Piston Slap: A Fusion of Moonroof Drainage Problems? (Part II)

Sajeev Mehta
by Sajeev Mehta

TTAC commentator kericf writes:

Sajeev,

I know you experienced the deluge of rain in Houston (Last October, and it was pretty bad. —SM). We live on the north side of the city and own a six-month-old 2015 Ford Expedition EL that has been outside its whole life (it doesn’t fit in the garage). It has seen much heavier rain than we had this weekend, but not a storm that lasted so long.

Water somehow got into the headliner and dropped into the interior. It does have a sunroof and roof rack. The dealership has only had it a day but hasn’t been able to figure out the source of the leak. It hasn’t leaked before. We are baffled and I have a feeling the dealership will be too.

From a consumer standpoint, what should I expect to get replaced under warranty and what will just get dried and cleaned in my six-month-old car? The passenger side middle row bucket was drenched; the leather was waterlogged and was buckling. I would say this seat cover should be replaced — but will it? Should the soaked headliner be removed?

I’m just wondering how much I should push to get things replaced and as a consumer what I have a right to demand is replaced as part of the warranty work. The car was purchased in June and has ~6,000 miles on it.

Sajeev answers:

This is our second installment of leaky Ford roofs, and I suspect yours is also a moonroof drainage problem. On that problem, TTAC commentator Vinnie had a very interesting post:

… the dealer just figured out this same problem in my 2012 (Fusion) SE. It took several calls to Ford engineering and a year of trial and error for them to figure it out. It ended up being the moonroof glass itself. Apparently, the metal band around the glass can become separated and water can get in there and leak into the headliner. Based on what Ford told them, the dealer put in three brand new moonroof glass panels before they found one that worked. There seems to be a bad batch or two where the metal and glass did not bond correctly.

Either you have this internal moonroof fusing problem, or it left the factory out of alignment. Since it’s a recent purchase, the latter is entirely possible.

As far as the water damage, I wouldn’t be surprised if the dealer is able to salvage the leather, headliner and carpets. That said, the dealer may decide it’s not worth its time and effort to do that, especially if it can authorize replacement of those parts through warranty. Whatever happens, the dealer needs to make sure it looks like new again. Sadly, we all know it’s gonna be a mammoth task for the service department’s trim person/team.

I’m crossing my fingers and toes that the dealer fixed it to your satisfaction. Nobody wants this to happen to their new ride!

Send your queries to sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.com. Spare no details and ask for a speedy resolution if you’re in a hurry…but be realistic, and use your make/model specific forums instead of TTAC for more timely advice.

Sajeev Mehta
Sajeev Mehta

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  • Zip89123 Zip89123 on Apr 19, 2016

    2015 F150's were notorious for leaky sunroofs. Clogged drains and disconnected drain hoses didn't help either. QC really needs to be improved. Myself, although I like sunroofs, I won't own a vehicle with one unless it is a Toyota.

  • 06V66speed 06V66speed on Apr 19, 2016

    Well, could be worse... You could have T-tops. Between the squeaks, wind noise, and leaks... I don't know what's worse. Lol

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