# Poll: Does your Tiguan Pano roof leak?



## 14thVW (Jul 13, 2018)

Since there are a lot of people with this concern, how about a poll to see how significant the problem is with the new Tiguan. Not sure how scientific the poll is. Obviously, please respond only if you have a pano roof


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## Coffeuk01 (Sep 24, 2018)

No mine does not!
2018 SE 
build date: 7/18
10,300 miles
Florida 
Parked outside (no trees thanks to Hurricane Michael) 


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## OEMplusCC (Jan 27, 2013)

You should ask for more details. These factors might or might not be needed but should be listed.

Build date or at least year of your car
Current mileage 
Climate
Where do you park your car? Garage, outside, under cover?
Do you maintain rubber seals in anyway. Similarly, do you flush sunroof drains as preventive maintenance? 


Here is mine:

2019 Tiguan with build date 10/2018
mileage ~2500 miles
Texas state: Hot dry weather but we do get rain off summer
Garage ~50% rest outside
I regularly condition all seals every ~3 months
I have not flushed sunroof drains yet, planning to do that once a year. Especially after fall leaves.
*NO leaks so far*


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## abn505 (Mar 9, 2005)

2019 SEL R-line build date 12/18. Bought Apr 15. 2000 miles, one care wash and a lot of rain in my area lately. Garage kept ~50%. No leaks.


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## noreastdub (Aug 6, 2018)

2018 se
Build date 3/18
12,000 miles
Park outside
Northern NJ, lot of trees/rain
I treat the seals when I wash the car twice a month.
No drain maintenance yet, soon though
No leaks...yet


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## Drin logu (May 19, 2017)

2018 sel 
Bought jan 2018 
First major leak march 2018
Second may 2019
Park it on the street most of the time.
Located in nyc


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## chris__petrie (Dec 22, 2018)

2018 Tiguan RLine with build date Oct 2018 
Mileage ~14,000 KM
Ontario, Canada - Diverse weather (summer up to 30c and winter down to -20c)
Outside everyday of its life 
I have not conditioned seals yet
I have not flushed sunroof drains yet
No leaks yet, just technology issues that haven’t been resolved at all by VW. 
We don’t open the sunroof unless it’s above 10c just to be safe.


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## gerardrjj (Sep 4, 2014)

'18 SEL-P
took delivery April 18
in Phoenix, AZ (rarely rains but when it does: beware)
parked in garage
30k miles


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## CTGeoff (Feb 24, 2015)

2019 SEL-P RLine
800
New England
Parked outside
no maintaining seals

No leaks, but I am vigilant as my '16 GTI was one of the originals and spent 41 days with VW over three repairs for the leaks.


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## 14thVW (Jul 13, 2018)

For those of you who "treat or conditions" their seals, what do you use? I assume this is to keep the seals pliable?


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## Passatsquared (Oct 26, 2014)

2018 sel-p rline with 4 motion.
17500 miles
Car travels all around Florida
It is always parked outside in the driveway.

No leaks
No extra heat issues
No noise

So far so good

The only "issue" I can kinda complain about is the air deflector that pops up makes alot of noise. 
If you hold it down, wind buffetts the sunroof panel since it rises up out of the roof.

I personally see drop down/in sunroofs more durable than pop up/out ones.


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## smg64ct203 (Jan 26, 2003)

I have a 2018 sel early build date 6/17 took delivery 8/17 I have 27k no leaks at all. I’m in New England lots of rain and spent most of the time outside during the winter. I haven’t done anything to the seals. I’ve had other problems but not with the roof.


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## santdesign (Jul 31, 2018)

*No Leak So Far*

2018 SEL Premium R-Line
Purchased - July 2018
7200 Miles
New Jersey US area with 4 seasons
Park outside during the day.
Park inside at night time.

No Leaks yet.


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## n0thing (Mar 30, 2014)

2018 SEL Premium. 
Bought in November 2018 (CPO used, I don't know the in service date).
21,000 miles on it currently.
Olathe KS.
Sits in a garage at night, sits in a parking lot exposed to the world during the day.

It has leaked once after sitting outside all day in heavy rain. Leaked through the map lighting area in front and dripped all over the place. Dealership could not find the cause and it hasn't leaked again since. I've told my wife to try parking it so that the front of the car is sitting higher than the rear as I thought I read that on here at some point.


