[bandersen]

Need some help here...
MY22, 33k miles, started driving in September of 2021. September of 2023, it started to leak occasionally - passenger microphone/door jamb/water on the all-weather mat. Car has been in multiple times since then. Last fall and twice since, the drains were blown/cleaned out (made sense, never done before). 2 weeks ago, they ended up replacing the sunroof seal. Tested it several times in the wash, and no issues (according to the dealer). Today is the first rain since then - and a heavy rain. Of course, lots of leaking in the same spot, to the point that when I was driving, it was a pretty heavy drip. Needless to say, I"m pis$$ed at both BMW and the dealer (who is convenient and I've enjoyed except for this).

Thoughts? What comes next when I take the car in on Monday (will be the 4th documented time since Sept)?

[swainbmw]

Originally Posted by bandersen

Need some help here...
MY22, 33k miles, started driving in September of 2021. September of 2023, it started to leak occasionally - passenger microphone/door jamb/water on the all-weather mat. Car has been in multiple times since then. Last fall and twice since, the drains were blown/cleaned out (made sense, never done before). 2 weeks ago, they ended up replacing the sunroof seal. Tested it several times in the wash, and no issues (according to the dealer). Today is the first rain since then - and a heavy rain. Of course, lots of leaking in the same spot, to the point that when I was driving, it was a pretty heavy drip. Needless to say, I"m pis$$ed at both BMW and the dealer (who is convenient and I've enjoyed except for this).

Thoughts? What comes next when I take the car in on Monday (will be the 4th documented time since Sept)?

I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve had to trade a car in because of this and they were all BMWs. I won’t keep one once it starts it turns into a disaster.

[MADBMWX5MC]

I wonder if the issue is not the sunroof and seals, but water seeping thru the windshield...compromised windshield seal/rubber weatherstripping? Have they looked into that?

[Blu-Byou]

Originally Posted by bandersen

Need some help here...
MY22, 33k miles, started driving in September of 2021. September of 2023, it started to leak occasionally - passenger microphone/door jamb/water on the all-weather mat. Car has been in multiple times since then. Last fall and twice since, the drains were blown/cleaned out (made sense, never done before). 2 weeks ago, they ended up replacing the sunroof seal. Tested it several times in the wash, and no issues (according to the dealer). Today is the first rain since then - and a heavy rain. Of course, lots of leaking in the same spot, to the point that when I was driving, it was a pretty heavy drip. Needless to say, I"m pis$$ed at both BMW and the dealer (who is convenient and I've enjoyed except for this).

Thoughts? What comes next when I take the car in on Monday (will be the 4th documented time since Sept)?

Make sure you document the leak with a video

[bandersen]

Reading the comments and suggestions as we go - thanks.

Otherwise LOVE the car and have put several extra's into it...so don't want to throw all of that away on something new. Want to simply get this fixed.

[Alan l.]

At this point I think they will need to drop the headliner to visually see what the issue is. Wondering if one of the drain tubes disconnected or ruptured.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by bandersen

Last fall and twice since, the drains were blown/cleaned out

- Did they say the drains were clogged or partially clogged when they blew them out or did they say what came out of them?
- Do you leave your sunroof open often when outside?

I rarely open mine, like maybe three times since ownership and mine is a '21. Just got back from a few months trip where the car was always outside and it poured hard a few times.. .. No leaks. Actually, I've never had leaks from any of my BMW sunroofs in over 40 yrs of owning them. I rarely ever open them so there is practically no chance for anything to get in them to clog or partially clog them.

Before taking it in, you can open yours, get up on a ladder and have a close inspection to see if you notice anything that might be clogging them, or a standing pool of water in the channels or crushed rubber seals, etc. Not sure what else to recommend.

[bandersen]

Rarely open it - even to crack for air. I do park outside, but rarely under trees/I am meticulous about. When then did blow, I was told junk came out (and saw remnants of dirt at the door jamb drains). Has been blown out at least twice and now supposedly a sunroof seal 10 days ago. I will open and inspect later today when the current rains here on the East Coast stop.

I’ve the screen closed 98% of the time as well. Wish I could delete the damn option….

Thinking of calling BMW to open up a claim/escalate. If any of you have done that before to escalate anything, please chime in. I like my Service Advisor. What I don’t like is when he can be dismissive of you all here on Bimmerpost.

[E91toG05]

I sometimes wonder if not using the sunroof often makes things worse…?

[bandersen]

Just built a cayenne s - nothing super fancy. $118k.

Maybe I’ll build a Tahoe..and that came in at $80k

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by bandersen

Just built a cayenne s - nothing super fancy. $118k.

