Water leaking into the cabin

[emiliano77]

For months now I have been taking my car to the dealer because water is getting in the headliner right on top of the back seats. they changed the light and applied some silicone to the window seal on the passenger side. I read that maybe it can come from the antenna or the actual back window that is attached to the chassis.The car is under warranty but I heard it does not cover water leaks and the dealer is quick to dismiss customers and tell them the problem was fix when it actually wasn't like they did to me a few times already. I guess my question would be if somebody managed to fix this problem on their own and if so how? thanks.

 

[mikeru]

Go to another dealership if they refuse to work on your truck. This is a common issue with 5th gens and is absolutely covered under the original factory warranty as long as it is still in effect. But most if not all extended warranties do not cover it. Some guys have fixed it themselves using flowable silicone (Permatex). There have been a couple different TSB's about it, with the latest official fix being a bead of urethane around the top and upper portion of the sides of the rear window frame. Please take some time to search around the forum to see what some of us have experienced with this. Below are the latest TSB and a link to search results I grabbed real quick...

Search results for query: rear window leak

www.ramforum.com

 

[brian42]

The leak is definitely covered. The damage from the water intrusion is not.

If the water is staining the headliner then the shark fin and window seal are likely, as is the CHSML (3rd brake light). I have also read of roof welds being the problem also.

The first step in troubleshooting is the 3rd brake light and see if that fixes it, which is a quick and easy job to do (and to charge corporate for it and be done). After that it gets more labor-intensive and runs the risk of the technician damaging something in the process which would put the dealership on the hook for the repair out of their wallet. The service department will tell you that "it's not covered" or "that's normal" to avoid potential liability. They will gladly flood their shop with oil changes and easier stuff to rake in the money.

As mikeru said, go to another dealership if you can. I had 6 dealerships in my area and only 1 had a service department that I trusted to work on my truck so just kept going back until it was taken care of.

Some things take persistence. Over half of my issues took at least two visits (or more) to get them resolved and I had 12 visits total during the 4 years I had my truck.

 

[mikeru]

The leak is definitely covered. The damage from the water intrusion is not.

If the water is staining the headliner then the shark fin and window seal are likely, as is the CHSML (3rd brake light). I have also read of roof welds being the problem also.

The first step in troubleshooting is the 3rd brake light and see if that fixes it, which is a quick and easy job to do (and to charge corporate for it and be done). After that it gets more labor-intensive and runs the risk of the technician damaging something in the process which would put the dealership on the hook for the repair out of their wallet. The service department will tell you that "it's not covered" or "that's normal" to avoid potential liability. They will gladly flood their shop with oil changes and easier stuff to rake in the money.

As mikeru said, go to another dealership if you can. I had 6 dealerships in my area and only 1 had a service department that I trusted to work on my truck so just kept going back until it was taken care of.

Some things take persistence. Over half of my issues took at least two visits (or more) to get them resolved and I had 12 visits total during the 4 years I had my truck.

He mentioned in his first post that the dealership already replaced the CHMSL, and have moved on to the rear window.

The damage from the water leaks was covered by the factory warranty for our Limited. Maybe the dealership good-willed that portion of it, but we weren't charged a dime for the new RF hub, new rear window, and interior detailing.

 

[Jerrybob]

Where are the "Ram Cares" folks when you need them? Have they stopped reading these posts?

 

[brian42]

He mentioned in his first post that the dealership already replaced the CHMSL, and have moved on to the rear window.

The damage from the water leaks was covered by the factory warranty for our Limited. Maybe the dealership good-willed that portion of it, but we weren't charged a dime for the new RF hub, new rear window, and interior detailing.

Understood but I wouldn't automatically assume a new light fixes the issue; not with that foam gasket IMO.

I've read of both outcomes: getting damage repaired...and not. I think it comes down to the dealership. Some are better than others at submitting warranty work for reimbursement.

 

[mikeru]

Understood but I wouldn't automatically assume a new light fixes the issue; not with that foam gasket IMO.

I've read of both outcomes: getting damage repaired...and not. I think it comes down to the dealership. Some are better than others at submitting warranty work for reimbursement.

I get what you're saying, but the redesigned CHMSL uses a new gasket design. From what I've seen it does a much better job than the old design.

 

[brian42]

Wasn't aware of the redesign. Glad they finally updated it.