Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Dodge Ram owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Dt*: the contact stated while driving the vehicle with the cruise control set on 70 MPH it became stuck. The vehicle's speed kept accelerating, the engine revved. The brake pedal had to be depressed very hard to get the vehicle to slow down. After slowing down the vehicle it was put into neutral. The vehicle was then shut off; and taken to a dealership. Upon inspection the problem was the cruise control valve that was located under the battery. Acid from the battery leaked down onto the cruise control valve causing it to stick. The dealer disconnected the cruise control. Updated 04/11/06.
Consumer was driving, pulling a 24ft pontoon boat, traveling 20mph on wet pavement, hit brakes and the truck started going faster, 5-6 times. Hit brakes, went down hill, right side of road into ditch, truck turned over twice. Totalled truck and boat. Police arrived to scene, turned the key and truck roared. Accelecerator was stuck. Dealer was not contacted yet. Manufacturer will sent investigation team, cannot duplicate the problem.
When placing transmission gear in reverse vehicle took off at a high rate of speed, crashing into a brick fence. Also, consumer stepped on brake pedal and rear wheels were spinning. Consumer has contacted dealer. Dealer has made some adjustments, but problem still occurs. Please provide any further details.
Had cruise control on at 60mph. Road wet/slick. Vehicle started hydroplaning. Made funny noises. Lost traction. Spun around & front end hit guard rail. Air bags did not deploy. Driver has bruises from seat belt. Passenger not restrained. Hit windshield. Emergency room treatment.
While starting accellerator got stuck, and vehicle took off at about 45mph. Brakes were applied, no change. The vehicle hit a fire hydrant and stopped. Dealer contacted, and they have been checking for about eight working days, cannot duplicate the problem.
Consumer's wife experienced acceleration after shifting gear into drive. Vehicle went out of control, causing consumer to strike a tree. Also both air bags did not deploy. Dealer/manufacturer notified.
Cruise control intermittently shuts down, causing vehicle to slow down. Safety factor is that there is no indication to following vehicles that a problem exissts. For instance, I passed a truck on i81 in wva with the cruise set at 70 MPH the trucks speed was approx 67 MPH. When I pulled back into the right lane the cruise control shut down. There was absolutly no indication to the truck driver that this was happening. I barely had time to hit accelerator in time to avoid being rearended by the truck.
I have had trouble with the headlight switch it has burned out twice and I have had to have it replaced twice my speedometer doesn't work until it says that I am going 25 miles per hour the brake light on the dash is now on all the time I have also noticed that my door locks are power and as long as you lock and unlock them from the passenger side they work fine but the driver side doesn't work all the time I would like to know if any of these could be some kind of defect that have or will be recalled
Vehicle accelerated from stop to high speed at engine startup. "burned rubber" for 30 feet before vehicle was stopped. Driver refused to drive vehicle after incident. Dealer contacted but advised that no previous event similar to this had ever occured to their knowledge. Is this similar to any other event with 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 with 360 cid engine?
Speed control adds an additional 7 to 12 MPH when it is set. If set at 65 it will go to 72 to 77 before stopping. It stays at 72 to 77 MPH for 5 to 10 minutes and then will drop back to the original setting of 65. This is a very dangerous situation and is common in all '98 and '99 Dodge rams. Dodge must do something to fix this situation.
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks equipped with diesel engines only, the throttle linkage joints can corrode and cause the throttle to bind or stick.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rod ends and ball studs. Owner notification began July 29, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
Acceleration complaints in other Ram years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1998 Dodge Ram?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1998 Dodge Ram, 5% of the model year's 517 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Dodge Ram acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 02V-161 (vehicle speed control, Jun 14, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1998 Dodge Ram acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 69,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.