Sunroofs: What You Should Watch Out For

For many drivers, a sunroof is a welcome convenience that makes a big difference in their driving experience. Bringing fresh air and light inside the cabin, they come in various sizes (including those called “panoramic”) and equip an increasing number of models, even entry-level ones.

However, if some people are having a great time, others can tell you horror stories about their sunroof. Abnormal annoying noises, water infiltrations, mechanism failures, broken glass … These are situations you want to avoid.

So, before you buy a vehicle that has a sunroof, you should find more information about it and check a few things, because when the initial manufacturer’s warranty is over and a problem occurs with your sunroof, you’re literally exposed.

Research

Depending on the model you are interested in, searching discussion forums where owners share their bad experiences is a good start. Then there are the manufacturer-issued safety recalls for hazards linked to the sunroof. Transport Canada’s recalls database will be helpful with this. Once at the dealer’s, you’ll have to make sure that the corrections needed were applied.

Certain sunroof problems have also led to class actions, so be careful. Hyundai and Kia, among others, have been targeted in the last decade due to a design defect that sometimes causes the panoramic roof’s glass to shatter.

Verifications And Tests

The following step is to consult the vehicle’s history to see if any repair has been made to the roof. Whether it’s the case or not, a visual inspection by you or a technician is in order. Check for any trace of moisture around the roof or on the surfaces underneath, which would mean that water infiltrations have occured. Otherwise, verifications to the glass, seals and other components should be conducted.

When doing a road test, listen carefully for any suspect noise (cracking, squeaking, whistling, etc.) coming from the roof. These noises are a bad sign and should be investigated. Press the buttons to make sure that the roof’s tilting and opening mechanism works, as well as the electric sun visor, if there is any.

Finally, if most owners never had such issues or inconveniences with their sunroof, problematic cases are numerous enough to keep you on your toes when considering the purchase of a pre-owned car equipped with one.