09 Sunroof Frame Rust

josholiver1 · Post by **josholiver1** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 11:56 pm

After attempting multiple times at multiple dealerships I am finally getting my sunroof panel replaced under warranty. After a few calls to GM's pontiac customer service they directed me to a Grand Buick in the Grand Rapids area. Even though my 09' GT is out of warranty (only in years not miles) they STILL agreed to warranty it and it is being replaced today. I encourage members to take a look up at the panel, i did not notice the problem until it started to bulge on the outside and refused to "tilt", and get it replaced under warranty. I was lucky to find such great customer service at Grand, and GM customer service in general, and I will probably start getting my regular maintenance done at that location. The past two dealers quoted me 500-600 for the replacement so its a wise choice to check the panel before the warranty runs out. Here are some pictures I took before I took the vibe in...

09vGT · Post by **09vGT** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 12:52 am

Yikes! Did it leak too or anything?

josholiver1 · Post by **josholiver1** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 12:57 am

Nope no leaking, the dealer was worried that over time it would ruin the frame on my car if it kept progressing worse. Although they used "DIAG WINDNOISE" on the work order. I wonder if this is a common problem in the 09's, i saw a post awhile ago about it...

09vGT · Post by **09vGT** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 1:17 am

I've not noticed any rust on mine. I does get really dirty though. I'm WAAAAY out of warranty (86,XXX miles). I would not have such luck as you did.

josholiver1 · Post by **josholiver1** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 1:49 am

I'm glad yours doesn't, probably just a bad batch from the factory or something, just got mine back and they did a great job on it, looks much better and now I can actually use it this summer!

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 7:49 am

Glad you were treated properly and that they went out of their way to satisfy YOU, the customer. It looks like there may have been some misalignment or something for this to even begin to rust. Are you the original owner? Could somebody have jammed or bent the assembly to where it caused this whole thing to happen? Both of our 09 GT's have sunroofs and are immaculate with no problems at all. Hmmmmmmmm .... I'll keep an eye on this issue and hope it was a rare one for any of us

josholiver1 · Post by **josholiver1** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:18 am

I don't think I did anything improper or anything got wedged in and broke it. I get it Zebart Triple Diamond coated every year which isn't cheap and I take really good care of of it (wash and armor-all almost every week). The shop manager and I were talking about it and it seems to have had a bad seal of some sort between the rubber seal and glass/metal ring which let small amounts of water in that sat inbetween that seal and the metal and over time that created the rust, but definalty something to keep an eye on. If I recall correctly someone else had theirs replaced on the fourm also.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:31 am

Ouch, that sucks ! Glad to hear you got it replaced for free though ! I'll have to double check ours .Here is the other thread about the rusted 2009 sunroof frame.

XRVibe10 · Post by **XRVibe10** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 11:42 pm

I have had my sunroof glass replaced on my 2010 Vibe 3 times now - I live here in Ontario where our lovely Canadian climate & salt take a toll on cars - what i ended up doing is getting my old glass back (I work @ the Dealer) and stripping off the old weatherstrip, sanding down the rust and repainting it - what I think the problem is the original glass paint it just cheap black metal paint & it dosen't even cover the metal properly - I even got my new glass, peeled off the weather strip and you can see areas where the paint dosen't cover well & the metal is exposed slightly, so i took it the the body shop, new quality paint & reinstalled the weatherstrip so time will tell, but this does seem to be an issue with the 2009 & 2010 Vibes, I see alot of them come in here with the same issue but most people don't notice until its too late - good luck & yes it will be covered under warranty

josholiver1 · Post by **josholiver1** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 2:18 am

Michigan winters will do that too, especially this warm winter, since they salt during snow and then the next few days are in the 40's really makes the salt go to work. I don't have access to a body shop down here and i'm debating on what preventative measures I could take to make this one last longer, possibly putting a thin strip of superglue around where the seal meets the glass/metal. I don't know...