Maybe I’ll build a Tahoe..and that came in at $80k

That's not bad for the Tahoe. When I built out a Yukon Denali it was.like 94k lol.

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

That's not bad for the Tahoe. When I built out a Yukon Denali it was.like 94k lol.

Is it just me.r is this world just crazy. 90k for a Tahoe or 120k for a Porsche. And a BMW that you can’t drive in the rain….

Humanity deserves an extinction level event.

[malvern_man]

I've just got mine back from the dealership, it's the 3rd time it's been in for a sunroof leak. This time they've changed every seal possible in the sunroof, under warranty. Let's hope it's 3rd time lucky.

[mmm50i]

It took me 3 trips to the dealership, back when I first purchased my car, to finally diagnose and repair a sunroof leak. It was eventually found that my sunroof frame (aka cassette) was cracked.

No issues since the replacement, been 2 years now

[slilley]

My daughter had an old Volvo with a leaking sunroof. We took the easy way out: went to a place that installed PPF, and had them apply it over the roof. Presto - no more leaks! I also disconnected the sunroof switch, in order to ensure that no one ever tried to open it in the future. Sold the car 6 years ago, but I bet it's still leak-free!

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by slilley

My daughter had an old Volvo with a leaking sunroof. We took the easy way out: went to a place that installed PPF, and had them apply it over the roof. Presto - no more leaks! I also disconnected the sunroof switch, in order to ensure that no one ever tried to open it in the future. Sold the car 6 years ago, but I bet it's still leak-free!

If I was out of warranty I’d probably do just that!

[nZtiZia]

2021 45e 26k miles

finally got the dreaded roof leak above the front passenger seat. this MUST be a manufacturing defect! anyone know how we can report it, or does BMW keep a central database on issues that dealerships report to?

we're leaving on a trip to DC tomorrow morning for a long weekend. needless to say, we're no longer taking the X5 so it can dry out inside the garage while we're away. would hate to be stranded due to some electronic gremlins while away from home. i'll occasionally activate preconditioning via the app (windows open. towels on the floor. HVAC set the HIGH)

earliest appointment i could get is Apr 11. ugh...

[bandersen]

Sorry to hear man…
So, they’ve blown out the drains 2-3 times. Replaced the sunroof seal. All to no avail. My car goes in Wednesday…what’s left for them to check (from advice I’ve gotten here) is a link/rupture of the drain tube Andy/or a cracked sunroof case. Leak is still only passenger side.

With the rain we’ve been getting, I’m keeping the passenger side fan on high, alternating defrost and floor.

LMK if you hear anything new…

[nZtiZia]

as others have reported (not necessarily leak-related), the rubber gasket/trim on the passenger side is shorter than the driver side. the hole provides a direct ingress for water. I don’t know if it’s been this way since i took delivery 3 years ago, or if it’s receded over time

it’s possible that debris has also entered and clogged the drain holes because of the direct entry, though there was barely any standing water in the channels when I first noticed the leak a few days ago after very heavy rainfall

[FLYZ]

I am really concerned, because last night on my way home from the office I opened the moonroof - it was sunny and 75 degrees, perfect! As it opened I heard a screeching sound, much longer than what I was used to hearing, the initial squeak as the seals unsettled. I closed it when I got home and this morning, I heard some weird wind noise. I tried opening the moonroof and all windows to see if I was crazy. When I got out of the car, I saw the rear stripping sticking up in the air. I just ordered some 3M weather stripping adhesive from AutoZone, but I am already dreading the possibility, that this may be the beginning of my own sunroof drama. Here's hoping not, because I am all of four months out of warranty.

[MystroX5]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

as others have reported (but not necessarily leak-related), the rubber gasket/trim on the passenger side is shorter than the driver side. the hole provides a direct entry point for water. I don’t know if it’s been this way since i took delivery 3 years ago, or if it’s receded over time

it’s possible that debris has also entered and clogged the drain holes, though there was barely any standing water in the channels when I first noticed the leak a few days ago.

That is a know manufacturing defect issue. It has been reported many times in the last few years with incorrect sized seals still being used. You have to wonder how some of these get through quality control or if some random days there is no quality control at all????

BMW does not correct issues like this and a 2025 may have a known issue as far back as 2019 when the G05 was released. We have seen this multiple times in BMW manufacturing. Do not think BMW is proactive enough to correct know issues.

[bandersen]

Car dropped off today - 4th time in 6 months, seals replaced the last time two weeks ago. SA just called and said they are replacing the sunroof frame. Part in on Friday, hope to have back following Wed. He did say an X4 had the same problem yesterday/same solution from BMWNA. Will update.