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## 14thVW (Jul 13, 2018)

None
2019 SEL-P
January 2019 Build date, 3500 miles
Garaged, but spends the day outside


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## CTGeoff (Feb 24, 2015)

UPDATE: I originally voted no but now it's a yes. 2019 SEL-P R-Line. Of course, I'm assuming at this point that it is coming from the roof. Car just turned 1000 miles.

We got some good heavy rain yesterday in the evening. I noticed that there was water coming in from the hole where the passenger rear seatbelt comes out. Water traveled down the seatbelt into my son's booster seat. I wiped it up and rolled up a dry towel and wedged it between the seat and seatbelt hole and it was soaked in an hour. Has anyone had leaks come through that area? I can only assume it is coming from the roof - everything else around the door seems dry and fine.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

This is pretty disturbing.

Some folks are parking at a certain angle to prevent leaks.
Some are treating their seals.
Some are clearing drains on 6-month old vehicles.
One owner is afraid to use their pano roof.

None of this should have to be done, ever.

Has VW sent a service bulletin? I ask because those with leaks seem to be battling with dealers to get a fix, with no confirmed solution, as if it's a super-rare issue that no one has seen before. (?)


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## CTGeoff (Feb 24, 2015)

phlegm said:


> This is pretty disturbing.
> 
> Some folks are parking at a certain angle to prevent leaks.
> Some are treating their seals.
> ...


I'll ask about the bulletin when I drop it off in service tomorrow. Guy says "hopefully we will have this fixed and back to you by the end of the day," LOL! I just laughed and reminded him how long my GTI was there for for a tiny leak and this is much more significant.


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## noka648 (Sep 3, 2001)

Has anyone who had the drain tube plugs/filters removed had a subsequent pano-roof leak?


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## CTGeoff (Feb 24, 2015)

The Tiguan is apparently fixed. The Service Adviser said the drain tube for the roof was all clogged up. They cleaned it all out and tested and everything is good again. I'll ask how we prevent them from clogging again once I go to pick it up this evening.


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## noka648 (Sep 3, 2001)

I haven't had any leaking yet (that I can see). I called service to express my concern and he said to stop by and they would remove the plug/filters at the ends of the drain tubes. He said they have seen a couple leak and that seemed to correct it. While I'm there, I'll ask about possibility of lines being kinked, which I also read about on this forum. I'm not sure how difficult that would be to check.


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## RM21 (Jul 13, 2014)

2018 SEL premium. Pano roof leaked through my rear view mirror. Northern VA. Parked outside everyday. Had the drains blown out and do far so good.

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## noka648 (Sep 3, 2001)

It would be interesting to know what is clogging the drain tubes so soon (e.g. kinks in the line, filters/plugs at the end, etc). I have had lots of cars for several years (including VW's) without ever cleaning these lines. Identifying the root cause and being able to reproduce the problem is the way for VW to solve it. I hope some of their talented engineers are working on it and issue a bulletin soon enough.


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## Drin logu (May 19, 2017)

Picked my sel today from the dealer, they couldn’t reproduce the leak so im not sure whats going on. This was my second time. They tested for leaks twice and nothing. Im hoping thats it. 


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## __raj (Apr 28, 2018)

Ours did a tiny bit around rear out seatbelts ~1000 miles. 

Dealer cleaned drains and did not return. We have 33K now no leaks.


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## __raj (Apr 28, 2018)

Ours did a tiny bit around rear out seatbelts ~1000 miles. It was excessive pollen year.

Dealer cleaned drains and did not return. We have 33K now no leaks.


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## noka648 (Sep 3, 2001)

It just makes no sense how the drains could be clogged after 1000mi unless it was due to some debris left inside during manufacturing/production. Do you intend to get them cleaned every 1000mi or presumably earlier, since you experienced a leak by that mileage?


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## __raj (Apr 28, 2018)

My guess was some debris or grease was in the drain tubes from the factory.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

__raj said:


> My guess was some debris or grease was in the drain tubes from the factory.


Seems like the good intent of filters/screens at the bottom of the drain tubes (to keep _spiders_ out?) is the culprit.

[_Sidebar: Is that really a thing? I know if happens on barbecues that don't move, but I have trouble seeing spiders pouncing on those drain tubes, and setting up shop as the vehicle is moved around._]

Anything in the lines during assembly may not drain, and seems like certain things accumulate there.

