Serious leak and water damage

Yeah, thats probably a good choice.
I usually don't bother with headliners. And pawn it off to a detail shop with a steamer.

 

Never use a steamer on a headliner! That glue will immediately separate.

My Jetta sportwagen leaked from its pano roof drains being clogged. Had to remove the entire interior to get the headliner out.

To get the stains out I lightly sprayed a microfiber towel (do not spray the headliner with any liquid) with folex and lightly wipe in one direction. No dabbing and no circles. Stuff works amazing. Have used it for years removing grease stains on headliners from techs that don't clean their hands.

 

Hey All,

Quick update, took it in on Tuesday evening and at the time anyway, they agreed to replace the back seat, headliner, and obviously the faulty lamp assembly. That being said the service manager was VERY brief (intentionally so, which I halfway understand) which didn't give me a ton of confidence. They gave me a Camry to drive around in the meantime, which is odd btw going from truck to car. Well it's Friday and I haven't heard anything yet, they said it could take 3-4 days. Hopefully they don't try to weasel out of anything, I halfway suspect they just try to clean the headliner and not replace it, which I'm not sure I'm ok with.

 

I'll have to try that Folex next time. Definitely spray the towel first and Be careful with a micro fiber. Grab a micro fiber and swipe your headliner then grab a clean white cotton cloth and swipe your headliner you'll feel it.

 

Look out for electrical damage too. If this gets into the electrical system your really in for it! I would demand a completely new interior. Seats, front & back, carpet, insulation & noise dampening, speakers, etc! This could turn into a real lemon!

 

OP, any update here and is it confirmed its the brake light assembly that lets the water in?

I've had mine 11 months without issues (to my knowledge) and noticed yesterday that the back passenger seat and rear compartment behind the seat were quite wet after a rain storm the night before. I wrote it off and thought maybe my daughter left the door or rear window cracked. Then I went through the automatic car wash this morning and noticed water dripping down from the headliner, enough that the seat was soaked again after just a few minutes in the car wash. Prior to reading your post I thought maybe it the seal around the rear window but couldn't tell. I've never touched the rear light or seal but possibly it was good through last winter and dried out this summer?

I live in Utah so we get lots of snow in the winter and some rainstorms throughout the year but this is the first I've ever noticed it. Any update would be appreciated.

 

Update: Took mine in to the the dealer today and left it with them. After looking at the truck they said they called over to Toyota engineering and started a case with them. Toyota said they've been having problems with the 3rd brake light assembly being over tightened during installation which crushes the foam seal and prevents it from doing it's job. They are ordering a new brake light assembly to replace it. Just FYI for those interested.

 

Let us know how it goes. Did you interior get trashed?

 

Not nearly as bad as the OP. Back seats and carpet got a little wet but it tends to dry out fairly fast here in Utah. That said, now it's winter and I have the rear seats folded down all the way so they don't get wet. I have a towel tucked in covering up the rear plastic panels just to soak up any water before it leaks into the carpet. I'm super annoyed. Can't wash my car anymore as it literally pours in when I do.

I called the dealer to bug them and they have no idea when the new part will come in. Said they have to pull one off the assembly line to get it. It's now been two months. I'm about ready to pull the assembly myself and caulk the entire thing with silicon and call it good.

 

I hope this is not a common issue or is something they have redesigned or resolved.

 

Easy to say if you are not the one having the issue. Don't rely on just the dealership to fix the issue. They are usually morons.

OP, that sucks. Document everything, have the service advisor sign off on everything YOU want done and ensure you are speaking to the owner/manager of the dealership at this stage.

If things are not resolved to your satisfaction, I would start a conversation with a local attorney about your issues. I did this with a new Audi here in Houston and did wonders when your dissatisfaction is documented on a law firm's letterhead. Never had an issue thereafter.

I would build that bridge now with the dealership owner before you need to cross it. Something further might happen with your 3rd Gen which may require additional attention.

My 2 cents. Good luck.

 

this. people think that they are entitled to a buyback just because something shitty happened to them. usually with interior problems the service manager will have to take pictures of the damage and send it in to their district manager for approval. just because something is under warranty doesnt mean that they can fix it right then and there. Toyota dictates what dealers can fix.

 

"Entitled"? Funny coming from a Service Tech. Your post is exactly why I avoid dealerships like the plague.

OP is talking about a brand new truck, not a 6 year neglected issue. Reread the post on break.

 

I had a water leak from improper bolt seating on my roof rack (my own fault), and when I got it to the dealer (after two trips from Ohio to Florida), there was so much water in the headliner that they had to disassemble the entire headliner and seat belts to dry it all out. I was told the air bag electronics were at risk, but I can also tell you a short ANYWHERE in today's computer controlled vehicles can cause the computer to "wig out" and do about ANYTHING (see last paragraph). They also reworked the mounting of the roof rack, and the problem has not re-occurred.

You may need to consult those Florida statutes, or a lawyer, but at the very least, warranty should cover replacing the lights and seats, and labor time for drying it all out. Do NOT back down on this, and insist on SEEING the dry headliner before they reassemble it. BTW, my first warning was damp seat belts!

Back to that previous comment about the computer. FYI, in winter of 2008, during snowy/icy weather here in Ohio, my 2003 4Runner (upper line) started flashing all kinds of DIRE warnings about just about EVERYTHING. It seriously looked as if it would BLOW UP! Dealer diagnosis showed ice had jammed one wheel sensor, and completely confused the main computer. THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE WRONG with it. I am fortunate to have a very good dealer in Columbus, OH (Toyota West), who has ALWAYS taken excellent care of my long line of Toyotas, and both that experience and the roof leak on the Taco left me thoroughly appreciating them.

Good luck to you getting this settled!

 

What was the end result?

 

What was the end result of the water damage?

 

A truck that smells like musty old underwear? Get the wet out!

 

Oh yeah, totally they need to give you a new truck and cancel your loan. Let's be reasonable.

 

FWIW.. Just went through this with my wife new 2017 Nissan Rouge. Bought it Jan 1 and apparently had been leaking from the A/C condensor since new under the driver seat. After a few call to the dealership they agreed to buy it back and we upgraded for a few dollars more. There was a foul odor that they will never get out of that vehicle. I would require them at the least to test for mold on all areas that were wet, including the HVAC system. Good luck!!