Is your sunroof noisy AND loose?

[Revvdmedia]

Have y'all ever seen Fight Club? Kia will apply The Formula: [Cost of issuing the recall/TSB vs. cost of lawsuits/lost business]. The Stinger is a low-volume car and a rattle-y sunroof won't lead to any lawsuits (it's not a safety concern, and it's not enough for a Lemon Law or class-action). We could potentially make it a social media stink, but I don't think there's enough of us, nor enough people who would care about it, for it to breach Kia's acceptable level of bad PR. If the PR/Lawsuit risk isn't high enough, Kia has zero incentive to help us out.

Now, that being said, I offer two stories of manufacturing defects and how they were handled by their companies:
#1: The '99-'04 Mustang had a nasty continuous whistle on the A-pillar at highway speeds. Ford issued a TSB to install little styrofoam insulator blocks around the A-pillar cap mounting pins, which blocked the wind and eliminated the whistle. It was a ridiculously cheap fix (about an hour of labor and $0.15 for the insulators). So, how did this work within The Formula? My guess is the Mustang is Ford's flagship car and also a high-volume seller, so there's way more people to get upset about it, therefore Ford has incentive to address the issue.

#2: The the first-year production 2002 Yamaha Roadstar Warrior (a muscled-up drag bike version of Yamaha's flagship Roadstar) had a bad fuel line quick-disconnect valve body. One side of the QD valve developed a leak along it's injection-molded seam. The leak got steadily worse until fuel would drip constantly down the side of the bike. Nearly all 2002 Warriors developed this leak at about 10,000 miles. The community was well aware of it and very up in arms about it. Yamaha never publicly addressed the issue, but they did quietly substitute the bad part in the catalog with an upgraded one. They didn't even issue a TSB. Any owner with this issue had to buy the part and install it or have it installed ($56 part, hour install). In this case, the Warrior was a low-volume bike, and the risk of bad PR or lawsuits was minimal (by the community's own count, this issue only resulted in one bike burning down).

If the fix for the Stinger is a cheap couple of shims or insulators, Kia might issue a TSB like Ford, or worse, quietly fix it in production like Yamaha. If the fix requires removing and replacing the headliner or sunroof assembly, I don't think there's any way they'll ever eat that kind of expense.

I think the best comparison we have as Stinger owners is much like the ownership of a Corvette. Both the Stinger and Corvette are each brand's respective "halo" car. We also both own a performance based vehicle for a very attractive price, which means cost cutting was a player in production, hence faults will occur. We bring our cars in for service and the quality of service is completely variable to how each dealership chooses to handle. When we bring the car in, we will get a Kia Rio loaner, as the Corvette owners will get a Chevy Spark loaner.

I read an article on how GM needs to change the perception of the C8, and my statements above are based on that article. The Corvette service experience seems equal to our experience.

Back to the original topic which I based this thread on, I'm not seeing a consistent correlation between looseness of the sunroof and noises, so the looseness is likely not the cause. We did not see any quiet sunroof that were loose, though. Looseness may play a role in amount of noise, but is not the root of the problem.

In Kaumaxx's thread about the fix he found with the padding on the front where the "foot" of the glass parks, looseness may make sunroofs more susceptible to making noise due to extra movement and contact in this area.

In the spring once we start getting consistently warmer temperatures, I will try padding in this area to see if this helps suppress the noise. Since mine is the most noisy when in the tilted up position but parked in the front, it's quite possible this area is the primary source of the noises I have.

 

[BlasterJax93]

Hey guys, just noticed the past few days my sunroof is starting to rattle a bit under low speeds. I can push up in any corner of the closed glass and replicate similar noise. Not sure if this is due to our temperature change (N.J.) or it's just happening now... has anyone brought theres to the local Kia dealership to have them fixed?

 

[Jklotz]

Hey guys, just noticed the past few days my sunroof is starting to rattle a bit under low speeds. I can push up in any corner of the closed glass and replicate similar noise. Not sure if this is due to our temperature change (N.J.) or it's just happening now... has anyone brought theres to the local Kia dealership to have them fixed?

my car started doing this recently as well. It’s driving me crazy.

 

[Mark Taylor]

I'm keen to hear how to fix this issue, but isn't it up to Kia to offer a solution as this is obviously a widespread problem?

 

[MerlintheMad]

I'm keen to hear how to fix this issue, but isn't it up to Kia to offer a solution as this is obviously a widespread problem?

Noisy sunroofs are not a shared problem with the great majority of Stingers, or other Kia models that have the same sunroof. But "widespread" is an accurate term if you are thinking that enough vehicles come back with the extraneous noises issues complained of by individuals on forums like this one. The sunroof is a prevalent noise maker. But you can tell that either a large number of drivers are "tone deaf" to these noises, or their cars don't make these noises; because only a small fraction of Stinger drivers start or participate in threads like this one.