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 6:05 am

Well, I checked my mom's sunroof earlier today. It is indeed starting to rust under the rubber seal that goes all the way around the sunroof glass. It's not too bad, but I will definitely be calling the dealer to get it replaced before the warranty expires in May.I forgot to check mine yesterday when I was detailing it, so I'll have to check it out later today.

josholiver1 · Post by **josholiver1** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 7:08 am

That's not good, at least you caught it early and under warranty.

09VibeAWD · Post by **09VibeAWD** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:51 pm

After reading this I checked the sunroof on my 09. I wouldn't have noticed it before, but there was a slight bit of rust showing in two places along the front edge of the sunroof frame. Pulling back the rubber strip revealed it's definitely the beginnings of corrosion, so I'll be taking it in to get it replaced. I'm outside my warranty on the 36 months, but way under on mileage. We'll see what the dealer says about that and if I need to contact customer service. I bought the Vibe used from Arkansas where there's not much road salt/winter snow, but it is humid in the summers. Hopefully here in Idaho I can avoid this in the future - road salt is not used here, it's never humid, rarely rains, so the only water the car really sees is from a car wash.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:29 am

Quote, originally posted by josholiver1 Â»That's not good, at least you caught it early and under warranty.Yeah, it sucks, but both our Vibes are still under warranty which is good because mine is also starting to rust .

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:57 am

OK. ... This sounds like an epidemic for those of us with sunroofs Juniors Vibe GT likely has this going on but no time or garage to pull it in and check for it yet. Mine on the other hand is spotless due to it being garaged and the very low mileage. Question for those who have discovered this rust ...... It it everywhere OR just in certain corners OR at low spots depending on where/how the car is parked? Just curious so I'll know specifically where to look when I get the time

09vGT · Post by **09vGT** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 10:28 am

I'm scared to do a thorough inspection. I guess I should. Is this on the outside of the car or on the inside? What rubber piece are you pulling back to check? The pics are so close I can't hardly tell.

josholiver1 · Post by **josholiver1** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 10:44 am

Sorry for the bad pics, mine started in the front drivers side and the front passangers side a little after and then spread in the front towards the middle

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 11:56 am

That's where I was primarily going to look first. When the Vibe is parked on level ground, the two front corners of the sunroof are LOW spots where water can settle on. Then, it must "creep" under that rubber seal and penetrate onto the "not so well preserved" steel frame that the glass is adhered to. Now I know where to look .................... Thanks

josholiver1 · Post by **josholiver1** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:01 pm

Yes that is exactly what happens I think, good luck.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Sun Feb 12, 2012 9:38 am

Just an FYI for everyone, both our Vibes have been garaged since they were bought brand new and they both have just over 29,000 miles, so Tim I would definitely check yours despite the low mileage and all .And yes, I have noticed that water does gather in both front corners when it rains or gets washed, etc. so I think the theory of the water seeping through the molding and rusting the metal underneath is a strong possibility.Quote, originally posted by 09vGT Â»I'm scared to do a thorough inspection. I guess I should. Is this on the outside of the car or on the inside? What rubber piece are you pulling back to check? The pics are so close I can't hardly tell.I took a couple pictures for you. Hopefully these explain the location a little better...In this picture you can see where the exterior rubber molding on the sunroof glass is starting to warp just like Josh's:Open your sunroof about halfway. Carefully peel the rubber molding on the sunroof glass back a little bit (it won't take much peeling to see any rust). I suggest using a flashlight or taking a picture with the flash on, etc. so the rust is easier to see.Let us know what you find Ethan ! Good luck!

ponta2147 · Post by **ponta2147** » Sun Feb 12, 2012 9:47 am

Eeeep... I will probably have to check this, but I'm already out of warranty. Oh well... maybe I can put some rust-stopping stuff on it this spring. *sigh*

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:18 am

Quote, originally posted by ponta2147 Â»Eeeep... I will probably have to check this, but I'm already out of warranty. Oh well... maybe I can put some rust-stopping stuff on it this spring. *sigh*I wonder if this would be covered under the 5 year/100,000 mile corrosion warranty... ?

josholiver1 · Post by **josholiver1** » Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:28 am

Multiple dealers told me it was not considered a body part, and so did GM customer service, which would mean the corrosion warranty does not cover the pannel, outside of the three year warranty.

