1998 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Quad Cab 5.9 V8

Summary:

Best vehicle I've ever owned

Faults:

This has been a very reliable truck, no breakdowns yet! I ordered the truck new in 1998, and have maintained it religiously. Even my mechanic at Music City Dodge in Nashville TN said nobody's ever been so regular with the maintenance as what he's seen on my truck. So that might be why.

I have pro-actively replaced some things to prevent normal part wear, such as belts, shocks, battery after 6.5 years and 120 K miles! and fuel pump at 120K miles, next on my list is the water pump, which is still original. But never a breakdown or problem.

I now have a very minor leak from the coolant tank which I plan to have fixed later this year.

General Comments:

This engine (5.9 V8) is solidly build and if properly maintained and driven normally, should last 200K+ miles.

The ride is smooth, the engine runs like brand new.

My only complaint is that the front bumper bleached out to gray in the sun after 6 years or so.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th April, 2005

13th Jul 2007, 16:08

Bought 1998 Dodge Ram Quad-cab new from dealership. 61,000 miles the rear end had to be replaced. 20,000 miles later same thing. 20,000 miles later, again the rear end had to be replaced.

I'm now at 140,000 miles and guess what? Yep, the rear end is going again. I bought a truck with all heavy duty parts from the lot, including the tow package, but I have never towed anything heavier than a couple of dogs.

I'm really disappointed in this model of truck and won't be buying another one.

1998 Dodge Ram Pickup SLT Larime 360

Summary:

A great looking and running truck!

Faults:

Water pump bearing went out at 55,000.

General Comments:

Great truck! I really like the looks and performance of this truck. It is without a doubt the best looking one on the road!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th February, 2005

1998 Dodge Ram Pickup Laramie SLT 5.9 V8 Magnum

Summary:

I will never buy a Dodge again or any other first model year engine / transmission

Faults:

5 months torque converter went out, took dealer 3 tries over 6 weeks to find the problem. - Warranty.

4 years Fan Clutch goes out. - $120.

4 years+ 1 day AC evaporator goes out. $500.

4 years+ 3 days tubing between compressor and evaporator sprouts a leak. $100.

5 years 8 months the transmission tears itself apart. - $2100.

6 years 3 months, notice green fluid on the garage floor - BOTH cylinder heads are cracked. Cracks are between cylinders 1 / 3 and 4 / 6. - $2900.

6 years 4 months, truck chews up its 3rd torque converter. - warranty on new transmission.

General Comments:

I understand vehicles have problems especially new engine / transmission models, but if the Dodge customer service was better I wouldn't hate dealing with them so much. You practically have to diagnose the problem for them before they can fix it. Then they can't give you a straight answer on how much it will cost to fix until they have all the pieces on the floor.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 18th February, 2005

10th Dec 2006, 11:00

Dodge trucks had tranny problems, but it's an easy fix. Just take the wiring harness that runs under the alternator bracket and put it on top and that will fix your problems hunting for gear or converter locking and unlocking.

26th Aug 2008, 19:41

I've been driving Dodge trucks since the early 70's and have done my share of off-roading and towing with them as well. My latest model is a '98 and it has become obvious that "they don't make them like they used to". The more things that are computer controlled, the more things that can go wrong. Dodges were known as very reliable no-frills trucks in the 70-80's due to the simplicity of the mostly iron parts. Now they are aluminum cased and built for people who want creature comforts from there trucks and the result is a more problematic truck. If you want bullet-proof trucks that rarely need expensive repairs, go buy the older Dodges. Sure, your kidneys will hurt and they rarely had a/c, but you can laugh waiting for the engine to warm up in the driveway knowing that it costs you a pocket of loose change to keep it running.