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Angry as Heck- Leak Rear Window

17K views 29 replies 21 participants last post by  wvtommy 
#1 ·
So my 4 year old truck that I love immensely is leaking in the rear - 2016 Ram Laramie - I bought 2 years ago off lease and purchased the extended warranty , but of course not covered. It's not coming from the 3rd brake light , but can't figure out from where ....It appears to be a common issue. I pay a lot of money a month for this truck and this leak will effect the resale , not to mention health concerns from mold... I think a Class Action Lawsuit is warranted ! The research shows numerous, upon numerous complaints ! Anyone in .... I'm sick of paying a ton of money for junk ! Any issues with your fog light assembly as well....junk too !!
 
#3 ·
The dealer is telling me it’s coming from the window seal - not third brake light. Though I did use silicone to seal that area as well as recommended by someone on another forum . The cost they say to replace the entire unit is +/-$1400.
 
#6 ·
Why do people start chanting class action lawsuit over everything, the only one who makes out in a class action lawsuit are the attorneys who pocket millions of dollars while the end consumer ends up getting a coupon or a small check for $5.00 to $60.00 dollars if they are lucky.

If you have a true rear window leak go to a glass shop and see if they can ID and fix it, they may be able to just remove the rear window and reseal it for a reasonable cost. Look for an automotive glass shop in your town, Safety Glass is one company.

Don't eliminate the third brake light as the problem because the way the water leaks past it makes it look like a rear window leak in some cases.
 
#8 ·
I’m not so sure it is a common issue. I have a 2016 3500 DRW crew cab Cummins. Purchased new. I have 120k now. No water leaks into the cab. If your leak is not coming in from the window, you might consider removing 3rd light-check seal. Not sure where else it could come into cab from rear. Usually something simple.
 
#9 ·
I agree with others and my 2011 RAM 1500 Larime was leaking like crazy and the dealer said it was the XM radio antenna and $300 later that was fixed. A year later it happened again and this time I got out a hose and determined it was the third brake light gasket. I bought a replacement gasket from Amazon for $20 and installed it and leak was fixed.
 
#11 ·
So after getting what appeared to be the water leak fixed by the dealers water expert (they applied RTV to the third brake light), I now have another cab leak. The solution this month was to replace the cabin vents. I was told by Ram Cares that I would always be able to refer back to this case and get the help needed but after calling Ram Cares and leaving my case number as well as a description of the problem, I am hearing nothing back. This is not what I would refer to as customer service. Hopefully I get a response on this forum.
 
#12 ·
I bought a 2019 Ram Lonestar in june of 2020 , no warranty because of high mileage, rear window ?? started leaking, had 2 different dealers do water leak tests and both said to change window at cost of 1,550. after much research I went to Home Depot and bought a $10 package of home window weather stripping and replaced gasket around 3rd brake lite !!!! no leak since !!!! Do yourself a favor and take a shot with the 3rd brake gasket. It's much cheaper than 14 or 1500....
 
#13 ·
I just repaired this leak on my 2014 quad cab: as 14vern mentioned, it was the cabin vents behind the rear seatbacks (there's one behind the driver's side, and one behind the passenger's side). They're just thin rubber flaps in a 4-wide, 4-down (IIRC) configuration and I had 3 flaps remaining on the driverside vent, which was causing rain to come into the cab and made me change the rear brakelight seal twice before I finally got smart and just ran a hose with running water across the top of my truck to see that it wasn't that brakelight.
In any event, they were about $8 a piece and a 30 minute replacement including removing and re-installing the rear seats to get to them (they just pop into place). Hope that helps...
 
#17 ·
I laugh at the owners of 15 year old RAMs complaining about an issue saying RAMs are junk because of their issue. No matter the age or vehicle there is going to be an issue. Forums make it seem like every RAM has the issue they are complaining about. Shit happens fix it and keep it moving.
 
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#23 ·
Where was my Post, notnice?

Educational? Yes.
WOrdded to build up false sense of accomplishment? NO.

Sorry, not everyone gets a participating Trophy, in real life, or on this forum.
 
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#24 ·
Agree. While I think that most can Spell. Most also fail to type, error free.
For myself, when I had the chance to learn typing, it was only given to girls or those who wished they were girls, who planned on working for, well, Guys.

To be blunt, still pretty much not concerned with proper error free typing, as most of missives are udnerstood and the only ones who make mention of those errors are my Wife or kids, when the walk by, or folks I could care less to read.
 
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#27 ·
I have a 2017 Ram 1500 Big Horn purchased new Feb 2018 msrp 50k. It’s got 36,600 miles. Havent driven it much over the last several months got in the other day- windows had condensation inside, water stain on the interior at top of right/rear C-pillar. Took it to the dealer and just got a text repair estimate for $4,300!! I’m so pissed/shocked I’m gonna take a few minutes to cool down before calling the dealership back. I have owned 36 vehicles in my lifetime and never experienced or ever even heard of water leaking from the roof of a car, nor have any of the dozens of friends/family I’ve asked ever heard of a problem like this. However, a quick Google search clearly shows that this has been a common problem with Dodge/Ram trucks for the last several years. I am most definitely not a litigious person, but IMHO this is a perfect example of why class-action lawsuits were created.
I’ll send a follow-up post after I speak with the dealership.
 
#28 ·
Being in my mid 60s I lost track of how many vehicles I've owned over the years, but my '14 Ram 1500 is the first to ever develop a leak in the roof (excluding a camper I had). There's a vid on youtube where a guy explains if you replace the 3rd brake light gasket with another OEM the problem will just return. So he suggested using thick MD foam gasket material from Home depot or elsewhere. At this point I just taped mine up with gorilla tape and will address the issue when the weather warms up, but at least things are high and dry for now. A tip: don't use silicone sealant for leaks...use RV/Camper roof sealant. Comes in clear in caulk tubes. Virtually indestructible stuff.
 
#29 ·
I got a 2018 longhorn. Having a rear window leak and now mold. My cost to replace headliner and window is 5500 from dealer and that doesn't include mold removal. Im fight and will take them to court cause dealership and ram won't pay. Its 4yrs old truck with 71000 miles on it. Plus the dealership left it out in the rain. As of now I have a loaner . I also have 2 kids a 1yr old and 3 yr old and will not put them in a molded care
 
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