# Sunroof Drain Service Campaign



## Andre VW (Dec 12, 2018)

Was scheduling service online to address a driver door rattle and found this service campaign is happening too. 2019 Atlas SEL with pano roof.











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## teklegion (Dec 30, 2012)

I just had mine serviced at the dealership on Friday for this recall. I've never seen the face your problem but I'm glad I happened

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## 2001 Variant (May 27, 2007)

Andre VW said:


> Was scheduling service online to address a driver door rattle and found this service campaign is happening too. 2019 Atlas SEL with pano roof.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Lol they can’t seem to learn from past mistakes. My wife used to have a 2004 Jetta that had a similar service campaign 10+ years ago as did my 2001 Passat Wagon.


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

teklegion said:


> I just had mine serviced at the dealership on Friday for this recall. I've never seen the face your problem but I'm glad I happened
> ....


It is not a recall if not safety related.


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

2001 Variant said:


> Lol they can’t seem to learn from past mistakes. My wife used to have a 2004 Jetta that had a similar service campaign 10+ years ago as did my 2001 Passat Wagon....


The issue is more the stupid USA owners that park the vehicle with the SR open.


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## vbrad26 (Oct 18, 2009)

When it comes to windows that move, VAG will NEVER figure it out lol.
Glad there is a TSB out on this though...
Our Tiguan pano leaked and I did NOT want another sunroof, but, the wife wants what the wife wants...


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## Watchie (Oct 13, 2019)

*I rarely open my sunroof - still needed?*

I rarely open my sunroof. Any thoughts as to whether this is still needed? 

Second question - is this a "fix" or merely maintenance that has to be repeated? And if the latter, how often???


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## SPAAtlas (Jun 25, 2019)

Watchie said:


> I rarely open my sunroof. Any thoughts as to whether this is still needed?
> 
> Second question - is this a "fix" or merely maintenance that has to be repeated? And if the latter, how often???


Likely maintenance that has to be repeated. You can do it with safety wire or a wire coat hanger. Basically just run it through the drain to make sure there is no blockage.


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## knedrgr (Jun 6, 2011)

anyone knows where the rear drains are located?


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## Hfqkhal (Oct 14, 2018)

SPAAtlas said:


> Likely maintenance that has to be repeated. You can do it with safety wire or a wire coat hanger. Basically just run it through the drain to make sure there is no blockage.


I don’t know about that as they also say possibly modify the drain 


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## Chris4789 (Nov 29, 2017)

Andre, thanks for the post on this, I was not aware of the campaign, my 2018 SEL-P is also affected. 
For those wanting to check, get your VIN and go here: https://www.vw.com/owners-recalls/ this VW site has Recalls and Service Campaigns.

Go here: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?vin=1V2NR2CA4JC535519#vin for the United States Department of Transportation recall site. Note this site may not show service campaigns? The campaign for the sunroom is not posted, however this campaign was only started on 12/03/19 so perhaps it will appear later. It is safe and easy to check both sites. 

For those wanting to clean the drains on their own, the "Sunroof*Cleaning Snake" “VAS 6620” can be purchased here : https://vw.snapon.com/SpecialToolsDetail.aspx?itemId=23380121 for $25 plus shipping. Or as KarstGeo suggested (in a different post), string trimmer line might work. I bought the tool and it appears to be thick trimmer line with a brass fitting on the end which might help getting debris out, I have not yet used it. Now that VW will do the work I'll probably wait until next year to test it.

[Post edited to include the correct Snake link, Thanks to Reihenmotor5 for catching the error]


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## KarstGeo (Jan 19, 2018)

I am thinking the modification is removal of the "spider traps" - red caps on the ends of the drain lines under the vehicle. Very common issue on the Golf Alltrack/Sportwagens that have had a lot of sunroof drain issues. When I cleaned mine out a few months ago, I started by just pouring water in to check for drainage. Then I did the trimmer line. Then I used compressed air. Finally I poured water back down.

Does anyone know/can post info on where the rear drains are in the sunroof frame? I only messed with my fronts b/c I couldn't find the rears (does it not have them?).


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## SPAAtlas (Jun 25, 2019)

I ran my VIN through the recall list, and it cam back with nothing.


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## Hfqkhal (Oct 14, 2018)

SPAAtlas said:


> I ran my VIN through the recall list, and it cam back with nothing.


Did you run it at the VW owner recall site. Mine came in as one to need to be checked 


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## KarstGeo (Jan 19, 2018)

SPAAtlas said:


> I ran my VIN through the recall list, and it cam back with nothing.


