Home › Guides › RAM › Visibility
Ram truck wiper, mirror and defroster recalls: what owners should know
Across these five Ram recalls, visibility fails in three ways. Loose windshield wiper arm nuts dominate: the 2020 campaign covered 2019-2020 Ram 1500 and 1500 Classic (alongside Jeep Compass), and a 2022 expansion of that recall added 2019-2020 Ram 2500 and 3500 plus 3500, 4500 and 5500 cab chassis rated under 10,000 lbs. Mirror glass detaching from its backing plate is the second pattern — driver-side glass on 2020 Ram 1500 and 2500, then heated trailer-tow mirror glass on 2020-2023 Ram 1500 Classic, both cited as federal safety-standard compliance failures. The outlier is the most serious: certain 2019 Ram 1500 trucks built with a 12-inch touchscreen and base HVAC had no functioning windshield defroster or defogger at all.
Warning signs to watch for
- Wipers that streak, skip, or stop sweeping the glass properly in rain or snow
- A wiper arm that feels loose or shifts at its mounting nut
- Driver-side mirror glass loose, detached, or missing, leaving an empty mirror housing and a blind spot
- On affected 2019 Ram 1500 trucks, the defroster and defogger never clear frost or fog from the windshield
- Most of these problems only show up in weather that fogs, frosts or wets the glass, so a clear-day check may reveal nothing
Is it safe to keep driving?
None of these five recalls carries a stop-driving or park-outside order. The wiper-arm and mirror-glass campaigns leave the truck mechanically fine: keep driving, but be cautious in rain or snow if the wipers act up, and turn your head to check the blind spot if the driver-side mirror glass is gone. The 2019 Ram 1500 defroster defect deserves the most caution — those trucks cannot clear a fogged or frosted windshield, so avoid weather that clouds the glass. Chrysler's remedy for that one is to repurchase the vehicle.
What the free repair involves
Dealers tighten the windshield wiper arm nuts on both wiper campaigns, and replace the detached mirror glass — driver-side glass on the 2020 Ram 1500 and 2500 recall, heated trailer-tow glass on the 1500 Classic recall. For the 2019 Ram 1500 defroster defect there is no parts repair: Chrysler repurchases the affected trucks. No over-the-air updates are involved, and every remedy is free of charge.
Severity at a glance
| Severity | Recalls |
|---|---|
| high | 1 |
| medium | 4 |
Models affected most
Every recall in this group
| Date | Recall | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-10 | Ram 1500 Classic tow mirror glass can fall off | medium |
| 2022-01-27 | Ram heavy-duty trucks: windshield wiper arms can come loose | medium |
| 2020-10-08 | Ram 1500 and 2500 driver-side mirror glass can fall out | medium |
| 2020-04-09 | Ram and Jeep Compass windshield wiper arms may loosen | medium |
| 2019-01-24 | RAM 1500 trucks cannot defrost or defog the windshield | high |
Common questions
My wipers work fine right now — do I still need the recall done?
Yes. The recall covers wiper arms that may loosen, and the failure tends to reveal itself in bad weather when you need the wipers most. The dealer simply tightens the wiper nuts at no charge.
Is the 2019 Ram 1500 defroster recall really a buyback?
Yes. For 2019 Ram 1500 trucks with a 12-inch touchscreen and base HVAC, the notice says dealers will repurchase the affected vehicles. That recall began March 7, 2019; FCA US customer service is 1-800-853-1403, recall V12.
Which mirror recall applies to my truck?
Two separate ones. Driver-side mirror glass on 2020 Ram 1500 and 2500 trucks, which began November 5, 2020; and heated trailer-tow mirror glass on 2020-2023 Ram 1500 Classic, recall 86B, with letters mailed December 5, 2024.
A recall applies only to specific vehicles. Check your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.