Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Dodge Ram submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 61 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.
The 25 most recent of 61, in the owner's own words
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE, AND HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR. *AK
THE RPMS INCREASED, AND THE GEARS POPPED ON THE VEHICLE ON THEIR OWN. TOOK VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP FOR CHECK UP, AND RESULTS SHOWED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK
TRUCK HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS REPLACED MANY PARTS FOR LEAKS AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ENGINE LIGHT CONSISTENTLY COMES ON EVEN AFTER REPAIRS. TRUCK BUCK WHEN ACCELERATING LOOSES ENGINE POWER. WOULD LIKE IT FIXED I READ OTHER COMPLAINTS AND THEY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO THE TRUCK AND HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO FIX PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY CANT SEEM TO FIGURE OUT THE CAUSE. PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON GOING SINCE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. *JB
VEHICLE CHANGED GEARS ON ITS OWN. THEN, ENGINE RACED. CONSUMER FELT VEHICLE WAS GOING TO TAKE OFF. *AK
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.*AK
WHILE SHIFTING THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION STARTED SHIFTING LEFT TO RIGHT. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE FIFTH GEAR GAVE OUT. *AK
THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE ATTEMPING TO DRIVE FROM A RED LIGHT. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM
UPON STARTING VEHICLE AND MOTOR IS COLD, VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. MECHANIC STATES LIP SEAL IS WEARING CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO SHIFT PROPERLY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH AND THE 5TH GEAR IN THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY WENT OUT. I CONTACTED SCOTT ENKIRK AND IN TURN CONTACTED DODGE AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY CLAIM NO RESPONSIBILITY. MY NEIGHBOR'S 1998 DODGE RAM TRUCK ALSO DID THE SAME EXACT THING. DT
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ANDWITH NO WARNING TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP, LOCKING REAR TIRES. IT WAS HARD TO CONTROL VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
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. I WOULD LIKE THE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE, AND HELP ME IN SECURING A REPLACEMENT FOR MY PROBLEM PLAGUED LEMON. THANK YOU!
THE VEHICLE WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE AND BACK UP, BUT WILL GO FORWARD. CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO DEALER WHEN IT WAS FIRST PURCHASED, DUE TO A VIBRATING NOISE. AT 36041 MILES, THE OVERDRIVE UNIT FAILED WHICH HAD TAKEN OUT THE REVERSE. A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED. THIS CORRECTED THE VIBRATION NOISE WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE COMING FROM A BROKEN SNAP RING THAT HELD THE OVERDRIVE UNIT. *SCC
CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO PUT VEHICLE INTO GEAR. THE GEAR SHIFT HAD BROKEN. CONTACTED DEALER. REPLACED PART.*AK
TRANSMISSION WAS IN NEUTRAL, PARKING BRAKE WAS SET. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY FOR APPROX. 1 MIN. WHILE I REMOVED MY THINGS FROM THE INTERIOR. AS I WAS WALKING AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE (ABOUT 30-40 FT) I HEARD THE BRAKE "POP" TURNED AROUND AND THE VEHICLE SLOWLY STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS UNTIL IT HIT A POLE. THIS HAPPENED IN A PRIVATE PARKING LOT AND WAS REPORTED TO CORP. SECURITY, BUT NO POLICE REPORT.*AK
THE OVERDRIVE OR 5TH GEAR OF THE TRUCK SLIPPED OUT WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM A TRIP TO MYRTLE BEACH, SC. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS HAS HAPPEN TO NUMEROUS OTHER TRUCK LIKE MINE. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED PROBLEMS IF I HADN'T BEEN THE ONLY VEHICLE ON THE ROAD AT THAT TIME.
CONSUMERS VEHICLE RAN INTO A TRAILER ON HIS PROPERTY AND ABS WAS DEFECTIVE, ALSO BRAKE DRUMS WERE RUSTED, DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT HEADACHE BAR AND FUEL TANK, TIRES, FUEL FILTER, STEERING STABILIZER, FRONT SHOCKS, REAR SHOCKS, AIR FILTER, REAR AXLE SEAL AND FLUID, REAR TRANSFER CASE SEAL AND U-JOINTS IN REAR DRIVE SHAFT FAILED AND REPLACED.*YD
TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IN 5TH GEAR, IT POPPED OUT OF GEAR. WHEN TRYING TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN 5TH GEAR, IT WENT INTO NEUTRAL. DLR SAYS IT NEEDED A KIT TO BE REMEDIED.*AK
TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED ,OVERDRIVE AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAGED. THE ODOR OF BURNED TRANSMISSION OIL WAS EVIDENT.THIS WAS A NEW TRANSMISSION AND WAS REPLACED WITH A REBUILT TRANSMISSION BY THE DEALER AT $50 DEDUCTIBLE. THE REBUILT WILL ONLY BE WARRANTED FOR THE FIRST 12 MONTHS OR 12000 MILES.I SUSPECT THE TRANSMISSION IS EITHER UNDERCOOLED OR A FAILURE TO USE THE PROPER ATF FLUID CAUSED THIS.VEHICLE IS UNDER SERVICE CONTRACT AND IS SERVICED FOR ALL FLUID CHANGES BY THE DEALER. *AK
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!!! IN MY RESEARCH I HAVE YET TO FIND A PRIVATE PASSENGER VEHICLE THAT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH THIS SAFETY FEATURE AND TO DECLARE IT AN OPTION ON A FAMILY USE VEHICLE IS IRRESPONSIBLE. THANK GOODNESS THE LORD WAS LOOKING OVER MY FAMILY THAT DAY, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT FAMILY. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SITUATION, SO NO FAMILY HAS TO NEEDLESSLY ENDURE A TRAGEDY.*AK
MAJOR TRANSMISSION REPAIR/OVERALL NEEDED. OVERDRIVE REMAINED ON, FLUID HEATED UP QUICKLY. REPAIRS BILL OVER $1890. VEHICLE HAS 46,000 MILE AND ONLY 2 1/2 YRS OLD. *AK
LOST FIFTH GEAR - NUT SPUN OFF ALLOWING GEAR TO SLIP ON SHAFT.
VEHICLE HAS ANTIL-LOCK BRAKES. WHEN CONSUMER APPLIES BRAKES BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, AND THERE IS PULSATION WITHIN THE BRAKES. ALSO, TRANSMISSION DOESN'T HAVE SPEED/GEARS SLIP, AND THERE IS A LEAK UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. *AK
TRANSMISION FAILED WITH NO WARNING, I.E. SLIPPING. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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