# Roof or no roof?



## thewire (Nov 24, 2018)

What is the general consensus? Different on price is $900. Worth getting it even with all the leak story I heard?


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## moveingfaster (Oct 4, 2006)

thewire said:


> What is the general consensus? Different on price is $900. Worth getting it even with all the leak story I heard?


I’d still get it. It’s worth it to me. My child loves to look out it all the time. I would not worry about it. 

Paul 


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## JSWTDI09 (Feb 22, 2009)

Panoramic sunroofs are cool. I had one in my old JSW. However, they can be troublesome (leaks, squeaks, and other failures). My Tiguan does NOT have the pano roof because I live in the desert. If you live in a hot sunny climate the pano roof is an oven maker. Like most things in life, it has good points and bad points and everybody has to weigh them both and then hope they are not disappointed by the results. No pano roof means one less thing that can (and probably eventually will) fail. IMHO, the answer to your question has a lot to do with where you live and how long you think you will keep the car.

Have Fun!

Don


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## Masterchief1804 (Feb 19, 2009)

thewire said:


> What is the general consensus? Different on price is $900. Worth getting it even with all the leak story I heard?


I'd also agree on getting it. Only reason we didn't get it was because my girl didn't care for it and well she was going to pay for the car lol. 

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## socialD (Sep 19, 2011)

Absolutely worth it. Though I'm also not crazy enough to keep a first year VW long term...


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## thewire (Nov 24, 2018)

thanks for responses. I am debating. At the end of day, no roof one less thing to worry but ya it's nice though darn!


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## D3Audi (Feb 18, 2016)

Do you want it? You're going to be the one driving it daily. 

I didn't get it on purpose because it will cause issues at some point in the life of the vehicle. Sunroofs always do. I think the cons far outweigh the pros with a pano roof (especially on a VAG product). 

Pros:
- More light let in

- Makes cabin feel bigger

- Nice to open it on a nice day/evening

- Visibility (seeing sky scrapers, birds, planes, etc if that matters to you)

Cons:

- In winter the vehicle will lose heat through the roof and won't warm up as quickly. 

- In summer the vehicle will be difficult to keep cool - even with the sunshade closed. 

- potential for leaks

- potential for squeaks/rattles

- added road noise

- long term reliability 

- safety

- roof cross bars/attachments

Honestly I'm very anti sunroof. I would've bought an SEL if I could've gotten it without a sunroof. It really ticks me off how sunroofs are standard on higher trims. Not everyone wants them. They're awful things. awful awful... Had a panoramic sunroof in my Audi Q7 - it leaked and caused thousands in damage to the electronics system. All out of my pocket too since it was out of warranty. So never again will I own a sunroof. I'm also planning to keep my Tig well after the warranty expires. So not having a sunroof is just one less thing to worry about. 


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## JSWTDI09 (Feb 22, 2009)

D3Audi said:


> I would've bought an SEL if I could've gotten it without a sunroof. It really ticks me off how sunroofs are standard on higher trims. Not everyone wants them. ....I'm also planning to keep my Tig well after the warranty expires. So not having a sunroof is just one less thing to worry about.


I agree completely with the above. I might even have bought an SEL-P if no pano was an option. I did not buy an SE to save money.

Have Fun!

Don


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## Passatsquared (Oct 26, 2014)

I live in fla. And the heat buildup is not as big a deal as all claim.

How do i know?
My blue with black and tan interior passat se with no roof vs my gray with black interior and sunroofed passat sel-p.

They were both equally hot.

Also i have never had a problem cooling or heating any of my 5 new vws (with and without sunroofs). Most of the sun comes in through the side, front and rear windows. 

The pano is really nice in my wife's atlas and my tiguan. No noise or leaks.

In all fairness, i have not had one for more than 2yrs or so.


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## gerardrjj (Sep 4, 2014)

thewire said:


> What is the general consensus? Different on price is $900. Worth getting it even with all the leak story I heard?


100% love the acre of glass over my head and it would be a completely different car without it. Could it leak? Sure. Will it? Don't know and that's why I have a warranty.

I live in the Phoenix, AZ area and the summer head here was still quite controlled by the car's AC, I did close the shade during the mid-day hours as it was a little intense.


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## i_am_sam_i_am (Nov 2, 2017)

Passatsquared said:


> I live in fla. And the heat buildup is not as big a deal as all claim.


