Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Coil spring towers reinforcements - as per the recall for the 1994 and 1995 Dodge Ram 1500 pickups (safety recall 835) the coil spring towers of a 1998 has developed cracks in the left side tower. This vehicle has not been off road, strictly on highway and street. This was found during another repair of said vehicle.
Premature lower ball joint failure in Dodge Ram 1500 . Truck has had unusual tire wear since 44K miles and dealer as well as tire shops found no explanation. Wheel bearings and tie rod ends were previously replaced at 68K miles by myself, with right side tie rod severely worn. I assumed the tie rod was the tire wear problem and did not have problems aligning front end until this February. Shortly thereafter, clunk in steering was evident, and handling became erratic. I carefully inspected front end and discovered right side lower ball joint worn to point where it was about to separate from socket. Left side joint is significantly worn as well. Looking back, the ball joints were wearing out at the 44K mile point. Vehicle is driven mainly on highway and in 30 years of driving and 9 vehicles this is the first one to have a ball joint failure in this manner after only 5 years of service. …
My 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab is located in new england where road salt is used in the winter. The undercarriage is rusting because of this, the most dangerous aspect, however is the coil spring front mounts, or buckets that hold the bottom springs to the front axel assembly. Dodge hasn't offered to recall Dodge trucks to repair this dangerous design flaw, whereby the coil mounts were insufficiently coated, and improperly designed to trap salty water in them to accelerate the oxidation process. This is not unlike the safety issue Ford windstar minivans had with their axles that trapped salty water during winter and caused them to rot out and snap causing injury and death. My close friend who owns a mid 1990's Dodge Ram truck, who had his coil spring bucket actually fail causing his front end to lunge forward, he was driving slowly when it happened so he wasn't injured. …
Dt*: the contact stated while pulling out from a stop and turning either right or left there was a grinding noise coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop. Both front ball joints and pittman arm were replaced. There is NHTSA recall, # 04V596000, regarding the suspension: upper ball joints. The vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due year, model and VIN.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 quad. The contact noticed that the front lower ball joints could not be lubed, causing the vehicle to make a loud scrapping noise when driving. Both the dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure who informed the contact that there were no recalls. The vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired for the failure. The current and failure mileage was 115,920.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while performing maintenance on the vehicle, he noticed that the coil spring bracket on both sides was excessively corroded. The contact did not take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The dealer and manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 240,000.
Consumer called complaining about having problems with the bracket that holds mechanic linkage that is connected to the engine. Also, two bolts that hold bracket in place broke and caused damage to the vehicle.manufacturer and dealer were contacted and stated that the vehicle had no warranty or recalls, and they could not do anything for the consumer.
The vehicle's lower ball joints failed at 38,000 miles. The cause has yet to be determined. The consumer found that both the driver and passenger side lower ball joints were "greased out." the upper ball joint on the driver's side was out of suspension and greased out.
With the motor off the vehicle rolled on its own, causing vehicle to hit a pole. This is the third time the vehicle has rolled for no reason. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, and they adjusted the linkage on the vehicle and they don't know what the problems is.
Front end wobbles after hitting bump. Wobble is so severe almost lost control of vehicle. Vehicle is well maintained, there are no worn out parts that caused this. This death wobble is a common problem with Dodge trucks.
Suspension complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1998 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the suspension of the 1998 Dodge Ram 1500, 7% of the model year's 520 complaints. The component named most often is front (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 1998 Dodge Ram 1500. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.