It's not a recall, it's a service campaign.

https://www.vw.com/owners/recalls/


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## SPAAtlas (Jun 25, 2019)

KarstGeo said:


> It's not a recall, it's a service campaign.
> 
> https://www.vw.com/owners/recalls/


Doesn't come up with recalls or anything under the service campaign.


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## knedrgr (Jun 6, 2011)

SPAAtlas said:


> Doesn't come up with recalls or anything under the service campaign.


My 2018 LE showed up.


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## SPAAtlas (Jun 25, 2019)

I had mine in for the N80 valve 2 weeks ago. Maybe they took care of it then?


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## knedrgr (Jun 6, 2011)

SPAAtlas said:


> I had mine in for the N80 valve 2 weeks ago. Maybe they took care of it then?


Mine was taken care of long ago, but still shows for the recent announcement.


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## Reihenmotor5 (Dec 1, 2006)

Chris4789 said:


> Andre, thanks for the post on this, I was not aware of the campaign, my 2018 SEL-P is also affected.
> For those wanting to check, get your VIN and go here: https://www.vw.com/owners-recalls/ this VW site has Recalls and Service Campaigns.
> 
> Go here: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?vin=1V2NR2CA4JC535519#vin for the United States Department of Transportation recall site. Note this site may not show service campaigns? The campaign for the sunroom is not posted, however this campaign was only started on 12/03/19 so perhaps it will appear later. It is safe and easy to check both sites.
> ...


Your link was going to an oil filter adapter, here’s the sunroof snake:

https://vw.snapon.com/SpecialToolsDetail.aspx?itemId=23380121

Had this same “recall” done on my Tiguan last week. 


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## KarstGeo (Jan 19, 2018)

SPAAtlas said:


> Doesn't come up with recalls or anything under the service campaign.


Well then it likely doesn't need whatever they do to it and came that way.


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## mrremus007 (Nov 14, 2019)

KarstGeo said:


> I am thinking the modification is removal of the "spider traps" - red caps on the ends of the drain lines under the vehicle. Very common issue on the Golf Alltrack/Sportwagens that have had a lot of sunroof drain issues. When I cleaned mine out a few months ago, I started by just pouring water in to check for drainage. Then I did the trimmer line. Then I used compressed air. Finally I poured water back down.
> 
> Does anyone know/can post info on where the rear drains are in the sunroof frame? I only messed with my fronts b/c I couldn't find the rears (does it not have them?).




I had mine addressed on Monday, when I was at the dealership for something else. The service tech described the same as KarstGeo mentioned - removal of the "spider traps".


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## diesel_sipper (Feb 22, 2018)

I would get this done...and I wish there was a TSB a few months ago when my front two floor pans were filled with water. Had to fight the dealer to cover the cleaning, and I ended up having to remove both front seats and floor padding and drying them manually myself in the garage. Ridiculous on a 50k truck. Sometimes I can only shake my head at VW engineering. No issues since then, but I couldn't believe the issue I had on an MK5 jetta is still happening in 2019.


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

diesel_sipper said:


> I would get this done...and I wish there was a TSB a few months ago when my front two floor pans were filled with water. Had to fight the dealer to cover the cleaning, and I ended up having to remove both front seats and floor padding and drying them manually myself in the garage. Ridiculous on a 50k truck. Sometimes I can only shake my head at VW engineering. No issues since then, but I couldn't believe the issue I had on an MK5 jetta is still happening in 2019.


So, you think VW designs the SRs? So, you think the SR in a VW is any different than any other make? Are you one of those weirdos that leaves their SR open when parked?


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## 16v of Fury (Feb 15, 2008)

*Longevity of Atlas sunroof leak repair?*

We just bought my wife a new 2019 Atlas.

Less than 2 weeks after purchase, we noticed a water leak on the passenger side down onto the rear-most pillar (C pillar?), inside the vehicle where the headliner meets the trim.

We took it back to the dealership for a warranty repair - we were told that drain was clogged, and that they are installing some sort of factory water leak repair kit, as well as a brand new headliner.

Some questions:

- Has anyone had this done?

- What is the factory repair kit, and how does it work differently to the way the sunroof drains were originally installed?

- Does this repair hold up over time?

Obviously we are concerned that this repair was not installed from the factory, and that we will end up back at the dealership for another warranty repair due to water leaks in a year or two.

Appreciate any input you can share.


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## mhjett (Oct 16, 2000)

Hard to know what part they are repairing without any more info. Do you have the part number for the kit?