I have to agree. I live in an area with a hot climate for most of the year. I’ve owned vehicles both with an without sunroofs and the difference is negligible if even noticeable. As mentioned, the sun is primarily heating through the other windows and the windshield. 

I have never had an issue on any of the four vehicles I’ve owned long term with a sunroof. That includes Volkswagen as well as other manufacturers. Of course, being on this Forum we (should) all know that not everyone’s experience is the same. 

I love it, and I was very happy when I saw it was included as part of my trim.


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## Smokeybeetleman (Aug 13, 2018)

Passatsquared said:


> I live in fla. And the heat buildup is not as big a deal as all claim.
> 
> How do i know?
> My blue with black and tan interior passat se with no roof vs my gray with black interior and sunroofed passat sel-p.
> ...


I live in FL as well and agree with this. My roof is also tinted.


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## socialD (Sep 19, 2011)

Yeah neither heat nor cold have been a problem that the vehicle's a/c couldn't handle. And opening it is an excellent way to vent out a lot of heat quickly in summer. I've also had sunroofs on 20 year old cars that were even starting to rust around the lip, but none of them leaked.

But I could see how one especially bad experience could mentally scar you D3.


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## thewire (Nov 24, 2018)

Thanks all. I ended up without roof as it's cheaper and my wife said nah


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## lgbalfa (Nov 18, 2018)

[HR][/HR]

The sunroof is huge and makes any car with it more luxurious.


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## rkfast (Jun 28, 2018)

I think they are really cool but I passed because Im a cyclist and always have a roof rack on my vehicle of some sort.


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## Amirko (Jan 2, 2019)

I hate it passionately. I know it makes little difference in terms of heat buildup (I live in South Florida), still can't help it. YMMD but for us its #1 rule when looking for a new car is "no S.R.". We bought our SE -- not SEL/SEL-P precisely because at the end of the year non-S.R.'ed SELs and SEL-Ps were not available locally.


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## jimothy cricket (Jul 9, 2008)

JSWTDI09 said:


> If you live in a hot sunny climate the pano roof is an oven maker.


https://www.amazon.com/Anti-UV-Tent-Waterproof-Foldable-Protective/dp/B07CWFRRB4


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## Crappie man (Nov 22, 2018)

I love my roof. Wouldn't get without it. Had mine only a month and I love the light it let's in and used it twice in last month on 2 nice days we had I opened it.


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## PeteC (Jun 13, 2013)

jimothy cricket said:


> https://www.amazon.com/Anti-UV-Tent-Waterproof-Foldable-Protective/dp/B07CWFRRB4


I knew cars needed umbrella too!! 
Imagine if it opens while you are driving or the wind takes it while your are parking. Oh, such fun.


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## IbsFt (Dec 15, 2018)

Risk vs reward. $900 option, what is the reward, is it worth it?

Lets ignore the VW recall and the "exploding" roof lawsuit against VW... What happens to the roof in an accident? What about in a roll over event? What happens when a piece of gravel or debris kicked up by another motorist hits it? What about large hail? What are the costs associated with maintenance / repairs to the roof? What is the replacement cost of the glass? What can go wrong? Leaks? Broken motor? Etc.

All of us are great drivers so we don't think we'll get in an accident , but I a week ago I saw two hapless motorists get tee boned at a intersection where another motorist blew through a red light. It is cold out right now so to sit in a wrecked vehicle waiting for emergency services, freezing your butt off because it no longer has a roof is not my idea of a good time. Stuff happens that we cannot control.

The sun roof reduces rear head room, enough so that one of my sons and myself cannot sit comfortably back there. I could see getting a metal sun roof if it didn't reduce headroom, but a huge sheet of glass over the occupants heads in a vehicle, no thanks.


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## Ace Deprave (Jun 8, 2012)

I had the panoramic sunroof in my Alltrack and it started leaking at 5k miles, and VW eventually bought the car back. When we were looking at Tiguans for my wife, we were specific about getting an SE without the sunroof.


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## thewire (Nov 24, 2018)

yea. I bought one without moonroof. However, i look into it and i found a lot other cars not just VW have leak issue as well. Not sure why. I had a 1986 Toyota Supra with Moonroof back in 1999. That thing never leaks and work wonderfully. 

Why lol


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## PZ (May 9, 2002)

IbsFt said:


> What about in a roll over event? What happens when a piece of gravel or debris kicked up by another motorist hits it? What about large hail?


