What to do About My 2017 SE GTI Sunroof? - Very Minor Leak

[GoatAutomotive]

Awesome. Thanks, guys. I’ll give it a shot with my local dealer.

Hammer!

If I’m not too late, you can totally handle this yourself. The video below walks you through the procedure.

Let me know if this helps you. Your threads have always been helpful to me with Suspension research.

 

[GoatAutomotive]

To anyone else looking at this, the Volkswagens are more prone to issues with the sunroof drains because of what some people have called “the spider trap” at the bottom.

It’s a little orange flap, one-directional, and what happens is dirt and debris will eventually build up at the bottom of it over time, clogging the drains.

Just like if you have a wife or girlfriend who clogs the drains in your bathroom or shower with their wookie hair.

The video above walks you through the basic tools and procedure you will need. It is very straightforward if you’re willing to invest in the basic tools.

Those same tools will serve you well to work on multiple other parts of the car, so don’t think of it is solely as an investment for the sunroof drains.

This needs to be done about once a year, unless your car is parked outside a lot under trees, in which case it may need to happen more often.

Let me know if this helps folks out.

 

[Cuzoe]

For sure clean your drains, if that's the issue. The TSB is about stress cracks of the plastic of the sunroof "tray" area. Worth checking for both issues. Clogged/slow drains will cause standing water which then finds its way through the cracks.

 

[GoatAutomotive]

For sure clean your drains, if that's the issue. The TSB is about stress cracks of the plastic of the sunroof "tray" area. Worth checking for both issues. Clogged/slow drains will cause standing water which then finds its way through the cracks.

What this gentleman said.

 

[Jozooka]

Hammer!

If I’m not too late, you can totally handle this yourself. The video below walks you through the procedure.

Let me know if this helps you. Your threads have always been helpful to me with Suspension research.

FWIW, I was able to reach the driver's side drain with a long screwdriver and clear the end without having to remove the wiper assembly.

 

[GoatAutomotive]

FWIW, I was able to reach the driver's side drain with a long screwdriver and clear the end without having to remove the wiper assembly.

 

[Hammersticks]

No it’s draining fine so I took it in during a black swan rain event so they could actually diagnose it. Got a message that the frame is cracked (assuming like the bulletin states) . $360 to patch it and $2k for a new frame if that doesn’t resolve it. Either playing dumb or have not seen the bulletin.

 

[GoatAutomotive]

No it’s draining fine so I took it in during a black swan rain event so they could actually diagnose it. Got a message that the frame is cracked (assuming like the bulletin states) . $360 to patch it and $2k for a new frame if that doesn’t resolve it. Either playing dumb or have not seen the bulletin.

Is this a common issue? How does the frame get cracked or damaged? Asking so I can learn, maybe be preventative on my own. I'm only at 39k miles now. Car is garaged at least 50% of the time. -mcs

 

[PRRGG1]

I remember reading somewhere that as a result of cracks in the sunroof's perimeter gutter (it's not the frame that cracks), VW changed sunroof suppliers in late 2016/early in 2017. Not sure if it's true or not.

Knocking on wood, neither my wife's '17 or my '21 have had any sunroof problems. They're garaged every night; we both use our sunroofs a lot.

 

[Cuzoe]

Is this a common issue? How does the frame get cracked or damaged? Asking so I can learn, maybe be preventative on my own. I'm only at 39k miles now. Car is garaged at least 50% of the time. -mcs

It's common enough for there to be a NHTSA bulletin about it. Per the bulletin "A difference in the expansion rate between the plastic water channel and steel reinforcement plates may cause stress cracks to occur at the edges of the reinforcement plates."

Nothing you can really do to prevent it. Fewer (and less severe) temperature changes make it less likely. Somewhat reasonable if you have a climate controlled garage and/or live in a place with ill defined seasons, haha. But if you live in a place that gets really cold having a climate controlled garage could then contribute to the chances of this happening. But that wouldn't make me leave my car out in the cold.

It might be worth picking up the repair kit to have on hand, PN 5GM 898 041. I see it for as low as $0.73 right now .
There is also sealant called out by the bulletin, PN D 172 090 A2. It's $20-30. Wouldn't be surprise if it's shelf-life limited so I would get it when needed.

 

[imthanick_a]

Is this a common issue? How does the frame get cracked or damaged? Asking so I can learn, maybe be preventative on my own. I'm only at 39k miles now. Car is garaged at least 50% of the time. -mcs

It just happens. Mine was fixed at like 10k miles

 

[GoatAutomotive]

It's common enough for there to be a NHTSA bulletin about it. Per the bulletin "A difference in the expansion rate between the plastic water channel and steel reinforcement plates may cause stress cracks to occur at the edges of the reinforcement plates."

Nothing you can really do to prevent it. Fewer (and less severe) temperature changes make it less likely. Somewhat reasonable if you have a climate controlled garage and/or live in a place with ill defined seasons, haha. But if you live in a place that gets really cold having a climate controlled garage could then contribute to the chances of this happening. But that wouldn't make me leave my car out in the cold.

It might be worth picking up the repair kit to have on hand, PN 5GM 898 041. I see it for as low as $0.73 right now .
There is also sealant called out by the bulletin, PN D 172 090 A2. It's $20-30. Wouldn't be surprise if it's shelf-life limited so I would get it when needed.

Thank you, friend. This one flew under my radar. I'll have to go research this just in case.

 

[amsr]

Mine developed problems at 4 years. The "fix" is to have adhesive foil strips placed around the tray. Its supposed to help seal the area if it cracks. They are applied from the factory stating in 2017. Mine still had issues. Eventually the foil strips started peeling and I had to pay to have them re-applied. Its just a bad design.

 

[Cuzoe]

The kit is the foil strips, the shipping will cost you more than the kit. With heat cycles the tape will have to be replaced at some point... buy the kit and do it yourself. Even easier if you're just replacing tape that was already there, no need to determine locations with the bulletin.

I think the bulletin mentions something about dealers applying the tape on cars in the lot before delivery. So for cars sold after the bulletin came out it would be done at the factory as part of the pre-delivery (along with things like removing suspension shipping pucks).