Is it easy enough to remove those filters?


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## VWBora18T (Apr 20, 2002)

2019 SEL, build date was 4/19.
Only been through a couple days of rain, one was substantial and it sat out in the parking lot. Seemed okay.
Still too early to tell how it'll hold up in time.


So far so good.


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## noka648 (Sep 3, 2001)

phlegm said:


> Is it easy enough to remove those filters?


I was just at the dealer picking up a liter of Castrol Edge Pro 0W-20 just in case and the SA checked my vehicle. He said the two front filters had already been removed (I'm guessing at the port) and they removed the rear filters. It took a few minutes so it couldn't be all that difficult.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

noka648 said:


> I was just at the dealer picking up a liter of Castrol Edge Pro 0W-20 just in case and the SA checked my vehicle. He said the two front filters had already been removed (I'm guessing at the port) and they removed the rear filters. It took a few minutes so it couldn't be all that difficult.


Ah, thanks for that. 

Does anyone know where to find the filters/drains?


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## greggmischenko (Mar 21, 2011)

*YES!!!*

2019 SE, ~2,300k miles. Only had the car for 1 month and we've had a lot of heavy rain in May - never leaked once until Saturday night while my wife was out driving. This video is of the car parked while it's raining and water is pouring into the cabin in the back seat on the passenger side. The car was parked downtown, outside, overnight and when we picked it up today there was staining on the screen/shade and a bunch of water splashed down when she put it into gear to drive out of the parking lot.

Really not happy and I'm hoping the dealership we leased it from makes it right.

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## spmckeehan (Jun 14, 2016)

Nope not once 


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## CTGeoff (Feb 24, 2015)

greggmischenko said:


> 2019 SE, ~2,300k miles. Only had the car for 1 month and we've had a lot of heavy rain in May - never leaked once until Saturday night while my wife was out driving. This video is of the car parked while it's raining and water is pouring into the cabin in the back seat on the passenger side. The car was parked downtown, outside, overnight and when we picked it up today there was staining on the screen/shade and a bunch of water splashed down when she put it into gear to drive out of the parking lot.
> 
> Really not happy and I'm hoping the dealership we leased it from makes it right.
> 
> <blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="a/Bx3Yu4z"><a href="//imgur.com/Bx3Yu4z"></a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


This is exactly how mine leaked when the culprit was determined to be clogged drain lines. 

I agree with the person who asked how this is possible with 1k miles on the car. They asked me where it is parked - In my driveway with no trees over it. Primarily driven by my wife who works from home 99% of the time.


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## CTGeoff (Feb 24, 2015)

noka648 said:


> It just makes no sense how the drains could be clogged after 1000mi unless it was due to some debris left inside during manufacturing/production. Do you intend to get them cleaned every 1000mi or presumably earlier, since you experienced a leak by that mileage?


All I can hope is that it was some issue from manufacturing the vehicle or that it sat in port or at a dealer for a while under a tree or something and it won't be a problem again. Fortunately if it returns I know what it is and can continue to raise my concerns and frustrations. What I can say, is this is WAY less of a headache than the GTI was with the leaking roof and the amount of time they had it. I just hope that like that issue, a fix is issued to prevent the leak from returning going forward.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

I'm going to seek out the bottom of the drains this weekend, and post back on how to do it yourself. If this turns out to be due to a filter at the bottom, then it could be a nice fix.

In the meantime, if anyone knows how to eyeball these from under the vehicle, please post.


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## i_am_sam_i_am (Nov 2, 2017)

> In the meantime, if anyone knows how to eyeball these from under the vehicle, please post.


Courtesy of @miro1118

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?9123209-Sunroof-leak&p=112596563&viewfull=1#post112596563


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

i_am_sam_i_am said:


> Courtesy of @miro1118
> 
> https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?9123209-Sunroof-leak&p=112596563&viewfull=1#post112596563


Hey thanks! Assuming that's a door panel removal?

I'm wondering about the filters underneath. Although now I suspect a kink in assembly. [sigh]


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## noka648 (Sep 3, 2001)

i_am_sam_i_am said:


> Courtesy of @miro1118
> 
> https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?9123209-Sunroof-leak&p=112596563&viewfull=1#post112596563


That post mentions two (front) drains, if I understand him. I believe my dealer said there were 4 drains (front and rear).