09vGT · Post by **09vGT** » Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:18 am

Thanks for the pictures Carrie! I'll have to check tomorrow or the next day. We're suppose to get snow which is just GREAT. Can you feel the sarcasm?

09vGT · Post by **09vGT** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 10:52 am

I'm doomed. There is about an inch of rust starting on the drivers side. I didn't get to check the passenger side yet, it was too dark. Anything I can put on it to stop it or at least slow it down? Preferably without having to take the thing apart.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:56 am

Quote, originally posted by josholiver1 Â»Multiple dealers told me it was not considered a body part, and so did GM customer service, which would mean the corrosion warranty does not cover the pannel, outside of the three year warranty.Figures !Quote, originally posted by 09vGT Â»Thanks for the pictures Carrie! I'll have to check tomorrow or the next day. We're suppose to get snow which is just GREAT. Can you feel the sarcasm?I'm doomed. There is about an inch of rust starting on the drivers side. I didn't get to check the passenger side yet, it was too dark. Anything I can put on it to stop it or at least slow it down? Preferably without having to take the thing apart.You're welcome Ethan!Sorry to hear yours is rusting too .I bet POR-15 would work really well, but the glass would need to be removed from the vehicle and then the rubber seal would need to be removed from the glass.

09vGT · Post by **09vGT** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:03 am

Quote, originally posted by josholiver1 Â»Multiple dealers told me it was not considered a body part, and so did GM customer service, which would mean the corrosion warranty does not cover the pannel, outside of the three year warranty.What do they consider it then? Its a part, on the outside, of the body. Idiots.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:16 am

Quote, originally posted by 09vGT Â»What do they consider it then? Its a part, on the outside, of the body. Idiots.That's GM for ya !

josholiver1 · Post by **josholiver1** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:44 am

Quote, originally posted by 09vGT Â»What do they consider it then? Its a part, on the outside, of the body. Idiots. It is ridiculous. I think they consider it a mechanical part, like a door window or something like that, thats the only explanation I can come up with.

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 12:45 pm

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY Â»I bet POR-15 would work really well, but the glass would need to be removed from the vehicle and then the rubber seal would need to be removed from the glass.Hmmmmmm ...... For the Vibe that doesn't get this fixed under warranty (mine OR Juniors), I just may have to look into this. Removing the roof & separating the rubber seal couldn't be that much work. Besides I'd rather do this repair myself knowing that it will be done right

trb · Post by **trb** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 1:29 pm

Sorry to hear about your sunroof problems, guys. Now I'm really glad I don't have one to worry about. Por-15 would probably be a good way to fix the rust, lots of the Mustang guys use it on their restorations. Good luck on the repairs for those of you doing it yourself.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 7:41 am

Quote, originally posted by tpollauf Â»Removing the roof & separating the rubber seal couldn't be that much work.I'm sure if anyone could do it successfully, it'd be you Tim ! If you do end up doing it, you'll have to be sure and do a write up.

enfield577 · Post by **enfield577** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 7:26 pm

I must also say "me too" on this problem. It's not that bad (yet) and I would not have noticed it except for this thread, but it's there, and will likely get worse.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 9:40 am

Well, I finally remembered to call the dealer today about this issue. They transferred me to their on-site body shop. I am taking my Vibe in Monday so they (the body shop) can take a look at it. I am hoping they agree to replace it under warranty without any hassle. My mom's is in worse shape than mine (I'm guessing it's because hers was sitting on the dealer lot for 6 months between the time it was delivered and the time she bought it), but my warranty expires a month and a half before hers, hence why mine's going in first.I will post an update on Monday with what they have to say about it.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 9:32 am

Went to the body shop at the dealer today. The body shop manager came out and looked at it. Then he pulled it inside and took some pictures of it. He was going to submit the claim to GM and he said he should know by tomorrow whether they'll warranty it or not. They better or I'm going to raise some hell!

