# This is NOT okay Volkswagen! Water Leak from Sunroof Drains



## philndz (Jan 18, 2009)

2009 Jetta Sportwagen. 

After car started smelling awful, found the floorboard soaked under the floormat.
Moved to the back of the car and found the spare tire well with a couple inches of standing water.








Back to the front of the car, opened the fuse box cover to find that the water takes the inconvenient path across the fuse block on it's way to the floorboard.
Here is a water drop in-action:








and here is the fuse-block in the path of flow:








An immediate visit to the dealer was made, where they assured me that blocked sunroof drains would be the issue, and I urgently need their $50.00 drain cleaning service. After inspecting the drains, and charging me $50.00 they were honest enough to tell me the drains looked perfectly clear and that there was nothing to clean out. (Not a big surprise for this 2009 garage kept vehicle). They did however tell me that the problem must exist in the roof, and the headliner would need to be dropped for further inspection. A lovely $500 process just to take a look around up there.
I declined the work, and decided to take a look myself. I dropped a corner of the headliner and using a head-lamp, was able to shed light on the issue. 
































As you can see, the fitting to the sunroof drain, while still attached, is clearly leaking. I have to assume a glue failure, or a failure of the fitting itself. I can only guess that I'm having the same problem at the rear and filling the spare tire well as a result. I have more than 36,000 miles on the car so there is no warranty coverage. Extended warranty excludes water leaks. I think my best option is to hire a water-leak professional. I have read online, of others having the same issue, hopefully these pictures will help answer some questions for those as unlucky as I. 

I am more than dissatisfied with the shoddy build quality you see here. VW, please step up, this is unacceptable.


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## kend414 (Feb 10, 2009)

google : VW water ingress lawsuit
Vw should stop building submarines. Not sure what their problem is but seems from my 78,000 dollar Phaeton to the Bug thay all have water ingress issues. They just settled a 65 million dollar lawsuit. They set aside millions to make good on future needed repairs. I hear so much of how great german engineering is but they can't seem to get past basic plumbing 101. They should be ashamed of themselves. instead, they deny the problem and kick and scream while being dragged into court. Wake up VW and face your responsibility. If it doesn't work, change direction. This time copy others who seem to have this simple task mastered. Don't be arrogant or stubborn. Loyal VW owners are getting tired of swimming pools in theior cars!!


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## racerd911 (Oct 7, 2005)

Bummer.. the only advantage of having the dealer search for the problem would have been the leveraged argument that since the dealer found the problem, you might get more support from VW to fix the problem. Now, as they say, you are on your own.

Sorry for your plight.


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## VWDUBBTECH (Oct 15, 2011)

That should be under warranty or atleast it should be. Your drains are most likely clogged and need to be clean and maybe even cut to have a larger hole flow water flow and also seal where the tube connects to that other connector.


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## philndz (Jan 18, 2009)

Warranty has expired, and drains are clear. This is just bad design and terrible quality.


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

philndz said:


> ......This is just bad design and terrible quality.


Would you reference a report that determines the design is bad and the quality is terrible please. Based on what? Or just your opinion?


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## Cortexiphan (Mar 2, 2010)

That sucks, sorry man. :thumbdown:


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## VWDUBBTECH (Oct 15, 2011)

That last few pictures you have taken, put some type of sealent where the leak is..basically that tube comes up from the sunroof so it can drain it. But that tube goes to a coupling sort of speak where you have taken the picture where water is dripping from. Theres alot of problems right in that area. I cant remember correctly on other models, the coupling would be tilted back and not down causing water to flow backwards and out that area. But i would make sure the the flow of the tubing is in the downward slope and seal that area wher the tube hits the coupling. Let the sealent to dry completely. And open your sunroof and pour water down in the sunroof drain holes and make no more water is leaking with the a-pillar /headliner apart, like in the picture. Since i work at vw, that would be the frist thing i would try. Now about the rear trunk filling up, kinda the same situation, locate the rear drains and spray water on the vehicle untill yo ufind where the leak is coming from and fix it.


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## zrace07 (Jul 26, 2007)

*FV-QR*

My MKIII leaks more water than a 1930's battleship.


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## gti dreamn (May 18, 2002)

An '09 and NO warranty coverage??????? 


They leak because, as you can see in your photos, they (VW) uses a *two piece* drain hose.

The white connector goes around a ball socket and the brown hose is *glued* in to the white connector in only two places. 

I feel your pain. I had to tear down the rear half of my GTI to get at the back of my sunroof as only my rear drains were leaking.

My solution was to get some clear hose (I can't remember the I/D) and hose clamp it to the sunroof ball socket (where the connector piece attaches). I replaced both drain tubes entirely, but I now know that was overkill.