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

phlegm said:


> I'm going to seek out the bottom of the drains this weekend, and post back on how to do it yourself. If this turns out to be due to a filter at the bottom, then it could be a nice fix.
> 
> In the meantime, if anyone knows how to eyeball these from under the vehicle, please post.


1. I did a quick test of the front drains this weekend. It's hard to see in the first picture, but the circled area is roughly where the drain hole is - there are 2 in the front corners of the pano roof. (Three are presumably 2 in the rear that aren't easily accessible.)

2. I poured a cup of water into that area, and it drained quickly to an area just behind the front wheel. Both front drains worked as expected and removed water quickly.

3. There appears to be a circular hatch that opens underneath the vehicle, but I was reluctant to yank on it as I'll typically break things that way. In any event, the drains worked nicely, so I'll leave the filters on. I had a look for a similar opening on the rear, but couldn't find anything obvious. I still need to test the rear drains (to hopefully avoid water coming in from the rear seatbelt area).


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## scirockalot8v (Sep 16, 2006)

The front drains right at the cowl under the wipers. That's just where it all runs down eventually. Open your hood. Lift up the cowl planting and look towards the a pillar. You will see a black hose with a red flap on it. That's it. Might as well yank the flap off before it clogs shut.

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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

scirockalot8v said:


> The front drains right at the cowl under the wipers. That's just where it all runs down eventually. Open your hood. Lift up the cowl planting and look towards the a pillar. You will see a black hose with a red flap on it. That's it. Might as well yank the flap off before it clogs shut.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


Hey thanks - I'll have a look, and grab some pics!


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## 14thVW (Jul 13, 2018)

There are only 14 2019 Tig owners with sunroof on this board? Please vote if you haven't, the more votes the better the statistics.


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## oscillat0r (Jun 29, 2007)

2019 SE 4 motion
Built: 12/18
Bought: 3/19
~2000 miles

Lives outside in a driveway in Massachusetts

No leaks...


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## stick (May 9, 2002)

2018 SEL 4Motion
~18k mi
Can’t recall build date but I believe it’s June 2017. 

Lives outside, parked nose down on a declined driveway. Leaks like a sieve.


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## noka648 (Sep 3, 2001)

One problem I see with the poll being skewed is from people who voted *no* but experienced a leak after that. It should become a *yes* vote but will not be reflected in the stats.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

Similarly, I voted "no", but only had my vehicle for a month at the time. Some rain during that period, but if it takes a while to clog up, then I could still have a problem in future.


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## JSWTDI09 (Feb 22, 2009)

noka648 said:


> One problem I see with the poll being skewed is from people who voted *no* but experienced a leak after that. It should become a *yes* vote but will not be reflected in the stats.


I have thought about this since this poll started. In these polls there is no way that a person can change their vote.
Perhaps it would have been better if the poll's original question was "Does your Pano roof leak - yet?".
In my experience almost all pano roofs will cause problems eventually. The only real question is when.

Have Fun!

Don


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## JenSnyder1083 (Nov 20, 2017)

2019 SEL P 4 motion 
build date: 02/19
1000 miles
Florida 
Parked outside

Also had a 2018 SEL P 4 motion
build date: 06/17
20,000 miles
Florida 
Parked outside

No issues leaking with either


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

Here's the other thing about this topic in general...

When a significant leak of this type happens, it is a costly problem on the warranty side:

labor
new seals
in many cases hours of diagnosis/ingress locating
carpet replacement
cleaning, drying, "sanitizing", ozonator
lemon law replacement in some cases
...not to mention the horrible customer experience. It's one thing to have LED lighting in the roof disabled, or springs replaced - it's quite another to return to a soaked car and a fishy smell.

So, given the above, if a common issue, you'd have to think a recall or TSB would be in place, but there's not AFAIK.

VW's response suggests this is rare, but I'm not confident about that.


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## CTGeoff (Feb 24, 2015)

phlegm said:


> VW's response suggests this is rare, but I'm not confident about that.


My dealer's service manager said they clean the drain lines during any routine service on Tiguans and Atlas' because of how common the issue is, so there's no denial there.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

CTGeoff said:


> My dealer's service manager said they clean the drain lines during any routine service on Tiguans and Atlas' because of how common the issue is, so there's no denial there.