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:35 am

Well, I hadn't heard anything from the body shop so I gave them a call today to see what the deal was. GM agreed to warranty the rusted sunroof glass frame so it's on order and they'll call me to come in when the new one arrives !Once mine is taken care of, I will take my mom's down so they can take pictures of it to submit to GM and go through the whole thing again. I feel so much better that GM actually agreed to warranty it though. I was really ready for them to be jerks about it.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:37 am

The body shop is really bad about calling me like they say they're going to, so I called them today. I spoke to the manager and they do have the new sunroof glass, so I am taking it in next Tuesday (the day before my warranty expires !) to have it replaced. He said it should take about an hour. I am also having my mom go with me in her Vibe so they can get the ball rolling with her sunroof.

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:24 pm

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY Â» I spoke to the manager and they do have the new sunroof glass,Hmmmmmmmm. Now I'm confused. Are you getting a new frame OR a new frame & glass assembly? Also, if possible, ask to see the old before they ship it back for warranty purposes. Have your camera handy. Thanks

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:02 am

Quote, originally posted by tpollauf Â»Hmmmmmmmm. Now I'm confused. Are you getting a new frame OR a new frame & glass assembly? Also, if possible, ask to see the old before they ship it back for warranty purposes. Have your camera handy. Thanks The part that is rusted is the metal frame that surrounds the edge of the sunroof glass itself. The rust is under the rubber seal that goes all the way around the edge of the sunroof glass. I am assuming this is all one piece, so hence the new sunroof glass.I'll see what I can do about pictures .Also, Tim, if you haven't already, please check your IMs on here. Ethan (09vGT) is having an issue with your LED 3rd brake light he bought from me a couple weeks back. Thanks !

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 1:01 pm

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY Â» Tim, if you haven't already, please check your IMs on here.Thanks for the reminder. I no longer get IM notification sent to my e-mail so I never know when someone tries to contact me I replied Ethan back and advised him to use my e-mail contact from this point forward. Getting back onto the topic here. If they indeed send you a complete glass/frame combination then the likelihood of the new one rusting out is very high. It would have came from the same batch as our original ones and will likely start rusting in a few years. Hopefully that is not the case. You want that frame VERY protected so that you don't go through this again.

josholiver1 · Post by **josholiver1** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 3:54 pm

Just a random thought, has anyone noticed any corolla, camry, matrix with this problem, ive been looking at ones that I pass on a daily basis and they seem to have same/similar panels and do not show signs of rust...

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 6:45 am

Quote, originally posted by tpollauf Â»Thanks for the reminder. I no longer get IM notification sent to my e-mail so I never know when someone tries to contact me ;| I replied Ethan back and advised him to use my e-mail contact from this point forward. Getting back onto the topic here. If they indeed send you a complete glass/frame combination then the likelihood of the new one rusting out is very high. It would have came from the same batch as our original ones and will likely start rusting in a few years. Hopefully that is not the case. You want that frame VERY protected so that you don't go through this again.Glad to hear you got in touch with him !I am going to talk to the body shop manager about if there is a coating of some sort, i.e. POR-15, that they could put on the glass frame so it won't rust again. We'll see what happens.Quote, originally posted by josholiver1 Â»Just a random thought, has anyone noticed any corolla, camry, matrix with this problem, ive been looking at ones that I pass on a daily basis and they seem to have same/similar panels and do not show signs of rust...I wonder if the sunroof glass is a GM part and that's why Toyotas don't seem to have this issue. Just a thought .