If I were to do it again --- I would cut and splice. Get some (2-3ft) clear tubing from ACE or HD or Lowes (if they have it) [[watch the wall thickness]] , two hose barb joints to match the I/D and some clear silicone. 

Attach about 1ft of clear tube to ball socket. Cut factory drain hose so the end mates up with the clear hose. Put the barbed hose splice (connector) between the two and enjoy life.

This will save a lot of pulling and interior dis-assembly and rerouting of hoses.

Again, the problem is at the sunroof hose connection. You get rid of that and you shouldn't have any more leaks.


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## TCBinaflash (Feb 9, 2007)

I had a leak out of the center headrest in my MKV Rabbit since day 1. Took it to 3 dealer ships and never solved.

I didn't mention it when I traded it in on my MKV1. But I'm sure they found out by now.


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## SinisterMind (Feb 27, 2004)

VW is still using the same type of drain connectors.:banghead: My '04 leaked recently for the first time. The drains were not clogged but the damn glue evaporated. They are using the glue as a sealant too.  Instead of replacing the drain hose, I just sealed the area, where the tube enters the white connector, with waterproof silicone I had lying around. It rained overnight and come out to see a dry headliner and C pillar. :thumbup:


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## SinisterMind (Feb 27, 2004)

gti dreamn said:


> An '09 and NO warranty coverage???????


OP has over 36k miles so bumper-to-bumper warranty expired.


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## gti dreamn (May 18, 2002)

^ Bummer.

My stock drain hoses are sitting in my garage with several layers of electrical tape wrapped in opposite directions around the connecter and hose. But since they are hanging in the garage, I don't have to worry about that tape job leaking.

So far so good with my replacement hoses. My C pillars have been dry ever since. Yes, it was a complete pain getting to that point, but kind of worth it in the end.

I can't provide pictures of my work, but I can provide pictures of the no longer used stock drain tubes.


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

SinisterMind said:


> .....They are using the glue as a sealant too......


And how is this wrong?


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## SinisterMind (Feb 27, 2004)

We got a lot of rain yesterday and my interior is nice and dry. I won't be buying another VW with a sunroof. What sucks is that the trim no longer holds as well as before as it's not really meant to be taken off and put back on. But since the car is getting closer to 8 years old, I don't care. Might be getting rid of it soon.


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## logansvw2 (Nov 25, 2006)

You should contact VW Customer Care and as suggested look up the water ingress suit. In 2009 I paid the dealer $100 who did a phantom repair on my 2005 MKIV GLI leaking sunroof. It continued to leak above the PS headliner and down the A pillar- still does. I called VW and said that water was leaking on the airbag in the A pillar. They assigned a case number and nothing more. That year I received notice that my car was included in the Water Ingress lawsuit. I sent in all requested paperwork and as of this date Nov 30 2011 have not heard anything about a settlement. I'm hoping to get my 100 bucks back. I should have taken it to a body shop and had the headliner removed and proper repairs done.


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## FractureCritical (Nov 24, 2009)

Ah, I so fondly remember my POS 2010 JSW that had a leaky sunroof. My favorite part was the winter when the snow and ice on the roof would leak in, freeze, heave the suroof out of alignment, and then it wouldn't close right anymore and it creaked and moaned like a 17th century frigate in high seas.


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## SinisterMind (Feb 27, 2004)

logansvw2 said:


> You should contact VW Customer Care and as suggested look up the water ingress suit. In 2009 I paid the dealer $100 who did a phantom repair on my 2005 MKIV GLI leaking sunroof. It continued to leak above the PS headliner and down the A pillar- still does. I called VW and said that water was leaking on the airbag in the A pillar. They assigned a case number and nothing more. That year I received notice that my car was included in the Water Ingress lawsuit. I sent in all requested paperwork and as of this date Nov 30 2011 have not heard anything about a settlement. I'm hoping to get my 100 bucks back. I should have taken it to a body shop and had the headliner removed and proper repairs done.


Not again:facepalm:
The lawsuit which resulted in a recall is the front drains only, which is what you had problems with. OP has an issue with the rear drains and has to fix it himself. Turns out it's not tough to fix it. I did it and dry as a dessert.


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## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

I've owned plenty of leaky Volkswagens in the past, but never one that's three years old with 36k miles..
Reading things like this make me glad my '08 Rabbit did not have a sunroof option.


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## ArcticFox (Nov 4, 2005)

My Passat is leaking like a mofo. I'm just too lazy to take my headliner off and fix the damm drain its the samething. I want to get some Silicone and seal that mofo up.


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## jddaigle (May 30, 2003)

Those connections are just spot-glued and not intended to resist water pressure. If they are leaking that means the drain is clogged (probably at the outlet nipple--snip those suckers off) and water is backing up the tube all the way to the connector.


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