Kia does try. They replace sunroofs entire when deemed necessary. They offer lubricants and seals and adjustments in all their varieties. This is because "this issue" is not from a single cause, so, going in, nobody knows what is making the noises. It's a crap shoot looking for the causes. Kia would like to be able to say, "this is normal operation noise" and be believed, i.e. not have to hassle with the expense of another annoyed/dissatisfied customer. But unfortunately for Kia, enthusiasts really love their cars and expect exact satisfaction. If you read the various threads here on this "adventure" with sunroof noises, you'll also run into the other kinds of noises drivers encounter; and their fixes/solutions, and failures.

And, btw, welcome to the forum.

 

[BlueByYouGT]

I'm keen to hear how to fix this issue, but isn't it up to Kia to offer a solution as this is obviously a widespread problem?

Kia doesn't know how to fix it. Everything I've seen from posters who suffer with this issue is that Kia is willing to demolish their interior in hopes of being able to fix the problem. I know of a single person on this forum that has had their roof rattle remedied (replaced) by a Kia service tech. Everyone else has found their own fix or continues to live with the noise.

 

[Daniel Egan]

Kia doesn't know how to fix it. Everything I've seen from posters who suffer with this issue is that Kia is willing to demolish their interior in hopes of being able to fix the problem. I know of a single person on this forum that has had their roof rattle remedied (replaced) by a Kia service tech. Everyone else has found their own fix or continues to live with the noise.

Mine has been in repair for 8 weeks whilst they sourced and installed some new parts including special bolts and washers. Now they are struggling to fit the sun shade back lol!!

It's the third time in for major servicing, totalling 13 weeks and if appropriate compensation isn't provided the NSW Fair Trade department has suggested the only possible action is to take Kia to small claims tribunal.

 

[westcoastGT]

Kia doesn't know how to fix it. Everything I've seen from posters who suffer with this issue is that Kia is willing to demolish their interior in hopes of being able to fix the problem. I know of a single person on this forum that has had their roof rattle remedied (replaced) by a Kia service tech. Everyone else has found their own fix or continues to live with the noise.

I think there was another member other than me .................??

 

[Mark Taylor]

Thanks for the replies and unfortunate truth. Such a disappointment as the car is otherwise fantastic.

 

[Maddog2873]

Mine is going to the dealer tomorrow morning. I can replicate the sound by pressing up on the passenger front side of the glass, but not on the driver side. I will report back with what I hear from the dealer. Fingers crossed something positive.

 

[Lord3Putt]

I had my sunroof replaced last fall. I haven't posted anything because I'm waiting for it to warm up before I decide if it actually worked. But, so far so good. *knocks on wood*

I brought it in to my regular dealer multiple times. They tried a few different "fixes", but nothing worked. They claimed they did all they could for it. I brought it to a different dealership, and after hearing it they decided to replace the whole frame. Well, they sub-contracted it out to a local body shop. The headliner has a small wrinkle in it...but is barely noticeable. My only other gripe is they returned it to me without even cleaning it...at all. Literally had chunks of plastic and rubber throughout the car, and greasy fingerprints everywhere. But, I'll take a dirty car over what I had to listen to.

My car before the fix:

 

[ZyroXZ2]

Well I'll be god damned, this fix actually works! It's not about filling the gap, it's about "blunting" the nature of the contact. I used aqua tape (which is basically thicker electrical tape with a more serious bonding adhesive) and put Shin-etsu grease on top to ensure that if the foot ever drags, it can't catch the tape and take it where it doesn't belong:




This reduced my sunroof noises by about 80%! There are still some other creaks and occasional noises, but this definitely made a difference on mine. You can see from the grease that it doesn't actually touch most of the time (I dabbed the grease on it to ensure I could tell if the foot actually slides along in the "well" that just got filled in, and it clearly doesn't), it's that when it does it's a tappity tap tap noise.

Now to deal with the continued door ticks (both fronts, Shin-etsu grease only stops it for a few weeks at a time), 3rd brake light vibration (my exhaust and certain road surfaces cause the right amount of vibration and my 3rd brake light vibrates enough to make that annoying plastic vibration sound; I can replicate it by gently tapping on the assembly with the bottom of my fist), and center console ticks. Man, I miss my '18 GT, it had one tick in the driver's side door, and that was it

 

[Tinter]

Kia doesn't know how to fix it. Everything I've seen from posters who suffer with this issue is that Kia is willing to demolish their interior in hopes of being able to fix the problem. I know of a single person on this forum that has had their roof rattle remedied (replaced) by a Kia service tech. Everyone else has found their own fix or continues to live with the noise.

Mine is now back in for the 4th time and just when it seemed to be fixed all signed sealed and delivered, the guru mechanic damaged and had put a 50mm tear in the rubber seal thats fixed to the front fixed glass panel at the top of the windshield.

