Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
We purchased a 1998 Dodge conversion van as our family vehicle. On sept 21,2000 my wife loaded our children, ages 7,6, & 2, into the vehicle. She then went & locked the house door. Our 2 year old got out of her car seat, went to the front of the van, & pulled down on the gear shift pulling it into gear. The vehicle rolled over a 3 foot wall, down a steep hill, through a 2 foot ditch, and then struck a telephone pole. Thank goodness no one was seriously injured, but this condition could have tragic. I own an insurance agency so I started to check around to see if this was a defect that the vehicle could be put into gear without first applying the brake. What I found out was shocking, I was informed by the Dodge dealer that this safety feature was an option on this vehicle, which I was not informed of at time of purchase , this is ludicrous!!! …
My husband ordered this truck in late 1997. We purchased it new and have had numerous problems with the vehicle. The biggest problem we have faced is the transmission. Mid-April 1998 the first problems occured with slippage, the transmission cooling lines were replaced, one month later the torque converter went and repairs were made. Now at 51,000 miles and very little driving for the last 2 yrs (since my husband has been sick with cancer) it has blown again. The front seals are leaking profusely. The rear window was leaking so badly at one point the entire ceiling inside was soaded. The ABS computer went wacky on us early on also. The seatbelt has been twisted since we purchased the vehicle and we have not successfully fixed it. The extended warranty we purchased has gone out of business. I will not likely buy another Dodge ever again. Mercedes takes the cake.
The transmission failed due to lack of lubrication. Just go to jasper.com. They say that 1995 to 2001 Dodge truck transmissions have a high rate of failure due to lack of lubrication. Seems that Dodge put to low a volume pump in all these transmissions. Local transmission rebuilders tell me that you can not let the truck idle because the tranny gets no lubrication at low RPM's. So during the winter while you are waiting for the windsheild to clear off to drive in the northeast where it snows. You are damaging your tranny. The tranny over heat light never came on just the service engine light.Dodge says there is nothing wrong. I have a list of other people who have had Dodge tranny problems. One is my brother-in-law.
I was in a hospital parking area in tucson az., rolling in 2nd gear, after attempting to depress the clutch it failed without any warning leaving the 7200 lb. Truck sill under power. Lucky for me and nothing else I was able to stop in a near by field. This is the first event for me but I have talked to another Dodge owner and the same problem (he almost backed though a wall ) the failure was repaired with a new hydraulic assy. Part. This happened with 135K mi. On the odo. The other owner said his broke at approx. 75K mi.
While driving at any speed consumer noticed that vehicle used a large amount of coolant. While the vehicle was in an independent shop for a new clutch mechanic discovered that the cylinder heads had several cracks. The cylinder heads were scheduled to be replaced.
The check engine light illuminated. The vehcile wa taken to the dealer who determined that the governor pressure sensor and the governor pressure solenoid failed. The transmission also slipped momentarily. These parts were replaced twice.
The bolt that holds fifth gear in place dislodged and the gear came off the shaft. Vehicle was still drivable in the other four gears but fifth gear was inoperable. Manufacturer and the dealer have been notified.
Please refer to service bulletin 971017182997, NHTSA sb054220. This is what I am experiencing on my truck. I have no complaints with the dealer they did all they could. The torque converter locks up between 40 and 53 MPH. I wanted them to fix it. They said all of the Dodge Ram pickups do this. The whole truck starts to shake between 40 and 53 and its due to the gear setting in the tranny and the engine RPM. This was designed by Dodge for fuel effeciency but causes the truck to shake due to torque converter lock-up. I was satisified that it wasn't just a problem with my truck when the Dodge dealer let me pick out a new Dodge on his lot with the same size engine and drive train, it had 6 miles on it (brand new 99'). When I drove the new truck it was considerably worst than mine and started to shake between 30 and about 53 but it shook more than my truck thru the entire range. …
Transmission shifts late on certain occasions jumping into gear, diagnostics' were performed by dealership resulting in a negative result, the truck still persist's with the problem usually at speeds' 35 MPH and under. The truck has pulled right upon delivery, dealership replaced calipers stating that the o.e.m. Calipers were seized from factory, three days later the problem was back, dealership performed alignment, problem still persisted and continues to do so. The reason I put power steering down under the comments section is because of my belief that the problem resides in the steering gear-box, which has not been checked. The back-up lights did not work upon delivery but were fixed immediately and have been fine ever-since. The drver-side window molding leaks and on certain days causes fogging of the window resulting in a loss of vision and an unsafe driving condition. O.e.m. …
I have an ongoing problem with preignition (spark knock) in my 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 with the 318 cid/5.2l motor. .at 24,896 miles, my dealer re-programmed the PCM and re-routed the spark wires. The spark knock continued. At 35,067 miles, the dealer adjusted the timing; I didn't think this could be done. The spark knock continued. At 43,281 miles, the dealer replaced the intake plenium gasket. The spark knock continued. At 45,093, the dealer replaced both engine heads. The spark knock continued. At 57,452 miles, I installed a colder thermostat and this helped somewhat, but the spark knock returned. And, today at 74,834 miles I installed a set of truck spark plugs to see if that will help. The bottom line is that this truck has an inherint defective design in the engine which is being prematurely worn out due to spark knock. …
Related recalls
Power train › Clutch assembly
Vehicle description: pickup trucks equipped with manual transmission, v10 engines and four-wheel-drive transfer cases. Under sustained maximum rated vehicle load, while driving up a steep grade in four-wheel-drive low range in hot ambient conditions, the local exhaust temperature proximate to the hydraulic clutch line can…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the hydraulic clutch assembly.
Transmission complaints in other Ram years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 1998 Dodge Ram?
NHTSA has 86 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 1998 Dodge Ram, 17% of the model year's 517 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (43 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Dodge Ram transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 99V-115 (clutch assembly, May 6, 1999). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1998 Dodge Ram transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 64,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.