I've read that one of the main issues with Golf (and possibly Tiguan) leaks are cracks in the water channel of the frame, and there's a kit to repair them - 

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-volkswagen-audi-parts/repair-kit/5gm898041a/

I don't know if the Atlas uses the same pano roof frame or if that issue affects the Atlas too, or whether that was your issue. If your issue was a crack in the frame then there's no reason the "kit" would have been installed from the factory -- you wouldn't fix cracks that aren't there. 

You said your car had a clogged drain, which would just mean there was junk in there that needed to be cleaned out. There's a VW special tool for cleaning junk out of the drains, but you don't need a "kit" to clean a clogged drain, you just snake it. 

https://vw.snapon.com/SpecialToolsDetail.aspx?itemId=23380121

Maybe you can get more clarity from your dealer if you're concerned about longevity of the fix. You should be getting an invoice with more details and the kit part number.


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## 16v of Fury (Feb 15, 2008)

Thank you.

Some Google’ing tells me that there is a history of leaks from panoramic sunroofs installed in many VW models going many years back. That includes Golf’s, Passat’s, Atlas’s, Tiguan’s, etc.

All I know at the moment is that we were told one of the drains was clogged, and that they are installing a VW repair kit.

We don’t have the Atlas back yet so I don’t have any paperwork to refer to - but I will definitely take a look at the invoice, that’s a good point, as well as climbing up to look into the sunroof channels.

Very disappointing that this has happened so early in our ownership. My wife is quite upset, as she loves VW’s and intends/intended to own this Atlas for a long time to come.

The snake tool link is very helpful, thanks.

I will update when I know more.

Appreciate the help!


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## 16v of Fury (Feb 15, 2008)

Oh, I also wanted to ask...


... any reason I cannot clean the drains by blowing them out with compressed air?

I have a compressor with a long nose attachment that would be perfect for the purpose.


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## 16v of Fury (Feb 15, 2008)

Just found this.

Does this repair / drain service fix the leaking?

Our 2019, purchased new, is in for this repair less than 2 weeks after purchase.


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

16v of Fury said:


> Oh, I also wanted to ask...
> 
> 
> ... any reason I cannot clean the drains by blowing them out with compressed air?
> ...


What is your opinion of the drain tubes being blown apart with an air stream in areas you can't get to easily? BTW, if you don't let dirt into the drain system you don't have an issue. (Don't be one of those idiots that leave their vehicle parked all day with the roof cracked open)


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## Andre VW (Dec 12, 2018)

The TSB for this cleans the drains and removes the little tiny rubber flaps at the end of the drain tubes. 

I noticed my dealer did not remove the tiny rubber flaps when they peformed this TSB. I ended up taking them out myself. 30 sec job. 


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## mhjett (Oct 16, 2000)

It's hopeful if they said it was a clog that it was just junk inside the tube. If so, I'm stumped on the kit, though.. 

I'd probably avoid compressed air. There's probably a reason why VW calls for a snake tool and not air, plus you could run the risk of blowing a tube loose. 

I do my own maintenance and thought about investing in the VW snake tool, since it's so cheap, but our car is garaged day and night except when driving, so I don't think we run the risk of collecting much debris in the drains.


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## mhjett (Oct 16, 2000)

Andre VW said:


> The TSB for this cleans the drains and removes the little tiny rubber flaps at the end of the drain tubes.
> 
> I noticed my dealer did not remove the tiny rubber flaps when they peformed this TSB. I ended up taking them out myself. 30 sec job.


How easy was this? Can you explain (or post photos) of how to do this? It's been advised to remove these flaps going way back to the mkIII Golf/Jetta; they seem to serve no purpose except for collecting junk and blocking drainage.


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## mhjett (Oct 16, 2000)

See this for more, if you haven't already - 

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?9367267-Sunroof-Drain-Service-Campaign&p=114149015


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## Watchie (Oct 13, 2019)

For what it's worth, I have a Sept. 2019 build SEL R-line with the pano roof. A couple weeks ago I went over to the local VW dealer to have the recall work performed to prevent any leaking. My understanding was that generally there was a rerouting and also a removal of a screen on the lines.

Once there, however, I was suprised to learn that my call was not on the list for needing the work. The service advisor "guessed" that this meant whatever issues these sunroofs in general were having had been corrected at the factory.

For the original poster, what was the build date of your car? I ask as I am curious if indeed what the SA told me was correct.


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## Andre VW (Dec 12, 2018)

mhjett said:


> How easy was this? Can you explain (or post photos) of how to do this? It's been advised to remove these flaps going way back to the mkIII Golf/Jetta; they seem to serve no purpose except for collecting junk and blocking drainage.