 I can answer this, but only on a standard sunroof. I rolled my previous B5 Passat sedan and it ended up hood down, with a broken windshield and dented roof. Despite that, the sunroof was fine. My current B5 Passat wagon has had kicked up gravel, rocks and medium (nickel-quarter) sized hail hit it many times without any cracks. The only leak was from a plugged drain in the front door well. I only used the sunroof to vent the car when it was parked outside on hot days and sightseeing so my wife could stand on the seat and take pictures (with the car stopped). 

My wife's 05 Golf Sunroof leaked from the drain tubes at the sunroof. This was due to the rubber grommets loosing their tightness after 9-10 years, I need to pull the headliner and seal the connection with silicone. My wife only used the sunroof on a few occasions and never after my son made a comment about bird poop 

While I like the look of a panoramic roof, I am not sure it will be problem free for the 15 years we plan to keep it.


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## TiggySUV (Dec 29, 2018)

Ace Deprave said:


> I had the panoramic sunroof in my Alltrack and it started leaking at 5k miles, and VW eventually bought the car back. When we were looking at Tiguans for my wife, we were specific about getting an SE without the sunroof.


Same with me.. I'm in the process of having VW buy-back my Golf SportWagen with a sunroof due to a leak that couldn't be fixed. My last 5 cars (Audis) have all had sunroofs, and so I didn't think anything of buying a VW with one as well. That was a mistake. I'm currently looking at Tiguan SEs without sunroofs..


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## IbsFt (Dec 15, 2018)

PZ said:


> I can answer this, but only on a standard sunroof. I rolled my previous B5 Passat sedan and it ended up hood down, with a broken windshield and dented roof. Despite that, the sunroof was fine. My current B5 Passat wagon has had kicked up gravel, rocks and medium (nickel-quarter) sized hail hit it many times without any cracks. The only leak was from a plugged drain in the front door well. I only used the sunroof to vent the car when it was parked outside on hot days and sightseeing so my wife could stand on the seat and take pictures (with the car stopped).
> 
> My wife's 05 Golf Sunroof leaked from the drain tubes at the sunroof. This was due to the rubber grommets loosing their tightness after 9-10 years, I need to pull the headliner and seal the connection with silicone. My wife only used the sunroof on a few occasions and never after my son made a comment about bird poop
> 
> While I like the look of a panoramic roof, I am not sure it will be problem free for the 15 years we plan to keep it.


 That is a bit reassuring. Did the Passat have the huge "panoramic" sun roof or just a normal sized one? I find it hard to believe that the panoramic glass roof can support the weight of the vehicle in a rollover without breaking.

Around here in Michigan everybody has to replace their windshield sooner or later. Might the sun roof last because it is less likely to take a straight on hit at speed like a windshield does, I don't know, but I also wouldn't want to find the hard way.

To each their own, everyone does whatever makes them happy. That said, people too often make a decision with little thought to all the consequences of their choice. Like those in the "exploding" sun roof lawsuit, I have little sympathy for them "not being informed by VW" that their GLASS sun roof can break. WOAH, who'd have thunk glass can break???? :facepalm:


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## D3Audi (Feb 18, 2016)

IbsFt said:


> To each their own, everyone does whatever makes them happy. That said, people too often make a decision with little thought to all the consequences of their choice. Like those in the "exploding" sun roof lawsuit, I have little sympathy for them "not being informed by VW" that their GLASS sun roof can break. WOAH, who'd have thunk glass can break???? :facepalm:


Exactly. The exploding sunroof issue is kinda scary. If they can explode after hitting a bump. I can only imagine how they are in a roll over. https://youtu.be/XFOQbPhMHbk

They are reinforced on the roof though and the structural rigidity is designed around having a sunroof.

But still there's no replacement for steel and glass isnt nearly as strong. 

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## kirk_augustin (Jul 21, 2012)

Sun roofs are always extremely stupid.
It is not just that they leak, but the wind, dust, heat, light, etc. is all bad.
No one is going to look up while driving, as that causes motion sickness.
And ever try to see your cellphone screen in the sunlight from the sun roof?
It makes it much harder.
You want the inside of the vehicle to be darker, that help you to see out the windows, without as much internal reflection.
And absolutely every sunroof will fail eventually.
It is just a matter of time, especially in the winter, with alternate melting and freezing.
They also add about 50 lbs to the weight, and reduce the resale by 10%.


