEPERATE FROM THE AXLLE. ALSO, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED,CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE,RESULTING IN A COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, EVEN AFTER VEHICLE ROLLED OVER FOUR TIMES.
WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH THE DRIVER ACCIDENTLY HIT THE CURB. WHILE TRYNG TO RECOVER THE DRIVER WENT OFF THE CURB AND APPLIED BRAKES, THE VEHICLE SKIDDED VIOLENTLY AND LOCKED UP AS IF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING AT ALL. VEHICLE SKIDDED INTO THE CURB AND THE RIGHT REAR TIRE HUB AND WHEEL SEPERATED FROM THE AXLE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO FLIP FOUR TIMES, AND NEITHER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. 7810022 DUP OD 780994; POSTED ON 09-07-1999. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 55 MPH THE VEHICLE WENT TO THE RIGHT THEN TO THE LEFT, GOING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. ALSO, WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES THE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOORBOARD, CONSUMER HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES TWO TO THREE TIMES TO GET THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIRS SEVEN TIMES, AND THE DEALER STILL CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK POWER STEERING PUMP WAS FAULTY. *YH
DRIVER SIDE AIR BAD DID NOT DEPLOY DURING A 30 MPH CRASH. DRIVER SUSTAINED NECK INJURIES.
TAIL LIGHTS AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE.
PERSISTANT ENGINE SPARK CAUSE THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE TO FAIL.
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT.
ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK CAUSING ACCIDENT/INJURY. QCAW
WHILE DRIVING 38 TO 52 MPH VIBRATION IS FELT IN STEERING WHEEL. PROBLEM IS CONSTANT, AND WHEN IT OCCURS, A NOISE IS HEARD. DEALERS NOTED ENGINEERING FLAW. *AK
VEHICLE VIBRATES SEVERLY AT 45 AND 65 MPH.
WHILE SLOWING, THE BRAKES SOMETIMES MAKES THE VEHICLE FEELS AS THOUGH IT'S BOUNCING. THEY ALSO SQUEAL WHEN IN USE.
DRIVER GOT INTO THE TRUCK AND PUT KEY IN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND TURNED ON THE TRUCK, AND THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, CAUSING INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. *AK
VEHICLE HAS ABS BRAKES. FRONT BRAKES HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR. CAUSE OF PROBLEM UNKNOWN. *AK
OUTSIDE MIRRORS CAUSE POOR VISIBILITY.
HORN IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO USE DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FORCE NEEDED TO MAKE CONTACT WITHIN THE HORN BUTTON. THE HORN UNUSEABLE IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE. THE LEVER MUST BE JIGGLED TO LOCK INTO PARK.
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MPH WHEN HE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD-ON THAT HAD PULLED OUT OF INTERSECTION . CONSUMER'S VEHICLE FRONT END WAS CAVED IN. DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. PASSENGER'S SIDE WAS TURNED OFF. *AK
MIRROR IS DEFECTIVE, BLOCKS VISION
ENGINE COMPARTMENT HOOD INSULATION PAD WAS IGNITED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND SMOLDERED UNCONTROLLABLY UNTIL IT WAS EXTINGUISHED.
VEHICLE PULLS TO THE EXTREME RIGHT WHEN BRAKING.
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 → · Every Ram 1500 year → · How the figures are calculated →