Back headliner on my 2019 dodge limited is wet

[Tysan2c12]

When I got the truck it was not leaking that I know of. I had to reseal my windshield because a big leak and now this. Can it be the third brake light? I siliconed it but maybe not good enough. Or maybe the drain plugs are stopped up? I need help thanks.

 

[Jako]

I see you are new. There are threads on this but I don't have them off the top of head. Two issues: 1 is the light and 2 is the windshield itself. Often there is a crack on the inside frame. The 2ndd requires window replacement. Hopefully you are under warranty. Try searching using google if you have no success with the forum. Try google using 5th Gen Forum rear window leak or similar. I'm sure others will jump in shortly.

 

[Tysan2c12]

Thanks for the info! Just rode past my warranty 1k miles. So I had to reseal my front windshield already out of my pocket and now the back is leaking. I don’t want to have to pay for something that expensive again. This is my first dodge and it’s making me not want another one.

 

[mikeru82]

Hopefully it's not the rear window frame that's leaking. I'm sure that would be pretty spendy since you're out of warranty now. I noticed you have the light colored headliner. Be aware that it will most likely be a bit stained after the water dries up. Some people have had them replaced under warranty, but others have been able to remove the stains by dabbing them with a cloth saturated with hydrogen peroxide. You might try that after you fix the leak if you are left with stains.

As a side note, all manufacturers make vehicles which can and do leak. It's not unique to "Dodge" (actually it's Ram now). There are tons of us who haven't had any issues with our Ram trucks. Try not to be discouraged about what you bought.

 

[Tysan2c12]

Hopefully it's not the rear window frame that's leaking. I'm sure that would be pretty spendy since you're out of warranty now. I noticed you have the light colored headliner. Be aware that it will most likely be a bit stained after the water dries up. Some people have had them replaced under warranty, but others have been able to remove the stains by dabbing them with a cloth saturated with hydrogen peroxide. You might try that after you fix the leak if you are left with stains.

As a side note, all manufacturers make vehicles which can and do leak. It's not unique to "Dodge" (actually it's Ram now). There are tons of us who haven't had any issues with our Ram trucks. Try not to be discouraged about what you bought.

I love the truck just been dealing with leaks for about a month now. If it was the back window frame would it not leak down the glass on the inside? It’s just the back headliner that’s wet rn.

 

[mikeru82]

I love the truck just been dealing with leaks for about a month now. If it was the back window frame would it not leak down the glass on the inside? It’s just the back headliner that’s wet rn.

That's generally been the case, but I don't think you can rule out other potential issues with the back window. The first thing I would suspect if I had that leak would be the 3rd brake light. It could also be the shark fin antenna. What exactly do you mean when you said you siliconed the 3rd brake light? Are you saying you basically glued it in? Why did you silicone it in the first place? I'm assuming a leak, but people might also do that as a preventive measure since it's a relatively common issue.

 

[Tysan2c12]

I

That's generally been the case, but I don't think you can rule out other potential issues with the back window. The first thing I would suspect if I had that leak would be the 3rd brake light. It could also be the shark fin antenna. What exactly do you mean when you said you siliconed the 3rd brake light? Are you saying you basically glued it in? Why did you silicone it in the first place? I'm assuming a leak, but people might also do that as a preventive measure since it's a relatively common issue.

I siliconed it thinking it was the leak because the gasket was mashed on the ends but it’s leaking more now then it was so I might not have done enough.

 

[Jako]

I

I siliconed it thinking it was the leak because the gasket was mashed on the ends but it’s leaking more now then it was so I might not have done enough.

There is also a thread on repairing the 3rd brake light. They remove the gasket and replace it with a marine grade available at Lowe's, Home Depot and such.

 

[mikeru82]

Some people have replaced the stock gasket with weatherstripping, something like this....

M-D Building Products 1033 M-D 0 All Profile Weather-Strip Tape, 10 Ft L X 19/32 in W 5/16 in T, Epdm Rubber, Black - Weather Stripping - Amazon.com

M-D Building Products 1033 M-D 0 All Profile Weather-Strip Tape, 10 Ft L X 19/32 in W 5/16 in T, Epdm Rubber, Black - Weather Stripping - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

I'm not sure if that will work for you after you applied silicone. You might want to just buy a new light. They're less than $30 from BAM...

Mopar 68298380AH Center High Mounted Stop Lamp Mopar OEM 68298380AH | Auto Parts

2019-2024 Ram 1500 68298380AH - 68298380AH Center High Mounted Stop Lamp Mopar OEM | Auto Parts

www.bamwholesaleparts.com

 

[Dusty1948]

When I got the truck it was not leaking that I know of. I had to reseal my windshield because a big leak and now this. Can it be the third brake light? I siliconed it but maybe not good enough. Or maybe the drain plugs are stopped up? I need help thanks. View attachment 78858

My rear window leaked and it did not have a cracked glass frame nor did water run down the inside of the glass.

That's a lot of water stain. Do you park with the front of the vehicle down hill?

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 045044 miles.

 

[2wd]

The way it’s running to the corners, this is looking like the 3rd brake light leaking. This happened to me as well and knock on wood the marine grade gasket replacement I did has solved it.