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## cometguy (Jul 29, 2018)

One of the big things that hasn't been mentioned here is that sunroofs and moonroofs are very hard to keep clean. They don't look so great when they are really dirty (and have bird droppings on them). I've had two cars with the smaller sunroofs (over front seat), both with hard, opaque covers that you close by hand and keep 100% of the light out from the roof -- plus, they make you feel better because they are much more surrounded by structural steel than the panoramic roofs and can't break as easily because the glass area is much smaller. I bought both those cars because I got good deals at the dealership, and I liked the rest of the cars even though I didn't really want any glass in my roof. In both these cars, I rarely opened the sunroof, over many years -- both because I didn't really want the sunlight shining in directly and created glare, etc., but also because I don't want to risk bird crap, falling branches, etc., falling into the car. My most recent car has more of a panoramic roof with the soft, translucent fabric coverings that close via motors to cover the glass. In such cases, if the glass breaks, it can more easily break through the thin fabric, and the bright sun isn't totally blocked out by the translucent coverings. Again, the car came with the panoramic roof standard, so I either had to choose the car with it, or not get the car at all. I've not had problems with any of my glass roofs, but that may well be because I open the glass so very rarely (not more than 10 times in 20 years over 3 cars). The underlying cover I open more often, but opening the glass is very rare for me. I can see that opening the glass roof a lot would increase the potential for leaks, the motor breaking, etc. What they all have in common is that they are very hard to keep clean; nobody wants to look out a dirty glass roof.

I agree that a nice, clean panoramic glass roof looks awesome, and it's surely wonderful when driving in Manhatten or in the Rocky Mountains for back-seat passengers, and it may help increase trade-in or resale value. But I just don't want the hassles, personally. I'll opt out of a sunroof or moonroof every time if given the option, and save the money and the potential problems.


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## i_am_sam_i_am (Nov 2, 2017)

kirk_augustin said:


> Sun roofs are always extremely stupid.


That’s a blanket statement, and one that’s based on your own opinion. Nothing is “always” good or bad (or “stupid”), but rather their value is defined by the experience of the user. 



kirk_augustin said:


> It is not just that they leak, but the wind, dust, heat, light, etc. is all bad.


I have owned several cars (4) with sunroofs and never had an issue with leaking on any of them. In addition most of the my friends and relatives all own vehicles with sunroofs and none of them have ever had an issue either. That’s not to say others haven’t had a bad experience with theirs, only that I’ve never had a leak or seen one firsthand in my own experiences. 

With regard to “wind, dust, heat, light, etc.”, I can only assume you’ve never heard of a convertible. Where I live, people put a premium on the open air. 



kirk_augustin said:


> No one is going to look up while driving, as that causes motion sickness.


You’re right, no one looks up while driving. But my kids do every day from their seats, and my panoramic roof gives me a sense of increased spaciousness just by being open which I absolutely love. 



kirk_augustin said:


> And ever try to see your cellphone screen in the sunlight from the sun roof?
> It makes it much harder.


Much in the same way using your cellphone outside a car does? It doesn’t. 
More importantly, just like I’m not looking up while driving, I’m also not looking at my cellphone.




kirk_augustin said:


> You want the inside of the vehicle to be darker, that help you to see out the windows, without as much internal reflection.


I’m driving a vehicle not sitting in a movie theater. I’ve driven delivery vans. You know, those ones without side or rear windows. I can’t say that my driving improved because it was “darker” from my seat. I did feel a bit weird about handing out candy to kids though. /s



kirk_augustin said:


> And absolutely every sunroof will fail eventually.
> It is just a matter of time, especially in the winter, with alternate melting and freezing.


This is simply false. Well, I guess not entirely false. Everything in the universe fails “in a matter of time”. 



kirk_augustin said:


> They also add about 50 lbs to the weight, and reduce the resale by 10%.


I’m driving my kids to school in a mid-size SUV. I’m not too concerned with an additional 50lbs of weight. And in fact, When I leave my wife at home, I shave off twice that amount. 
And with regard to resale value, it’s actually one of the features that can increase the value of your car. Not sure where you got your data from, but I’m open to having a look.

Ultimately, I’m open to other people’s opinions and love to hear/read about their own experiences. However, the tone of your post made it seem as though you were attempting to pass opinion as fact and I think that’s unfair to the readers of this Forum who genuinely want to know/learn more.


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## socialD (Sep 19, 2011)

Gotta wonder if some of the naysayers have ever even driven a vehicle with a sunroof with claims like that.

