Ok here is the deal i just bought a 98 1500 V8mag SLT club cab. Some of the threads i read on here i think to myself i have a really good truck then other threads i read on here i think to myself o crap i better sell this thing while its still in good shape. I bought itfrom a guy who only put 60k on it cause he drove a hour to work ever day and the gas just got to high for him. He was also a family member so i know he wouldnt scam me inanyway. I would just like to know the down falls to this truck besides the plenum plate. To tell you the truth i am not really that good with automobile mechanicsI mean i know some stuff but not alot i just never really did get into mechanics and stuff like that. But i do know when i buy/pay for something i want it to run rite and good and be dependable no matter what it is. So please just tell me every thing about these trucks that you truck machanics know. Thank you

 

There are downsides and upsides with every vehicle.

The only really big problem I'm aware of is the transmissions. The stock ones tend to have lots of problems. I personally have not had any bad experiences yet, but I've had mine for less than 10,000 miles and I do not tow anything. I'm sure others here will list other problems they've had.

Do you have the 5.2 or the 5.9 engine? Just curious.

 

i have a 5.9

 

Well, I'm only 19, but here goes: My whole life growing up, dad always owned Dodges and Chryslers... and as he put it, Ford and Chevy make cars, Chrysler makes automobiles. After beating about 5 Fords, a Volkswagen and a GMC into the ground, I got my Ram eight months ago. I beat the **** out of it, and it still runs great, all it takes is just a little preventative maintenance. I put literally 31K on my truck in 8 months, and it still starts right up, doesn't over heat, has all kinds of power, but only gets about 9-11 mpg. And those were 31K worth of abused miles. It's my daily driver, and when it's not going back and forth the the GFs house ~60 miles away, it's doing donuts, powerslides, and burnouts. I just don't over-rev it, and I change my oil every 3K along with regular checks of the plugs, diff fluid, coolant, oil, and especially ATF. All in all, I love it... I've kept up with Chevys sitting on 35s through mud, and out-run ricers, and all kinds of stuff. Sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to point out how bullet-proof my truck is. Have fun, and be careful!

 

no problems for the long post i am just trying to get any and all reviews i can thank you

 

Well, IMO, it seems like the worst thing about Mopars can be the little things. The latches on the Quad Cab rear doors break internally. The dashes are prone to cracking. The plenum plate WILL leak if it hasn't been repaired properly by the previous owner. The transmission is sensitive to regular maintenance. I'm sure there's a host of other things that you've seen, so I've no need to go on.

However, that said, if you take care of it and subject it to regular maintenance, keep Armor All AWAY from the interior (Armor All is likely what catalyzes the cracking), and just take good care of the vehicle, she will last longer than most other vehicles on the road. Besides, they look good, have decent interior room, and provide some pretty good towing capacity. That, and for a 4x4 these Dodge 1500s handle pretty dog-gone well. I had a '99 and now have my '98, and both of them handled remarkably well for their size.

Just my $.02.

 

Begin by reading the TSB's for your year:

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1998-index.htm

get an official Dodge 'Field Service Manual' or FSM for $90
or at least the Haynes Manual for $18
and keep one of these books by the toilet
and read a few pages each time you go
until you have quickly read through the whole book

change your ATF every 20,000 miles
and consider learning how to do
an 8 quart ATF change by loosening the valve body bolts

watch your oil seal on the front of the 9.25 differential
and listen for noise from the 9.25 pinion bearings
to avoid unexpected failures from this defective differential

 

IMHO, when you buy any truck, be it Ford, Chevy, Dodge, whatever...you can expect that if it is getting olderthings are going to need repair...especially in full-size trucks that have been used for towing, off-roading, or even abused by some kid. Everyone has problems no matter what they drive, and I think a lot of times Dodges get the bad rep just because of the trannies and plenums. My wife's Mazda got a tranny rebuild around 90K, so it isn't just Dodges. Some people just have bad luck...don't think that every Dodge sucks because of it. My friend just had to have the t-case rebuilt on a 2005 Chevy 1500 with 50K miles... My brother has had an '06 and now has an '07 F-150...both with a/c issues that apparently can't be fixed. It's everywhere, man, don't get down on Dodge. Just take care of your truck and remember that it is 10years old...treat it like it needs until you start to replace worn out parts.

 

My family has always had Chevys and most friends have had Ford trucks. I have had 4 Dodge trucks. The bought Dodges mainly becuase they were cheap. A comparable Ford or Chevy was thousands of dollars more. In my experience my Dodge trucks had more squeaks and rattles and road noise. The Fords and Chevys I have been in were quieter and smoother. I think Fords and Chevys are better personal comfort trucks but the Dodges are more work trucks. My Dodges have been durable and reliable for the money. I am older now and want quieter and smoother so my next truck will not be a Dodge, which won't be anytime soon because my Dodges are still running good. But if I wanted a heavy duty truck for pulling I thinka Dodge diesel is the best. Welcome to Dodge land.

 

I could probably list the problems for you that I haven't had easier than I could the ones I have had. This truck is by far the biggest money pit I've owned as far as vehicles are concerned and from reading on this forum and another forum I visit it seems to me like almost everyone with these trucks has just about every single problem I do.

If you have a limited slip in the rear expect the clips to break off if they haven't already. I'd pull your rear diff cover and make sure they aren't laying on the magnet at the bottom.

I'd be checking the plenueum regularly. Luckily I don't think I've had mine go yet *knock on wood* unless the previous owner had it replaced but I never saw that in the service records. There is a little oil in there but not much and it passes the other vaccum test thing people on here said to do.

At about 100k miles I'd be worried about your transmission. Almost all the shops I talked to when I started having issues with mine about 97k told me that it was probably shot as they seem to all go out around 100k. Expect to spend a couple grand on that.

I just also am having to do ball joints which is $700 and some for a shop to do it. Now this is a wear and tear item so I can't really blame the truck but still.

I have heat issues with it not heating like it should. I put $500 into it already and still don't have that issue fixxed. Seems like a few others on here have had that happen to and can't figure it out.

I had my Dash crack but replaced it a year or so ago. The dash piece was under $200 from the dealer but I got 25% off through work so I don't know if it was over $200 without the discount or not. Then it took me and the mechanic from work about 3 hours with both of us working on it to get it put in. If you had to pay labor on that it would get costly.

I now have a crack at the lower piece of the dash where the glove box rests on those 3 pieces. One is cracked through on one side. You can't see it but it kind of worries me. Luckily the other 2 seem to hold up strong as I can't imagine how much it would be to even think about replacing that.

The Magnum motors seem to have issues with cracked heads from what I've read also.

The stock stere in this thing is absolutely horrible so if you like music at all you might as well plan on upgrading that. The MP3 player on my cell phone had better bass than it did. It didn't really have bass at all and just sounded bad everytime the bass hit. And no the speaekers weren't blown. With the addition of a sub it sounded a 100X better.

I had the axle seals not too long ago on the front axle got bad but I guess thats another thing expected to go at 90some k miles.

It just is a lot of issues that they have and instead of being little things the common issues all seem to be big things that cost you a fortune.

I love my truck but if I did it again I don't know if I would buy a Dodge or not. I really wanted a Ford when I bought it but couldn't find one like I wanted so found the Dodge after about a year of looking for a ford like I wanted and bought it.