17' Sportwagen SE w/ sunroof leak and sub enclosure full of water.

[smcayton]

Hey Everyone, I bought a 17' Golf Sportwagen SE from Carmax about two weeks ago. After a heavy rain I noticed lots of leaking at the front of the sunroof. Then today I checked the subwoofer since I couldn't really hear it. The spare tire well was dry but the subwoofer enclosure was COMPLETELY full of water. Obviously, this is why I couldn't hear the sub, as it was destroyed by the water. . Carmax is saying they will take care of fixing it and cover the cost at the VW dealer in my area. Is there anything I should be looking for to make sure this is fixed?
I love the car and don't want to return it (Carmax has a 30 day, 1500 mile return period) but I will if this is a major issue.

Thanks!
Mac

 

[jimlloyd40]

When you get it back I would immediately go to a car wash and see if it still leaks. Ask them to show you exactly where it was leaking.

 

[amsr]

I'd consider just returning it. These cars are prone to leaks. My GTI leaked into the trunk from the pressure vent behind the bumper and it was like $2000 to fix. They had to replace all of the carpet and items in the trunk because they were water damaged and starting to grow mold.

I don't really see how its possible that your sub has water damage but the spare wheel well is dry. Do you think it had a leak into the trunk and they replaced the carpet but neglected to replace the sub and just re-installed it? Its also not clear to me how a clogged sunroof drain or cracked frame could cause water in the trunk when its presenting as a water stain on the headliner in the front... but... Now my GTI sunroof trim is cracking and I'm looking at another significant repair, so I guess I will find out. My car is also a 17. I've never seen problems like these on other modern cars. It's very discouraging given how great they are otherwise.

 

[GTIfan99]

And this is why I'll never buy a VW with a sunroof.

 

[donJimenez]

There's a recall for the leaky sunroof.

 

[JC_451]

Hey Everyone, I bought a 17' Golf Sportwagen SE from Carmax about two weeks ago. After a heavy rain I noticed lots of leaking at the front of the sunroof. Then today I checked the subwoofer since I couldn't really hear it. The spare tire well was dry but the subwoofer enclosure was COMPLETELY full of water. Obviously, this is why I couldn't hear the sub, as it was destroyed by the water. . Carmax is saying they will take care of fixing it and cover the cost at the VW dealer in my area. Is there anything I should be looking for to make sure this is fixed?
I love the car and don't want to return it (Carmax has a 30 day, 1500 mile return period) but I will if this is a major issue.

Thanks!
Mac

If you search a bit there are numerous threads on leaks in the trunk/hatch area.

I recall one of them being from a seal around one of the rear lights. Others come from blocked drainage in the rear.

The water in the rear and the sunroof leak are both likely fixable, so as long as they're covered and you can stomach the inconvenience just let them try to fix it.

 

[Sc0oter]

Mine leaked. Found the rear sunroof drains clogged and were leaking water into the cabin.
- removed the “spider covers” or whatever they are called from the bottom end of the drain tube allowing water to flow freely and not build up debris (free)
- removed tail light assemblies and coated gasket with silicone grease to improve seal. (Couple dollars for jar of plumbers grade silicone).
- packed silicone grease under seals for vents in rear fender.
let interior dry and sat inside spare tire well while son dumped water from a garden hose over entire care for 5 minutes.…… no leaks.

I routinely run my hand under the spare tire expecting to find water but am happy that I don’t. I will check the sunroof drains regularly. I found using the tip of a medium sized zip tie as a probe to clean the debris out of the rear sunroof drains worked great. I only inserted the tip (ok stop giggling). Any further could unseat the drain pipe and allow water to pour into the trunk area.

 

[donJimenez]

I took mine to the dealer and they enlarged the drain holes, under recall. No more showers in the cabin.

 

[amsr]

I can’t really believe these cars made it to market with this roof design. They fail at such high rates. I’ve never had any issues with water ingress in other modern cars. Such great cars otherwise.

 

[Sc0oter]

I have always heard of leaky glass on other vehicles. Seen plenty of other brands with silver tape and tarps on the roof. My dad had a full sized bronco when I was a kid and he flatly refused to remove the top. He said it would never seal properly again. I have also seen plenty of t tops and convertibles leak as well.
with that said, I agree it does suck and is a disappointment.

 

[dtfd]

- removed tail light assemblies and coated gasket with silicone grease to improve seal. (Couple dollars for jar of plumbers grade silicone).

This is what fixed my spare wheel pond problem

 

[lordnikon228]

I would return it. The sunroof is a PITA....