And as far as resale value a 2018 SE with Sunroof is valued $500 higher than one without per a quick KBB check so 

I wouldn't get one in an actual sports car where 50lbs up top may actually be noticeable, but a mid size SUV, not a concern at all.


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## synmag (Jan 21, 2019)

*I'm a bit conflicted about the pano roofs as well*

I am over six feet tall and always had regular sunroofs as I like the open space feel they provide. Never had any problems with previous sunroofs including an Audi allroad I had for 15 years and a Supra going on 34 years old. My biggest concern is plugged drain hoses which tend to take out expensive electronics modules in modern cars however regular maintenance should take care of that. 

As for the panno ones as much as they look appealing I would be concerned about motors due to their size and weight. I wish the old style above the front seats was still an option. I would definitely not buy one in combination with any sort of sport package with low prfoile tires and firm rides as I think it would increase the chances of breakages. Having said that I wonder if it's a real concern once initial teething problems are ironed out.


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## VW2667 (May 24, 2018)

Things we learn from the geniuses in this forum;

1) 100% of sunroofs leak
2) 100% high octane premium fuel required
3) 100% 2018 Tiguans have b-pillar rattle 

LOL 

If some of you are this afraid of a sunroof, you must sh*t your diapers at the idea of driving a convertible and go into full cardiac arrest at the thought of driving a motorbike!
And how about those Tesla's and other premium cars coming into production where the whole roof is glass? Suicide machines huh? That's the future? We're all gonna die!!!

Keep it up. This gets more entertaining every day.


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## D3Audi (Feb 18, 2016)

I feel like this is a good discussion to have. And I hope VW reads these forums. It's not that sunroofs are bad - there are many good things about a sunroof. It's just that there are people out there who don't like sunroofs and don't see them as a luxury feature. It'd be nice if I could go to the dealer tomorrow and buy an SEL-Premium R-Line Tiguan without a sunroof. Just saying. But that's not possible in North America. 

As I've said earlier in this thread. I'm very anti-sunroof. But at the same time I fully get why people like them. My 2018 Tiguan SE doesn't have a sunroof. But my Grandparent's went out and bought a Tiguan after seeing mine. The only difference? They got a sunroof. We talked about the pros and cons and they decided to get it. This Tiguan might be their last new car purchase since they're getting older and they wanted a vehicle that will last them quite awhile - but also have nice features they won't get bored of. Hopefully with the 6 year 72k mile warranty any issues that this sunroof could cause will be taken care of in that time period. And even if there are issues - it's worth it to them. The sunroof is my grandmother's favorite part of her Tiguan. In the summer she has her 60's music cranked loud driving through the streets downtown with the sunroof and windows down. She says it gives her the feeling of having a convertible without actually having a convertible. Lol. 

So this is why I say: Do you really want a sunroof? Because if you think you do then you should get it. 

As I said earlier in this thread - I got burned big time by my pano sunroof in my old car. And that's why I don't ever want one in any of my cars anymore. But that's my own experience. Not all sunroofs are bad. And everyone has different experiences with sunroofs. 

I think when going for the sunroof option - you just need to be aware there is a potential for leaks, rattles, etc down the line. That's all. 

Also regarding the handling differences between sunroof models and non-sunroof models? It's a tiguan... Lol. Why does that even matter?. But actually there is a noticable difference. Only when pushing it into the corners and such. In day to day driving it's not really noticable. 


Another thing to note in this debate is heating and cooling (I know it's already been discussed kinda). But a Tiguan without a sunroof heats up (and stays heated) much better in the winter months. Lots of heat is lost through the panoramic glass. Not that big of a deal if you don't live in an extremely cold climate. 


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## gerardrjj (Sep 4, 2014)

D3Audi said:


> It'd be nice if I could go to the dealer tomorrow and buy an SEL-Premium R-Line Tiguan without a sunroof. Just saying. But that's not possible in North America.


It's interesting because the Audi Q5 has that exact option: sunroof delete on any trim level that has a standard sunroof. More interestingly there's no credit for deleting it; sort of an anti-option.


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## D3Audi (Feb 18, 2016)

gerardrjj said:


> It's interesting because the Audi Q5 has that exact option: sunroof delete on any trim level that has a standard sunroof. More interestingly there's no credit for deleting it; sort of an anti-option.