Thanks for this, and I hope I'm not coming across as super-critical, but it's an important problem. I wonder if your dealer is doing that pro bono, or if there's a secret mandate from VW.


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## 14thVW (Jul 13, 2018)

While I have no leaks in my '19 SEL-P, I'd like to keep it that way. I noticed after a good rain on most of my drive home and parking the Tig in the garage, that in the morning there were puddles of water on the garage floor in front of and slightly inward of the rear tires. I assume this was from the rear sunroof drains. However, during the last 5 miles of my drive home it had stopped raining and indeed had never rained at my house. Therefore the drains had at least 5 minutes to drain but obviously hadn't. Anyway, to make a long story short, has anyone found the *rear* drain flap locations? I'd like to remove the flaps and send a weed trimmer line up them to clean out. One can't get to the drains from above. I assume they're behind the fender lining but that looks like a pain to take off.


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## _chassis_ (Jun 21, 2019)

Does not leak.


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## 20th#726 (Jan 10, 2007)

2019 SEL
Bought early June 2019
We experienced the leak beginning of September 2019
Parked outside day and night (no trees directly above)
I don’t do anything extra to the seals when washing
I haven’t gone through any of the steps posted here as preventative maintenance
I called the dealer to get the car in but they couldn’t get us in for over 2 weeks due to booked schedule. Finally dropped the car off Sat. 9/28. My service advisor told me this is the first Tiguan they have had in for leaking sunroof. They just had a nightmare scenario with a Jetta that VW ended up buying back after a bunch of attempts to repair, and even replaced the entire sunroof twice to no avail. My advisor told me I should have an update today (Monday 9/30) I suppose had I read this entire thread prior, potentially could have avoided this situation by servicing the drains myself. We’ll see what they do to fix the issue. Will update when we get the car back.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

Still no bulletin on this - that seems strange to me.

Also, is the removal of the drain filters a confirmed fix?


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## Drin logu (May 19, 2017)

I just got my sel 2018 back from the dealer. This time they replace the front sunroof glas due to the rubber part on the side completely ripped and letting water in the car and the technician told me that they removed some clips from the drains... this was my 3rd time at the dealer for the same problem. Hopefully this time is fixed for good. Also had a problem with the driver window rattling and of course both sides b pillars rattling at a certain temp 85-90 deegres. Technician told me he went on a test drive a couple of times but he couldn’t duplicate the rattling but its ok, until next summer lol. 


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## 20th#726 (Jan 10, 2007)

Update per the tech at my dealer: “there was a plastic cap on the end of the drains starting to collect dirt and debris. I removed that as well”

He actually started off by saying that the drain comes down the A pillar and drains in to the cowling and that the sunroof drain wasn’t draining as quick as it should be. After clearing the blockage he went on to test the drains after and says they are draining much faster.

I wish I were the one picking up the Tiguan but I won’t be able to get it in time so the Mrs. will be returning the rental car and picking it up. I’d like to see where it drains in the cowling and this cap that collects dirt and debris.


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## 20th#726 (Jan 10, 2007)

phlegm said:


> Still no bulletin on this - that seems strange to me.
> 
> Also, is the removal of the drain filters a confirmed fix?


Actually there is. According to my invoice the # is TSB 2054353. Although I can’t confirm the answer to your second question. My invoice says the cap was clogged and the cap was removed from all 4 water drains. Doesn’t say if they are re-installed.


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## scirockalot8v (Sep 16, 2006)

They dont reinstall them. The "spider traps" have been an issue since mk4's used a nipple style end. 

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## vwman53 (Mar 6, 2003)

My wife's 2019 SE with the pano roof went in 9/16 for my 10K service at 10,100 miles. The day before while cleaning the car I found the passenger rear floor wet. I advised the service writer and asked them to check the sunroof drains. Later that day, they called me, said the carpet and padding were wet, and were starting to mildew. They were planning to replace the carpet, padding, and sunroof drains under warranty. As of yesterday 9/30 the parts were finally received, and they might start work on it Wednesday. My wife is starting to get pissed because we don't have her car which needs to be undercoated and paint protected before winter. The loaner Atlas they put us in is really thirsty.


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## Diego012 (Aug 14, 2019)

Bought our 19 SEL in July. No rain since but I've washed it several times and purposely tried to get it to leak by spraying a heavy stream right on the seals. No leaks.


