The HVAC heater core assembly failed internally. The machic mentioned that this componet is "going out" in these vehicals. He refered me to the dealership. This should be a recall. I was put at severe risk because the the vehicle had a sudden, severe loss of forward visibility while in motion. The failure caused an oily, chemical mist of ethylene glycol coolant to spray out of the defroster vents directly onto the windshield. This film could not be cleared by windshield wipers or standard defogging functions or whiping the windshield internally. It smeared across the glass, causing catastrophic blinding glare from oncoming headlights and traffic, creating an immediate and extreme risk of a collision. Simultaneously, the failure flooded the sealed cabin with toxic, atomized antifreeze fumes. Inhaling these chemical vapors caused immediate, acute coughing and dizziness while I was actively driving, physically impairing my ability to safely operate and control the vehicle and drastically increasing the risk of a collision Also, it was raining and I couldn't roll the windows down. Yes, the defect and cabin contamination were diagnosed by Priority One in Waterloo, IA No, the component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police or insurance. There were no warning sign or dash light indicators.
Ram 1500 wipers problems
97 of the 11,912 owner complaints about the Ram 1500 describe windshield wiper failure, most of them for the 2019 model year.
- owner complaints
- 97
- worst model year
- 2019
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 22,000
By model year
Often reported together
Headlights 14Warning lights 10Loss of power 10Power steering loss 8Won't start 6Check engine light 6ABS 6Backup camera 5
Trouble codes mentioned
U1817 1U0901 1U0422 1P034B 1P0336 1P0335 1
What owners say
On 10/4/26 my 2025 Ram 1500 with less than 15k miles experienced a major electrical/electronic failure. Multiple systems malfunctioned simultaneously while driving at freeway speeds, the vehicle decelerated rapidly, and then it would not shut off. Diagnostic codes included P0335, P0336, P034B, U0901, and U0422, including faults involving communication between vehicle and control models. This is the second significant electrical incident. Previously, electronic components activated abnormally while the vehicle was parking, including lights/wipers, and the battery became discharged even though the battery tested good. This failure left the vehicle completely immobilized approximately 60 miles from home. This malfunction had the potential to cause a collision at highway speeds, and risked the my life and the life of others on the road that day. I am deeply concerned this represents an electrical, software, wiring, or combination of those issues rather than an isolated battery incident.
Windshield wipers turned on by themselves and will not turn off, odometer is flashing, service airbag message on dash and airbag warning light flashing on dash and blinkers do not work. Stellantis cannot fix the problem and refuse to take truck back. Truck only has 3100 miles on it. Truck has been at Charlevoix Auto Ram Dealership Service since June 1, 2026. Multiple cases have been opened with auto manufacturer by dealership and us, the owner. Auto manufacturer will not buy back vehicle and put us new vehicle. We hadn't had vehicle for 3 months when this happened.
The contact owns a 2023 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the seat belt, ABS, check engine, and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the messages “Service Transmission – Continue in D – Do Not Shift or Turn off Engine until You Reach a Desired Location”, "Service Power Steering", "Service Parking Brake", "Park Sense Temporary Unavailable", "Service Transmission – Continue in D”, and “Do Not Turn off Engine”, “No Buss” were displayed. Additionally, the windshield wipers activated inadvertently. The contact stated that on one occasion, while in the middle of traffic, the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and the contact attempted to turn off the vehicle by depressing the ON/OFF button, but the vehicle failed to turn off. After several attempts, the contact was able to turn off the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle several times to reboot the vehicle. When the vehicle was restarted, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was an unknown issue with the wiring on the passenger’s side of the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred 1 year and 7 months later. The vehicle was taken to another dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the CAN-C network was offline, the OCM was the module taking the bus down, circuit D13 was at 0.37 volts instead of 2.7 volts, and D14 had 0 volts, indicating a ground short. A connector was found in the wiring diagram closer to the OCM that should only have the OCM in it. D14 was rubbed through on the seat frame where it ran down from XY420A. While the technician was removing the wiring harness, the short to ground was no longer present. The rubbed section of the wire was cut out, and a new wire was installed, but the failure reoccurred within 24 hours. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that wiring needed to be resecured. The vehicle was
I was on the highway when the vehicle alerted me that shift was unavailable then the auto start/stop was unavailable then the airbags were unavailable then my FUEL and my MPH were not reading. My windshield wipers started all on their own and could not be turned off! And my EMERGENCY LIGHTS WERE INOP. I LOST POWER STEERING and was locked in gear! All while in morning rush hour traffic on the highway! The vehicle gave me a notification to get to my destination before turning it off or changing gears because it would not go back into gear. I got off the highway as safely as I could without EMERGENCY LIGHTS OR TURN SIGNALS and proceeded to a stop light. While slowing down I had no steering control. I pulled over and had to force the wheel to turn then I attempted to accelerate to move and had no power. So I was stuck. I had emergency services come and tow my vehicle to Chevrolet of Homewood at that point who is currently looking at it.