For the headliner stains, lookup a good youtuber fordtechmakuloco - He recommends a Motorcraft foam based apolostry cleaner they use to clean headliners when this happens. You can get it on amazon or eBay. He has a good video on how to get the stains out if you search his channel for headliner stain removal

 

[Dusty1948]

The way it’s running to the corners, this is looking like the 3rd brake light leaking.

I agree.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 045044 miles.

 

[Tysan2c12]

My rear window leaked and it did not have a cracked glass frame nor did water run down the inside of the glass.

That's a lot of water stain. Do you park with the front of the vehicle down hill?

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 045044 miles.

No it was parked level. I will get glass checked out thanks!

 

[Tysan2c12]

The way it’s running to the corners, this is looking like the 3rd brake light leaking. This happened to me as well and knock on wood the marine grade gasket replacement I did has solved it.

For the headliner stains, lookup a good youtuber fordtechmakuloco - He recommends a Motorcraft foam based apolostry cleaner they use to clean headliners when this happens. You can get it on amazon or eBay. He has a good video on how to get the stains out if you search his channel for headliner stain removal

Thank you for the great advice!

 

[Tysan2c12]

The way it’s running to the corners, this is looking like the 3rd brake light leaking. This happened to me as well and knock on wood the marine grade gasket replacement I did has solved it.

For the headliner stains, lookup a good youtuber fordtechmakuloco - He recommends a Motorcraft foam based apolostry cleaner they use to clean headliners when this happens. You can get it on amazon or eBay. He has a good video on how to get the stains out if you search his channel for headliner stain removal

Do you think it could be the shark fin antenna or it would be wet up farther in headliner?

 

[Keemosabe]

So I’m late to the party here, but just saw that my headliner is stained in the rear, both corners. I’m under warranty so I have an appointment with my local dealer on 2/4/21 with “The Water Doctor”. I suspect the high brake light/cargo light. I’ll report back on what gets found, fixed, or otherwise after the 4th. Really hoping it’s an easy fix with the light gasket/seal and that headliner cleaning works.

 

[HAL9001]

Thanks for the info! Just rode past my warranty 1k miles. So I had to reseal my front windshield already out of my pocket and now the back is leaking. I don’t want to have to pay for something that expensive again. This is my first dodge and it’s making me not want another one.

If you're only 1K past the warranty I would still ask the dealer if they would cover it. If they say no and are unwilling to advocate for you with RAM, I would then contact RAMCares and open a case.

This is obviously a fault with the construction of the truck. A 2019 is still new enough that it should never leak like that. Since RAM knows that this is their fault, they will sometimes offer a "secret warranty" or after warranty assistance (AWA). The closer you are to the warranty expiration date or the expiration mileage, the better your chances. It's worth a try.

Just to give you an example, I just purchased a new 2021 1500 Limited. It currently has less than 600 miles but already has several tiny rock chips on the rear fender because the front wheels were flinging road debris on the area where the fender flares out by the wheel well. RAM puts a piece of paint protection film there to mitigate the problem but it was not big enough to cover the area properly. When I asked the dealer about it, they told me rock chips were definitely not covered under the warranty. I then complained about the PPF not being big enough. They contacted RAM and RAM authorized the repair of the paint chips and replacement of the PPF to properly cover the problem area. This is an example of a "secret warranty" which covers something not specifically covered via the written warranty.

 

[RamCares]

If you're only 1K past the warranty I would still ask the dealer if they would cover it. If they say no and are unwilling to advocate for you with RAM, I would then contact RAMCares and open a case.

This is obviously a fault with the construction of the truck. A 2019 is still new enough that it should never leak like that. Since RAM knows that this is their fault, they will sometimes offer a "secret warranty" or after warranty assistance (AWA). The closer you are to the warranty expiration date or the expiration mileage, the better your chances. It's worth a try.

Just to give you an example, I just purchased a new 2021 1500 Limited. It currently has less than 600 miles but already has several tiny rock chips on the rear fender because the front wheels were flinging road debris on the area where the fender flares out by the wheel well. RAM puts a piece of paint protection film there to mitigate the problem but it was not big enough to cover the area properly. When I asked the dealer about it, they told me rock chips were definitely not covered under the warranty. I then complained about the PPF not being big enough. They contacted RAM and RAM authorized the repair of the paint chips and replacement of the PPF to properly cover the problem area. This is an example of a "secret warranty" which covers something not specifically covered via the written warranty.

Hello everyone --
Thank you @HAL9001 for tagging our @RamCares team and for bringing this to our attention! We're sorry to hear about the concerns that some of your are experiencing. However, if you'd like additional support while working alongside your Ram dealers to get this addressed, please feel free to send us a private message. We'd be happy to look into it further to see where we can assist.

Courtney
Ram Cares

 

[flyfingers]

Anyone know if RAM addressed these potential leak prone areas with the '21 model year?

 

[mikeru82]

No one knows for sure, but the bulk of the complaints seem to be with people who have 2019's. It's not something they want to publicize I'm sure, although for me it would go a long way in keeping me a Ram customer if they were more forthcoming with things like this.