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## rob454 (Sep 18, 2009)

After no leaks for 1 year and 2 months. I go to install my new Helix sub in the spare tire well, Pulled the tire and found a nice puddle of water inside. Drove it straight to the dealer and let them know it will sit until it gets fixed. Getting really tired of these stupid issues.


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## gmkele (Mar 14, 2019)

*leaking sunroof*

My sunroof leaked about 2 months ago but I did not know until I found molded carpets in the back seat under the wheathertech floor mats. I took the car in to VW. They found the dirty drain caps and after cleaning the water drained better. I was told I would have to come back and leave the car for the day so they could to a more extensive leak check by taking down the headliner and removing the interior trim to try to see where the water was coming in from. I have not made it back in yet but over this past weekend we had a quick but very heavy storm. After the storm I saw water inside. This time I saw it was coming from the rear seat belt cut-outs in the trim. I saw a posting a few messages back where someone else had the same thing. I am glad it happened this time because when I was in a few weeks ago they cleaned the drain tube caps so it can't be that again. When I was in the first time they were not sure they could warranty my damage but this time I can't see how they won't. Even still, the drain tubes are not part of the maintenance schedule so I know I have a case. Interestingly in the manual it says "Passat only" for sunroof drains under maintenance.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

I was worried about this issue with our pano roof.

Heard about the TSB, but there is no online lookup of recalls for Canadian vehicles. (The US VIN lookup indicates Canadian vehicle, and refers you VW Canada, which offers no lookup.)

In any event, brought the vehicle for a door sill LED fix, and asked if there was a roof recall, and sure enough it was there. Had it done today.


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## carbeiter (Jan 21, 2020)

2019 Tiguan SEL-R but same issue has existed for years in Porsche Cayennes (also VW family).
The same drain design at the bottom backs up and comes out in the cabin, cleaning drains out saves a lot of headaches.
I have only had the Tiguan for about 2 weeks now (just looking up common issues) so not sure if the AC system drains through the same hole so that might also be a cause in hot/dry areas but I havent had a chance to see if this is routed to the same drain holes. This is not unique to Tiguans or new to VW


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## marlieetheldog7 (Aug 8, 2020)

I have a 2014 Tiguan Rline The panel roof has leaked in the past. They fixed it no problem. However the hold the roof to drain shrink over time. To replace them it’s $1000. Also included they dried out the rugs. I do not feel I should have to pay for this. I think it should be a recall.


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## Propayne (May 3, 2019)

Yes I actually Jus had my first leak from the passing storm.....rear seat behind passenger is soaked n has gotten mold took to dealership they told me they have so many being reported I would have to wait for two weeks for them to take care of the issue said the carpet is out stock so they told me to come back the week of the 24th so yea just gotta wait and I have a 2019 tiguan R line 


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## ATMT (Aug 23, 2020)

FYI, This is a very common problem in the Alltrack / Sportwagen. I recently started a thread to list the possible causes and chances of a successful repair. https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthr...r-techniques-%96-chances-of-successful-repair
Lots of other threads discuss this at length in the AT/GSW forum. Many people have had their vehicle serviced 4 times and the sunroof still leaks. The Tiguan sunroof design is similar so it sounds like a design flaw that reaches across multiple models.


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## passat911 (Jan 13, 2007)

2020 Tiguan headliner leak. Right side of the headliner stained from the front windshield all the way to the rear hatch. Opened the sunroof only twice, once when we bought the car and second time was when I noticed the staining on the headliner. My car has been at the dealer for 1 week. I’m assuming they had to order a new headliner. Will keep the forum updated once I get the car back. 

Update: Just spoke to the service manager and the problem is with the drain tube being too long which is causing a “kink” and not draining properly by the rear passenger side. They had to order a new headliner and carpeting. Hope this helps.


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## GioDe (Feb 16, 2021)

14thVW said:


> Since there are a lot of people with this concern, how about a poll to see how significant the problem is with the new Tiguan. Not sure how scientific the poll is. Obviously, please respond only if you have a pano roof


I just traded in my 2018 VW GOLF SportWagon yesterday for a 2019 Tiguan SE Sans Panoramic Sunroof. After having my VW Wagon sit in my driveway for months due to the Pandemic. When I finally went in last week it felt like the Amazon Jungle inside due to the humidity. There was mold everywhere. I went back to the VW dealership and traded it in for a 2019 Tiguan without a Sunroof. Man I miss that Pano sunroof. However, its not worth the chance of a leak and $5,000 repair bill if VW does not foot the bill. All the dealerships wanted to lower my trade in value buy $5,000 due to the leak. Anyways, I loved my wagon. This Tiguan is cool no where near as fast as my 18' Golf SportWagon SE with its paddle shifters. Anyways best of luck folks with those leaky VW's. - Gio


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## bbd564aa (Jul 11, 2008)

Looking at leasing a 2021 Tiguan. but don't want to chance a leak. Has VW corrected this problem on new production?