Here are official instructions. Very easy to remove the flaps.

 https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10169123-0001.pdf


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## mhjett (Oct 16, 2000)

Andre VW said:


> Here are official instructions. Very easy to remove the flaps.
> 
> https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10169123-0001.pdf


That's great, thanks! :thumbup:


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## shadytheatlas (Jul 5, 2018)

Are there no drains toward the back of the vehicle?


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## knedrgr (Jun 6, 2011)

shadytheatlas said:


> Are there no drains toward the back of the vehicle?


There are, but one of the tech had mentioned they're hidden under the second pano glass.


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## 16v of Fury (Feb 15, 2008)

Mine is a late 2019 build. I don’t know the exact date.

But mine also was not supposed to have any recalls or services due, upon delivery.

We are picking it up in a few days.


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## shadytheatlas (Jul 5, 2018)

knedrgr said:


> There are, but one of the tech had mentioned they're hidden under the second pano glass.


Do the flaps on the rear drains not need to be removed?

Anyone think there is a possibility that the drains are not capable of handling the volume of water in a heavy rain? I’ve lost track of all the cars I have owned with sunroofs. I have never had a sunroof leak. This includes 80s and 90s GMs and Fords. In 2020 how does a manufacturer have leaky sunroofs?


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## Watchie (Oct 13, 2019)

Given mine, too, was a late 2019 build (Sept.) I am not a bit concerned, particularly given that mine is not on the list for a remediation. I hope there isn't a lingering problem...


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## VW/Porsche Fahrer (Dec 14, 2011)

shadytheatlas said:


> Do the flaps on the rear drains not need to be removed?
> 
> Anyone think there is a possibility that the drains are not capable of handling the volume of water in a heavy rain? I’ve lost track of all the cars I have owned with sunroofs. I have never had a sunroof leak. This includes 80s and 90s GMs and Fords. In 2020 how does a manufacturer have leaky sunroofs?


For many years there have been minimal problems with traditional smaller sunroofs. The real problems are with larger panoramic sunroofs. They are much more likely to break or leak. This happens with many car brands. For this reason I avoid any model with a panoramic sunroof. Unfortunately with VW, this means I will not be a able to get the features of the higher trim levels since these come with the sunroof. I have a 2016 Audi A6 and a 2008 Porsche 911S . Both have smaller sunroofs and are trouble free. I have never used the standard sunroof in either car. My 2016 Golf S has no sunroof and is an absolutely trouble free car.

Some articles on panoramic sunroof breakage and other issues....

https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/laminated-glass-reduce-risk-exploding-sunroofs/

https://www.classaction.org/blog/dr...are-exploding-is-anything-being-done-about-it

https://www.topgearbox.com/cars/your-car/6-reasons-to-avoid-a-panoramic-roof/


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## Reihenmotor5 (Dec 1, 2006)

VW/Porsche Fahrer said:


> For many years there have been minimal problems with traditional smaller sunroofs. The real problems are with larger panoramic sunroofs. They are much more likely to break or leak. This happens with many car brands. For this reason I avoid any model with a panoramic sunroof. Unfortunately with VW, this means I will not be a able to get the features of the higher trim levels since these come with the sunroof. I have a 2016 Audi A6 and a 2008 Porsche 911S . Both have smaller sunroofs and are trouble free. I have never used the standard sunroof in either car. My 2016 Golf S has no sunroof and is an absolutely trouble free car.
> 
> Some articles on panoramic sunroof breakage and other issues....
> 
> ...


Since you mention breakage of tempered glass, would tinting help prevent or potentially increase the chance of breakage?


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## mhjett (Oct 16, 2000)

shadytheatlas said:


> Anyone think there is a possibility that the drains are not capable of handling the volume of water in a heavy rain? I’ve lost track of all the cars I have owned with sunroofs. I have never had a sunroof leak. This includes 80s and 90s GMs and Fords. In 2020 how does a manufacturer have leaky sunroofs?


I don't think it's the volume of water, it's debris clogging the flaps that can cause backups.


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## Hfqkhal (Oct 14, 2018)

mhjett said:


> I don't think it's the volume of water, it's debris clogging the flaps that can cause backups.


Ok let’s put this in perspective. Have a 2008 MB E class and a 2014 E class they both requires a roof service every 2 years to clean, lubricate and make sure the drains are not clogged. My old Nissan Murano also needed the roof service. Just think, the house guitars and how much larger they are they need to also be cleaned. So it should be no surprise that our cars need such too. 