Yep they do. It has always been that way. Back on the first gen Q7 it was a $0 no cost option to delete the pano roof also. And most dealers never had them on lots. It was a special order thing mostly. (which plays into the comments in this thread about re-sale value - sunroofs definitely add re-sale value or else dealers would've been stocking the sunroof delete models on lots) I think even now you have to special order a Q5 without a sunroof if you want it. Which is okay IMO. At least it's an option. 

Sometimes re-sale values can "flip".. in the case of the Q7 - all the pano roofs from 2007 up until about 2010/2011 were plagued with leaks that destroyed the central electronic computers and Bose Amplifiers for the radio. But people didn't start finding out about the leaks until several years into ownership (since it took a couple years for the leaks to happen). Once all the info of the design flaws were released. Those models that had been ordered without a sunroof became more desirable on the used market. But that's a rare case - usually sunroofs don't cause a domino effect of catastrophic damage like the Q7's did. 

- Well, maybe the golf Sportwagen/Alltrack is slowly getting there also. Those models are a complete disaster right now with sunroof issues. Even brand new 2018s. Unfortunately those are forced option pano roofs too so no choice to not get one. 

Anyway, the Q5 and Tiguan are very similar vehicles actually. Maybe VW will eventually follow what they did with Audi and the Q5 and offer a no cost sunroof delete on the Tiguan. That'd be ideal. 

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## synmag (Jan 21, 2019)

D3Audi said:


> Sometimes re-sale values can "flip".. in the case of the Q7 - all the pano roofs from 2007 up until about 2010/2011 were plagued with leaks that destroyed the central electronic computers and Bose Amplifiers for the radio.


This is somewhat inaccurate. The Q7 technically didn't have leaky roofs. When people talk about leaky roofs I generally take it to mean that water is leaking into the cabin beside the glass panels which as I understand it was not the case with the Q7s. The problem is the drains from the sunroof gets clogged which backs up and leaks into areas where the electronics are housed. One has to wonder if this is by desing by the manufacturers as it seems to be a common theme. This is true for the alroads/touareg/Q7 just to name the ones I'm aware of.

BTW I'm currently looking to replace my TDI Touareg which is going back to VW and I would prefer the "old fashioned" sunroof as I mentioned in my previous post. On my short list is the Q5/Tiguan/gas Touareg from the VW family but also the RX350 and MDX/RDX. I was at an Acura dealership for the first time today to look at the MDX/RDX and was surprised to see a new MDX with a sun roof over the front seats only. I am looking for an off-lease vehicle and the 3-5 year old models seem to have the "normal" sun roof. I'm undecided between a small SUV and a normal/full size SUV as you can tell by my list but both the MDX/RDX are very nice vehicles.


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## VWBora18T (Apr 20, 2002)

D3Audi said:


> Cons:
> 
> - safety



I haven't heard anything about it compromising safety... are you speaking only in rollovers or regular accidents as well??


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## D3Audi (Feb 18, 2016)

VWBora18T said:


> I haven't heard anything about it compromising safety... are you speaking only in rollovers or regular accidents as well??


There have been instances in the past where sunroofs have made accidents fatal - but usually that was only when the occupants weren't wearing their seatbelts and the vehicle rolls and they flew out through the roof. But same could happen with the side windows. So that's not that big of a deal Imo..

The problem is that most sunroofs aren't laminated like the windshield is. That means if the sunroof breaks - it shatters. I'd be curious to find out if the pano roof in the Tiguan is laminated or normal glass. It doesn't say anywhere online so I'm guessing it's normal glass. The Touareg is normal glass as you can see it explode in this video: https://youtu.be/XFOQbPhMHbk

And if these sunroofs can crack like that.. who knows what they'll be like in an accident. 

Nowadays cars are engineered with a pano roof in mind - but even still. It's a giant hole in the roof filled with glass. There's no way they are just as safe as a vehicle with no sunroof. No way at all. Of course it depends on the accident. What if you roll over onto something that's not level surface (like a giant rock, fire hydrant, etc) it will bust through the glass and protrude into the cabin (unless the roof is laminated). 

