DODGE VIPER · model year

1998 DODGE VIPER

4 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1998DODGEVIPER carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1998 VIPER is steering: steering wheel/handle bar with 1 filings, followed by steering:gear box:shaft pitman (1) and structure:frame and members (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1998 VIPER. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

4 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR1
STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT PITMAN1
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1

Recent Complaints

20080806ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE VIPER. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE BREATHER HOSE ON THE ENGINE LEAKS OIL. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED LARGE OIL SPOTS WHEREVER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE BREATHER HOSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

Mileage: 24,000

20030529STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT PITMAN

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL LETTER FOR STEERING GEAR AND CROSSMEMBER FRAME. HAS CONTACTED EVER DEALER WITHIN THE STATE OF KENTUCKY, WHO HAVE ADVISED CONSUMER THAT THEY WERE NOT LICENSED OR CERTIFIED TO PERFORM THE REMEDY. CONSUMER THEN CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, WHO ADVISED CAN NOT TELL CONSUMER WHERE TO GO AND HE HAS TO FIND DEALER ON HIS OWN.*AK

20030529STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL LETTER FOR STEERING GEAR AND CROSSMEMBER FRAME. HAS CONTACTED EVER DEALER WITHIN THE STATE OF KENTUCKY, WHO HAVE ADVISED CONSUMER THAT THEY WERE NOT LICENSED OR CERTIFIED TO PERFORM THE REMEDY. CONSUMER THEN CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, WHO ADVISED CAN NOT TELL CONSUMER WHERE TO GO AND HE HAS TO FIND DEALER ON HIS OWN.*AK

20020703STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL REGARDING THE STEERING COLUMN, TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER SHIP FOR SERVICE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO SERVICE RECALL AND REQUESTED CONSUMER TO TAKE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP, CONSUMER STATES HAS NO TIME OR THE MONEY TO HAVE VEHICLE TRANSPORTED TO AN HOUR DESTINATION FOR RECALL SERVICES.*JB

Compare 1998DODGEVIPER to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1998 DODGE VIPER have?
The 1998 DODGE VIPER has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 DODGE VIPER?
The most-complained component for the 1998 DODGE VIPER is STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT PITMAN and STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS.
Is the 1998 DODGE VIPER safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1998 DODGE VIPER; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.