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## VW/Porsche Fahrer (Dec 14, 2011)

Reihenmotor5 said:


> Since you mention breakage of tempered glass, would tinting help prevent or potentially increase the chance of breakage?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I doubt it. Tempered glass generally breaks from a concentrated stress point such as a chip. Any road debris such as a stone with a sharp point can destroy sunroof glass. The side windows in cars are tempered. All one needs to do is hit the glass with a sharp pointed object and they will break into many, relatively rounded small pieces. Windshields are two pieces of glass with an adhesive film in between. They shatter but the shards are held together by the film. This design hopes to minimize lacerations and crushing of one's skull in the case of a severe accident.


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## brettruff (Feb 29, 2020)

*2019 new atlas sunroof problems*

I just bought a brand new Atlas and the sunroof and sunshade don't work. i'm wondering if it is locked or something or if its defective. just wanted to check if it is something easy before i take it in for warranty since the dealer is and hour away. i have looked on google and my owners manual and i can't find anything.

I bought my first VW last week and its a Passat TDI. I love it and i love Volkswagen now

Thanks,
Brett


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

I will assume you checked the OM on how to operate it and then check the fuse.


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## vw_service_advisor (Aug 10, 2017)

This is the official description of the 60E5 Service Action: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10169126-0001.pdf

If your dealership refers to a repair kit or procedure that is out for your vin # on an Atlas or late model Tiguan this is the only thing I can think of that they’d be referring to.

I’d say with a pretty high degree of confidence that this is out to prevent future issues with water leaks, not to address any current rash of an especially high number of water leaks on these models.

I just haven’t seen more leaky Atlases or Tiguans than I usually do, certainly nothing like the number of repairs and headliner jobs we did on Alltracks in Spring 2018 in my area. Those were dark times lol.

At the same time, VW has been making a concerted effort to spend less money on expensive warranty water leak repairs, especially those that require headliner replacement because those are pricey jobs even at warranty pricing. We noticed this maybe a year ago when headliner jobs that VW used to pay X for now pay X minus a hundred or so dollars.

If I’m right on that, it would make economic sense for VW to proactively address drains that clog easily on a group of vehicles they’ve warrantied for 72K miles. 

That said, whether or not your vehicle is parked under trees on a regular basis will make a bigger difference in its future ability to drain water from around the sunroof than any modifications VW does or does not want to do on that drainage system.

As far as leaks from sunroofs as a VW issue the water leak specialist we bring in for these repairs is hard to get a hold of after any weekend of heavy rain, because he’s at other dealerships that sell other types of cars fixing water leaks.

I’ve asked him if our cars are more leak prone than others and he always says the issue is more in how vehicles are constructed these days, with larger gaps between main structural components, than this or that brand.


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## mhjett (Oct 16, 2000)

vw_service_advisor said:


> This is the official description of the 60E5 Service Action: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10169126-0001.pdf


That's for the Tiguan; 60E2 is the Atlas -

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10169122-0001.pdf

I just did this myself to our car, took about 30 seconds. Pretty easy.


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## vw_service_advisor (Aug 10, 2017)

mhjett said:


> vw_service_advisor said:
> 
> 
> > This is the official description of the 60E5 Service Action: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10169126-0001.pdf
> ...


Thanks for the correction. And that pays 0.5 hrs sir so you are beating the book lol.


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## Mustang Matt (Mar 26, 2019)

Took mine in for squeaking and creaking and there were 5 recalls waiting to be applied. One was for sunroof.


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## mhjett (Oct 16, 2000)

vw_service_advisor said:


> Thanks for the correction. And that pays 0.5 hrs sir so you are beating the book lol.


Plenty of time left for a :beer:.


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## Pnvwfun (Jan 22, 2018)

Take this recall seriously. I got the notice but was too busy to schedule service right away. We went out of town for a week and while it was raining outside, all of a sudden water started dripping from the overhead control console. I called and got an appointment for when we returned. They ended up having to remove the overhead liner to dry things out and replace the carpeting because it was getting moldy. I had issues with moisture inside the windshield prior to this, so it had been happening unbeknownst to me. It took more than a week to get this done because they had to order new carpet. They also did the Cat recall while it was there. At least I had a loaner car for about 6 days.

It didn't cost me anything, but they said they removed the traps and it won't happen again.


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## Reihenmotor5 (Dec 1, 2006)

Yea and make sure they do all of them, apparently the dealer I went to for the recall only did the backs and not the fronts so I had the issue with the front later on. 


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