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1998 Dodge Ram Van Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

38 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.60 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious98V076000

Seats:Front Assembly:Power Adjust

THE SEAT ATTACHMENT STRENGTH WOULD NOT BE SUFFICIENT IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH raises the risk of PERSONAL INJURY.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER'S SIDE POWER FRONT SEAT RISE WITH A RISER THAT WAS MIG WELDED.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES BUILT WITH POWER SEAT OPTION. THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SEAT ATTACHING RISER WELDS WERE NOT CORRECT.

Complaint volume

38 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

0Crashes
7Fires
10Injuries
0Deaths

Across 38 complaints. Severity Index 1.60.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Electrical System3 · 8%Electrical System · Wirin…3 · 8%Steering3 · 8%Power Train · Automatic T…2 · 5%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…2 · 5%Tires2 · 5%Service Brakes, Hydraulic2 · 5%Suspension2 · 5%
  1. Electrical System — 3 reports
  2. Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood — 3 reports
  3. Steering — 3 reports
  4. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 2 reports
  5. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper — 2 reports
  6. Tires — 2 reports
  7. Service Brakes, Hydraulic — 2 reports
  8. Suspension — 2 reports
  9. Seat Belts:Front:Webbing — 1 reports
  10. Air Bags:Frontal — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 (1) · 2002 (1) · 2003

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.