 

[Nasscar]

Mine is now back in for the 4th time and just when it seemed to be fixed all signed sealed and delivered, the guru mechanic damaged and had put a 50mm tear in the rubber seal thats fixed to the front fixed glass panel at the top of the windshield.

You might have to use that word 'mechanic' very loosely I suspect.

 

[Boricua1]

The noise is driving me crazy. Hear the noises described on local roads during slow speed. Will KIA address. Love this car but this problem is making me second guess my decision to purchase a Kia. Hopefully a Kia recall or bulletin forthcoming

This poll is created to see if there is a correlation between sunroof noises and what seems to be a lack of solidity in the sunroof sliding mechanism. I have a very noisy sunroof and I recently noticed with the glass slid back, you can grab a back corner of the glass and move the glass about 1/2 an inch front to back which appears to be movement in the sliding mechanism.

For anyone willing and able, can you please check your sunroof and vote in the poll in this thread so we can gather some data to see if there is correlation between looseness in the sunroof tracks and noisy sunroofs. I intend to use this data (if there is a correlation) with Kia to help build a better case for diagnostic and remediation for all of us with noisy sunroofs.

Moderators, can this be a sticky at least for a limited time to increase visibility?

See the video below for a visual representation of the looseness in the sunroof tracks. This video is taken from the driver side of the car looking between the sunroof glass and the frame/track of the sunroof. There is movement front to back when manually manipulating the glass.

 

[MerlintheMad]

The noise is driving me crazy. Hear the noises described on local roads during slow speed. Will KIA address. Love this car but this problem is making me second guess my decision to purchase a Kia. Hopefully a Kia recall or bulletin forthcoming

Hi. Sorry to hear about the extraneous noises. Hopefully you can rectify them sufficiently to enjoy the rest of the car!

There won't be a Kia TSB on any of them other than the hatch rattle: none of the rest of the causes are either numerous enough or consistent enough to apply one fix. The TSB Kia put out on the hatch only fixed some of the incidents anyway. Owners doing their own fixes are more effective than anything that Kia could put out as a "one cure fixes all" approach.

 

[BlueByYouGT]

There won't be a Kia TSB on any of them other than the hatch rattle

How on Earth could you possibly know that? I didn't know Kia Motors America's corporate office was located in Yootaw.

Will KIA address.

Kia will do something. They won't simply ignore your concerns however they have a poor record of rectifying the issue once it's brought to their attention. It won't be for lack of effort, rather Kia just doesn't have a large network of highly skilled individuals in their service bays. Some here have been lucky and had Kia Motors America send more skilled mechanics out to try to stop the rattles, others have had their entire sunroof assembly repaired, some have had Kia try and fail to fix it. Most have just dug in and found ways to repair it themselves.

 

[MerlintheMad]

How on Earth could you possibly know that? I didn't know Kia Motors America's corporate office was located in Yootaw.

I always make confident statements like that. That way you can beat me over the head with them when they prove fallacious later. Seriously, I feel confident because Kia is spare with the TSB route. They first of all don't admit that there's an issue incidence worthy of a TSB. And out of those few times they've sent instructions to their dealerships, e.g. the hatch rattle "fix", they don't receive satisfaction: the problems still persist. Unless these extraneous noises turn into a singular cause (like the hatch rattle was asserted to be; not thick enough washers; shown to not always or even often be the case) Kia will not put out a TSB. Reading on here, it is apparent that extraneous noises are caused by different conditions: there is no one fix for any of them, only experimentation: and you don't put out an "experimentation TSB".

 

[Nasscar]

I always make confident statements like that. That way you can beat me over the head with them when they prove fallacious later. Seriously, I feel confident because Kia is spare with the TSB route. They first of all don't admit that there's an issue incidence worthy of a TSB. And out of those few times they've sent instructions to their dealerships, e.g. the hatch rattle "fix", they don't receive satisfaction: the problems still persist. Unless these extraneous noises turn into a singular cause (like the hatch rattle was asserted to be; not thick enough washers; shown to not always or even often be the case) Kia will not put out a TSB. Reading on here, it is apparent that extraneous noises are caused by different conditions: there is no one fix for any of them, only experimentation: and you don't put out an "experimentation TSB".

That attitude towards fixing problems sounds like most car manufacturers. I especially like the 'there is no problem' stage of their rectification followed closely by 'it's the way you are driving the car' stage. Ford loved doing this with their shit dual clutch gearboxes on their Focuses. No reason Kia may be any different.

 

[G-55571]

Mine has been in repair for 8 weeks whilst they sourced and installed some new parts including special bolts and washers. Now they are struggling to fit the sun shade back lol!!

It's the third time in for major servicing, totalling 13 weeks and if appropriate compensation isn't provided the NSW Fair Trade department has suggested the only possible action is to take Kia to small claims tribunal.

I'd love to know how many of you have taken them to tribunal and had a successful outcome? I'm about to kick off NCAT proceedings for the same persistent rattle (I'm at 10 months/6 attempted "fixes").