The turn signal switch activates the wipers sometimes. And sometimes the wipers ghost and run by themselves for no reason at all. This is very distracting and it has started to scratch the windshield. VERY DANGEROUS when travelling down the interstate at 70MPH and the wipers screech across the windshield all by themselves............PLEASE HELP.
Lost power while driving down the highway. All the dash lights and windshield wipers turned on and lost power steering. The steering gear assembly failed without warning.
Intermittent total electrical communication failure ('No Bus' error) triggered by warm weather. While driving at any speed, the instrument cluster gauges drop to zero and the vehicle loses all control of turn signals, hazards, cruise control, and windshield wipers. This has created several near-miss situations in traffic and rain. The failure also prevents the vehicle from starting. Despite multiple dealership visits and an open Star Case, the manufacturer has failed to provide a remedy for this safety-critical defect.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The passenger side wiper stopped wiping, the arm is not moving up and down, yes How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This is causing the passenger side windshield to not be cleaned impairing visibility/blind spot that would cause an accident. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Dealer saw the issue Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Dealer said it would take 3 days, has not been inspected yet as this is my only work truck Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? N/A, wiper arm just stopped moving one day
The driver's side windshield wiper is not working because the wiper arm attachment (at the spindle) is stripped. The motor spindle rotates but the wiper does not wipe the windshield. Visibility during rain, snow or other dirt or mud being splattered on windshield during driving. No dealer interaction yet, just noticed today while out driving. No inspection by 3rd party. No warning indicators, lamps or messages.
Related recalls
Visibility: rearview mirrors/devices
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Ram 1500 Classic vehicles equipped with heated trailer tow rearview mirrors. The mirror glass may detach from the driver's side heated trailer tow rearview mirror. As such these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- Detached mirror glass can reduce driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the mirror glass, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 5, 2024. Owners may contact FCA Customer Service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. FCA's number for this recall is 86B.
Recall number 24V754000 · Recall details
Visibility: defroster/defogger/HVAC system: windshield: electrical heating element
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022 Ram 1500 vehicles. These vehicles may have been built with incompatible heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC), resulting in the windshield defrosting and defogging system being inoperable to drivers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."
- Risk
- An inoperable defrosting and defogging system can reduce visibility for drivers in certain conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- FCA US, LLC will repurchase the affected vehicles, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 22, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y88.
Recall number 21V871000 · Recall details
Visibility: rearview mirrors/devices: exterior
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Ram 2500 and 1500 vehicles. The driver side mirror glass can detach from the backing plate and no longer provide a reflective surface. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- Missing driver side mirror glass reduces visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side mirror glass, free of charge. The recall began November 5, 2020. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W70.
Recall number 20V622000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: linkages
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 1500, 1500 Classic and Jeep Compass vehicles. The windshield wiper arm or arms may loosen, possibly causing the wipers to not operate properly and reduce the driver's visibility in certain weather conditions.
- Risk
- Reduced visibility increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the wiper nuts, free of charge. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W25.
Recall number 20V208000 · Recall details
Visibility: defroster/defogger/HVAC system
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 RAM 1500 vehicles equipped with a 12" touchscreen display and a base-level heating, ventilation and air conditioning ("HVAC") system. Vehicles with this combination do not have a functioning windshield defrosting and defogging system. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 103, "Windshield defrosting and defogging systems."
- Risk
- The lack of a functioning windshield defrosting and defogging system may decrease the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will repurchase the affected vehicles. The recall began March 7, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V12.
Recall number 19V051000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ram 1500 wipers
Which Ram 1500 years have windshield wiper failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2019 (33 complaints), 2013 (13 complaints) and 2018 (11 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix windshield wiper failure on the Ram 1500?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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