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## PZ (May 9, 2002)

IbsFt said:


> That is a bit reassuring. Did the Passat have the huge "panoramic" sun roof or just a normal sized one? I find it hard to believe that the panoramic glass roof can support the weight of the vehicle in a rollover without breaking.
> 
> Around here in Michigan everybody has to replace their windshield sooner or later. Might the sun roof last because it is less likely to take a straight on hit at speed like a windshield does, I don't know, but I also wouldn't want to find the hard way.
> 
> To each their own, everyone does whatever makes them happy. That said, people too often make a decision with little thought to all the consequences of their choice. Like those in the "exploding" sun roof lawsuit, I have little sympathy for them "not being informed by VW" that their GLASS sun roof can break. WOAH, who'd have thunk glass can break???? :facepalm:


 Normal sized roof. There have been a couple that shattered, but I never had an issue on my multiple B5 Passats.


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## gerardrjj (Sep 4, 2014)

D3Audi said:


> There have been instances in the past where sunroofs have made accidents fatal - but usually that was only when the occupants weren't wearing their seatbelts and the vehicle rolls and they flew out through the roof. But same could happen with the side windows. So that's not that big of a deal Imo..
> 
> The problem is that most sunroofs aren't laminated like the windshield is. That means if the sunroof breaks - it shatters. I'd be curious to find out if the pano roof in the Tiguan is laminated or normal glass. It doesn't say anywhere online so I'm guessing it's normal glass. The Touareg is normal glass as you can see it explode in this video: https://youtu.be/XFOQbPhMHbk
> 
> ...


The extent of your paranoia is almost unfathomable. You will probably live your entire life and not personally know a person involved in a rollover never mind ejected and killed. I'd guess that no-one in your immediate or secondary family will personally know a person involved in a vehicle rollover. 

As I understand the statistics most rollovers involve just one vehicle driven by a single male under the age of 25, drunk and not wearing a seatbelt. In other words, rollovers just don't really happen to sane people.

You can argue about the amount and type of glass, but the #1 variable for surviving a rollover (or any crash) is: Are you wearing your seatbelt properly?

So yea, the non-laminated sunroof in my Tig may double, hell it may be 10x, my odds of being ejected in a rollover, but the odds are so close to 0 to start with that the 10x just doesn't matter. Just like buying 100 lottery tickets means you're 100x more likely to win the jackpot but the overall probability still hovers at just about 0.

Be afraid if you want, but it's an irrational fear. Right up there with being hit by a train or the overpass you're on collapsing before your light turns green.


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## D3Audi (Feb 18, 2016)

gerardrjj said:


> The extent of your paranoia is almost unfathomable. You will probably live your entire life and not personally know a person involved in a rollover never mind ejected and killed. I'd guess that no-one in your immediate or secondary family will personally know a person involved in a vehicle rollover.
> 
> As I understand the statistics most rollovers involve just one vehicle driven by a single male under the age of 25, drunk and not wearing a seatbelt. In other words, rollovers just don't really happen to sane people.
> 
> ...


No need for you to be a jerk about this. If you see my posts above I wrote that sunroofs are great if you like them and you're happy. Sounds like you like yours and I think that's great. I'm only saying the reasons why I don't like them - and they're all valid reasons. There's no way the structural rigidity is the same on a sunroof car vs a non-sunroof car in certain situations. And yes I do personally know several different people who have rolled their cars. I actually almost rolled my audi after hitting a snow drift on the highway in February of 2017. Lost control and started sliding sideways at 50mph. I was able to correct it and regain control (thanks to winter tires). If I wouldn't have been able to correct it I'm sure I would've rolled it going over the embankment. The mountain roads where I live are awful. So yeah - I am a bit afraid of rolling over. And that's part of the reasons why I don't have a sunroof. Not a big part. But it's part of it. It's also why I drive a tiguan. Very safe vehicle for what it is. And also why I'm religious about installing winter tires. 

As I said earlier - my main reasons for disliking sunroofs are reliability. But safety is a factor too. For me at least. It's NOT an irrational fear. 

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## passat911 (Jan 13, 2007)

A sunroof is like going to Vegas. If you’ve never been there you want to go there. If you’ve never had one on a car it’s great to have but eventually the novelty goes away. From my experience sunroof will leak overtime if not maintained properly or like in my Tiguan a factory defect from having too long of a tubing causing a “kink” and it leaked all over the headliner and carpet. I wish I could have an SEL model without a sunroof.


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## Ivoryt (Aug 11, 2010)

2018 SEL P, love the sunroof, love the led lights up there too. Never had a leak or any other problem with the sunroof.


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## SwiftGTI (Jul 15, 2011)

The pano sunroof is one of my favorite features of the Tiguan. My kid likes to look out at the moon and stars at night when we are driving. Ours hasn’t leaked yet.


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