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## DoC0427 (Sep 16, 2019)

bbd564aa said:


> Looking at leasing a 2021 Tiguan. but don't want to chance a leak. Has VW corrected this problem on new production?


Had my 2020 for 6 months, park it outside and it gets lots of direct rain exposure... no leaks at all. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jonese (Jun 21, 2020)

Over the years, I'm aware of several factors that caused leaks in our style of pano roof (VAG's in general I suppose). Major ones that come to mind are:


Detached drain tubes
Blocked drain tubes (at either end, or pinched during assembly)
Cracked or dried gaskets/seals

There are probably more....

You can avoid/prevent a lot of those modes of failure by doing some preventive maintenance.
Some are:

Keep the inner assembly clear of dirt / leafs / twigs. The water needs to flow without restriction to the four corners of the assembly.
Check the exit of the four tubes to make sure they look clean and functional.
Lubricate the assembly see Lubricating sunroof other stuff for some reference.

You may also want to test the assembly by using a bit of clean water and make sure each of the four drain tubes function.

A lot depends on the environment where the vehicle is used. Some may never need to do anything.


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## adread29 (May 19, 2013)

CTGeoff said:


> My dealer's service manager said they clean the drain lines during any routine service on Tiguans and Atlas' because of how common the issue is, so there's no denial there.


Hey, I'm wondering what the outcome was for your leaking sunroof? I'm having the same issue. I no the sunroof is a design issue, so for the dealer to replace it with another OEM is pointless. I'm trying to get them to install an aftermarket one to see if that will solve the issue. If all else fails I'm planning to just get rid of the tiguan. Plz let me know what happened with you.

Thanks


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## GregRob (Dec 16, 2020)

14thVW said:


> While I have no leaks in my '19 SEL-P, I'd like to keep it that way. I noticed after a good rain on most of my drive home and parking the Tig in the garage, that in the morning there were puddles of water on the garage floor in front of and slightly inward of the rear tires. I assume this was from the rear sunroof drains. However, during the last 5 miles of my drive home it had stopped raining and indeed had never rained at my house. Therefore the drains had at least 5 minutes to drain but obviously hadn't. Anyway, to make a long story short, has anyone found the *rear* drain flap locations? I'd like to remove the flaps and send a weed trimmer line up them to clean out. One can't get to the drains from above. I assume they're behind the fender lining but that looks like a pain to take off.


The rear drains are just behind the rear wheel well liners. Look up behind the wheel well liner at the flat undercarriage and you'll see a black drain tube with a red flap.


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## GregRob (Dec 16, 2020)

I removed the rear spider traps on my 2021, but when I reached under the front cowling, I found that the front traps had already been removed by the dealer. The car is new as of December so nobody else has touched the car. I don't know why they would remove the fronts and not the rears. The car is parked in the garage so it never sits outside and I live in Southern California so it never rains.


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## adread29 (May 19, 2013)

adread29 said:


> Hey, I'm wondering what the outcome was for your leaking sunroof? I'm having the same issue. I no the sunroof is a design issue, so for the dealer to replace it with another OEM is pointless. I'm trying to get them to install an aftermarket one to see if that will solve the issue. If all else fails I'm planning to just get rid of the tiguan. Plz let me know what happened with you.
> 
> Thanks


 Update: I completed my own water leak test and found the issue. The rear half of the sunroofs seal is like a foam material and you can actually stick your finger down under it. This is to allow the sunroof to slide back. The problem is that with any type of pressured car wash, rainfall etc, the water can get behind the drain channels and into the headliner. This causes the water to leak out of the rear seat belts. This is a VW design issue. Ima try and get the dealer to replace the seal and see what they can do under the headline to prevent it from leaking again


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## E CODE (Feb 2, 2005)

adread29 said:


> Update: I completed my own water leak test and found the issue. The rear half of the sunroofs seal is like a foam material and you can actually stick your finger down under it. This is to allow the sunroof to slide back. The problem is that with any type of pressured car wash, rainfall etc, the water can get behind the drain channels and into the headliner. This causes the water to leak out of the rear seat belts. This is a VW design issue. Ima try and get the dealer to replace the seal and see what they can do under the headline to prevent it from leaking again


2018 Tig r-line

I just noticed the leak at the passenger rear seatbelt as well after a heavy rain... I don't appear to have any headliner leaks though, at least from what I have been able to feel or see so far. Could my issue just be rear drains clogged? Or do you think it's this design flaw? I've used the roof maybe 6 times ever... 

Tig is only 3 months in my possession and was CPO'd and has VW 5 star extended warranty (and balance of bumper to bumper warranty as well). So I have no doubts it's a warranty issue... However even if they manage to fix it, I'm still stuck with a car that had a half inch of water in the spare tire well at one point.


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## adread29 (May 19, 2013)

E CODE said:


> 2018 Tig r-line
> 
> I just noticed the leak at the passenger rear seatbelt as well after a heavy rain... I don't appear to have any headliner leaks though, at least from what I have been able to feel or see so far. Could my issue just be rear drains clogged? Or do you think it's this design flaw? I've used the roof maybe 6 times ever...
> 
> Tig is only 3 months in my possession and was CPO'd and has VW 5 star extended warranty (and balance of bumper to bumper warranty as well). So I have no doubts it's a warranty issue... However even if they manage to fix it, I'm still stuck with a car that had a half inch of water in the spare tire well at one point.


For me the drains r clean. I poured a cup of water directly in the channels and noticed the water dripping under the car which is normal. It's the rubber seal on the back half of the sunroof. Any kind of pressurized water will pass the drain channels and into the headliner. I have an appt next week so I'll post what they recommend they will do to fix it.


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## E CODE (Feb 2, 2005)

adread29 said:


> For me the drains r clean. I poured a cup of water directly in the channels and noticed the water dripping under the car which is normal. It's the rubber seal on the back half of the sunroof. Any kind of pressurized water will pass the drain channels and into the headliner. I have an appt next week so I'll post what they recommend they will do to fix it.


Does your headliner show any damage or staining at all? Kinda hard to imagine that the water would make it from the roof to halfway down the C pillar without leaving some trace of damage? 

I can't see anything that jumps out at me on mine... But I dropped off at the dealer this afternoon and they are investigating my leak too.


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## adread29 (May 19, 2013)

E CODE said:


> Does your headliner show any damage or staining at all? Kinda hard to imagine that the water would make it from the roof to halfway down the C pillar without leaving some trace of damage?
> 
> I can't see anything that jumps out at me on mine... But I dropped off at the dealer this afternoon and they are investigating my leak too.


It's only done it 3 times. I don't see any staining, but after a hot day it smells very musty inside, so I no its damp up there. Let me know what they offer to fix it.


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## E CODE (Feb 2, 2005)

adread29 said:


> It's only done it 3 times. I don't see any staining, but after a hot day it smells very musty inside, so I no its damp up there. Let me know what they offer to fix it.


Sounds good. I'll see what my dealer says too since the symptoms are the same.


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## E CODE (Feb 2, 2005)

Update on mine... 

They basically performed the TSB for the front tubes on my rears - cleared a blocked right tube and cleaned the left to be same. Removed spider traps on them as well. 

They are running the dehumidifier for the next three days to dry everything out. 

Hopefully no headliner damage and they said that the water wasn't bad enough to soak into the acoustic padding anywhere. 

I will be checking everything on Monday and keeping a close eye on any funky smells or otherwise...


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## adread29 (May 19, 2013)

E CODE said:


> Sounds good. I'll see what my dealer says too since the symptoms are the same.


So I just got my car back. They pulled down the headliner and saw the water pooling up near the sunroof frame. Basically what they told me was that it appeared the drainage tube was kinked. The tube is suppose to run threw a hole but from factory they ran the tube up and around which caused it to have a kink in it. They ran the water test without the headliner and didn't see any water pooling. The moment of truth is when it rains. I'll let you know if it worked. But the manager said he's seen it 3 other times since the new model of tiguan.


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## lgbalfa (Nov 18, 2018)

Mine does not leak.


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