RoadVitals

1998 Dodge Ram 3500 Fuel system Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Fuel system reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Dec 4, 2012
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
10%
of 105 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Dodge Ram 3500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming fuel system

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Fuel system
Filed Dec 4, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE DRIVER STOPPED AND MERGED THE VEHICLE ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THE FUEL PUMP WOULD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED THREE DIFFERENT TIMES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

NHTSA ID
10487297
Incident
Dec 15, 2003
Mileage
70,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Sep 14, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ALL POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT DETERMINED THE LIFT FUEL PUMP AND INJECTOR PUMPS WERE INOPERATIVE AND BOTH PUMPS WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.

NHTSA ID
10168275
Incident
Aug 15, 2006
Mileage
170,000 mi
EngineFuel system
Filed Jan 23, 2006

MY VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALLED AND LOST POWER AT 70 MPH LEAVING ME WITH NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO FORCE THE VEHICLE INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. I BROUGHT IT TO A DODGE DEALER WHERE IT COST ME $3,700. FOR AN ECM COMPUTER AND INJECTOR PUMP FOR THIS DIESEL ENGINE. EIGHT MONTHS PREVIOUS I HAD REPLACED THE LIFT PUMP AT A COST OF OVER $800. I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT THE NHTSA HAS EARLIER INVESTIGATED THIS DIESEL ENGINE AND FOUND NO 'SAFETY' PROBLEM RELATING TO THIS FAILURE. I FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS A 'LIMITED' RECALL PERFORMED BY CUMMINS, THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER, WHICH ONLY INCLUDED SCHOOL BUSSES AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES AS WELL AS FOR THEIR BIG CUSTOMERS, UPS AND FEDEX. IS THERE NO CONSIDERATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL OWNER'S SAFETY? BY MY RESEARCH THERE ARE 350,000 OF THESE VEHICLES STILL ON THE ROAD (122,000 WERE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY IN A DODGE 'FIX-IF-FAIL' PROGRAM) WITH POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC SAFETY DEFECTS. THIS IS A TRULY DANGEROUS CONDITION. FORTUNATELY FOR ME, I AM AN ABOVE AVERAGE SIZE MALE. I'D SERIOUSLY DOUBT IF A YOUNG DRIVER OR SMALL INDIVIDUAL WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAFELY NAVIGATE THIS VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DODGE DEALERSHIP AND WITH THE DODGE CONSUMER HOTLINE RESULTED IN THEIR DENIAL OF BEING AWARE THAT THERE IS OR HAS BEEN ANY PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. A BLATANT LIE ON AT LEAST THE HOTLINE SUPERVISOR'S PART. *NM *NM

NHTSA ID
10138246
Incident
Sep 13, 2005
Mileage
153,000 mi
ElectricalFuel system
Filed Dec 21, 2005
Fire reported

DT: THE CONTACT STARTED VEHICLE IN ORDER TO MOVE IT. THEN, HE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. THE STARTER KEPT RUNNING, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP TO BE INSPECTED. THEY FOUND THE FUEL SHUT OFF SOLENOID SHORTED OUT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED.*AK

NHTSA ID
10145834
Incident
Sep 23, 2005
Mileage
92,179 mi
Fuel system
Filed May 15, 2003

THE FUEL PICKUP PUMP BURNED THE INJECTOR PUMP. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10019940
Fuel system
Filed May 15, 2003

THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE GASOLINE GAUGE. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10019939
Fuel system
Filed Jan 28, 2003

THE FUEL PUMP BROKE CAUSING A FUEL LEAK AND BLACK SMOKE OCCURRED. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. TS

NHTSA ID
10004783
Mileage
127,177 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jun 21, 2001

FUEL INJECTOR PUMP HAS GONE OUT 6 TIMES IN 8 MONTHS, CAUSING ENGINE TO MISS BADLY. DEALER CLAIMED THAT PROBLEM WAS DUE TO WATER IN FUEL. PLEASE ADD ANY FURTHER COMMENTS. *AK

NHTSA ID
890875
Incident
Aug 1, 2000
Fuel system
Filed Sep 15, 2000

FUEL TANK CRACKED, CAUSING LEAKAGE. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK

NHTSA ID
870633
EngineFuel system
Filed Oct 7, 1998

FUEL TANK SENSOR FAILED, RESULTING IN A LEAK.ALSO VEHICLE OVERHEATED.

NHTSA ID
780974
Incident
Oct 7, 1998

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Brakes20Transmission15Exterior lighting14Airbags9Electrical9Steering8

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .