1998 DODGE RAM 2500 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY, 5TH GEAR WENT OUT AS IF CLUTCH WAS PUSHED IN. COULD NOT GET 5TH GEAR TO WORK, HAD TO DRIVE TO DEALERSHIP IN 4TH GEAR WHICH IS CHALLENGING TO DO IN A DIESAL TRUCK. AFTER SANTA CRUZ NISSAN DODGE SUPPOSEDLY REPLACED THE ENTIRE MANUAL TRANSMISSION, DRIVING BACK HOME, THE 1ST GEAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE.*AK

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY THIRD LIFT PUMP AND ALSO GOING ON MY THIRD INJECTION PUMP VP-44 IN MY 98.5 DODGE RAM CUMMINS... DODGE NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND OR HAVE CUMMINS ADDRESS IT THIS IS A BEYOND NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. *NLM

PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT WILL NOT STAY ON ITS TRACK. THE SEAT ROLLED BACK AND FORTH. AS A RESULT THE PASSENGER WAS THROWN INTO THE WINDSHIELD WHEN THE BRAKES WERE SUDDENLY APPLIED. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN MY 1998 DODGE RAM 2500. JASPER.COM LISTS THIS TRANSMISSION AS A HIGH RATE OF FAILURE DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION. THIS PROBLEM EXISTS IN ALL DODGE TRUCKS MANUFACTURED FROM 1995 TO 2001 AND MAYBE MORE. LOCAL TRANSMISSION REBUILDERS ALSO AGREE THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS BUILT WITH TO LOW A VOLUME TRANSMISSION PUMP AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT LET THE TRUCK IDLE, BECAUSE THERE IS NO LUBRICATION. *AK

DEFECTIVE STEERING COMPONENTS LEADING TO DIFFICULTY IN CONTROL. PROBLEM BEGAN SOON AFTER PURCHASE AND CONTINUE TO DATE. *JB

THE HORN DIFFICULT TO PRESS IN TO HONK IF NECESSARY. VERY DIFFICULT TO SOUND HORN WHILE DRIVING IN NORMAL CONDITIONS. WOULD BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SOUND IN AN EMERGENCY. I HAVE NEED TO EASYILY SOUND HORN TO WORN ANIMALS OUT OF MY PATH AND HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DUE TO THIS PROBLEM.

CONSUMER STATES WHEN BRAKING THE VEHICLE PULLS VIOLENTLY TO THE RIGHT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

I HAVE RECENTLY EXERIENCED WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS A "WANDERING FRONT END" ON MY '98 RAM. I HAD A LOCAL DEALER LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. THEY SPENT 0.60 HRS DIAGNOSING A "SLIGHTLY WORN LOWER COLUMN SHAFT". THEY WERE QUICK TO POINT OUT THAT THIS MAY NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND THAT PERHAPS I SHOULD CONTINUE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN HOPE THAT THE SYMPTOMS WOULD BECOME MORE EVIDENT. I DECLINED ANY REPAIR. I LATER WENT "ON-LINE" AND WAS SURPRISED TO FIND A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE SUBJECT. (TSB 19-10-97 - "STEERING WANDER") IN ADDITION, I FOUND AN ENTIRE WEB SITE DEDICATED TO THIS PHENOMENA. (KEY SEARCH, DODGE RAM) THE STORIES ARE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT I AM EXPERIENCING AND SOME ARE MUCH WORSE - SCARY! I E-MAILED DAIMLER CHRYSLER AND ASKED IF THEY WERE CONSIDERING ANY SORT OF CORRECTIVE ACTION. THEIR ANSWER WAS NO. TS

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE CONSUMER STATES' THE BRAKES SOMETIME LOCK UP. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE SLID 120 FEET INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE STEERING WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PH