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:14 am

New sunroof glass is in! I'm not sure quite how long it took since my mom and I dropped it off and left to grab some lunch and run some errands, but when I dropped it off the manager said it would be about 30-45 minutes. I double checked to make sure it is indeed brand new... it is ! I asked the body shop manager if he had any idea what would cause this to happen. He said he didn't have a clue. Hopefully it doesn't happen again another couple years down the road ...Tim, I was in a hurry and completely forgot about getting pictures. I will be taking my mom's to get hers replaced next week or the week atfer so I will try to get some then.

tpollauf · Post by **tpollauf** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:41 am

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY Â»Tim, I was in a hurry and completely forgot about getting pictures. I will be taking my mom's to get hers replaced next week or the week atfer so I will try to get some then. I'll forgive you this time Definitely get some pics of your mom's when they swap it out. Myself & other GenVibers here will appreciate it

enfield577 · Post by **enfield577** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:47 pm

Hi all,Greetings from Germany!I have some questions for those who have gotten this repaired under warranty. I am going to try to get mine fixed under warranty here. Honestly, I don't expect to be successful, even though Opel is responsible for GM warranties here, but the more info I am armed with, the more chance I may have.1. I think some who got this repaired under warranty, were over the 36 month warranty period, but under the 36,000 mile limit, right? (That's my case.)2. Did anyone get any paperwork from GM or a GM dealer that says this repair was done under warranty, that you would be willing to send me a copy? Usually, you get the normal repair form, but instead of a bill it just shows something like "No Cost - Warranty."3. When you got the repair done, was the fault actually causing the sunroof not to open right, and is that why GM agreed to repair it? Mine isn't doing anything like that - in fact, you can't actually see any rust damage (no buckling or bulging of the frame or anything). I just get rust flakes falling out when I peel back the rubber seal, so I know it's rusting under there. (This, coupled with my car being over the 36 month limit, makes me suspect that Opel would not cover the warranty, but maybe I can go straight to GM and get them to tell Opel to do it.)Thanks!

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 7:52 pm

enfield577 wrote:Hi all,
Greetings from Germany!

I have some questions for those who have gotten this repaired under warranty. I am going to try to get mine fixed under warranty here. Honestly, I don't expect to be successful, even though Opel is responsible for GM warranties here, but the more info I am armed with, the more chance I may have.

1. I think some who got this repaired under warranty, were over the 36 month warranty period, but under the 36,000 mile limit, right? (That's my case.)

2. Did anyone get any paperwork from GM or a GM dealer that says this repair was done under warranty, that you would be willing to send me a copy? Usually, you get the normal repair form, but instead of a bill it just shows something like "No Cost - Warranty."

3. When you got the repair done, was the fault actually causing the sunroof not to open right, and is that why GM agreed to repair it? Mine isn't doing anything like that - in fact, you can't actually see any rust damage (no buckling or bulging of the frame or anything). I just get rust flakes falling out when I peel back the rubber seal, so I know it's rusting under there. (This, coupled with my car being over the 36 month limit, makes me suspect that Opel would not cover the warranty, but maybe I can go straight to GM and get them to tell Opel to do it.)

Thanks!

Geoff, my Vibe was under the 36 months and 36,000 miles when mine was replaced a couple weeks ago. My mom's is being replaced this coming Tuesday and hers is under the 36 months and 36,000 miles as well. Josholiver1, who started this thread, did say he had his replaced and that his Vibe was over the 36 months, but not the 36,000 miles, so you may have a chance.

I didn't get any paperwork from the body shop when they did mine, but I can see if I can get a copy this Tuesday when my mom's goes in.

Both of our sunroofs have been functioning fine. This problem is/was strictly cosmetic for both our Vibes. My mom's rubber seal is bulging up on the outside pretty bad. Mine was just starting to bulge when it was replaced. As you said, when you open the sunroof and peel the rubber seal back, little pieces of rust fall down on you. When the body shop manager was taking pictures of mine to submit to GM, he got rust in his face

.

I hope you can get it taken care of Geoff. I'll try my best to get pictures and paperwork this coming Tuesday.

ajb812 · Post by **ajb812** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 4:33 pm

Hmm, well it seems as if I get to join the club on this one. I had checked earlier when this thread was started, and didn't notice it. After recent updates of this thread I took a closer look, and sure enough in the front corners of the sunroof frame under the weather stripping mine is rusting out as well. Being in Florida all it's life it's never seen snow, so the weather stripping must not be sealing the sunroof frame correctly and rain / water alone seems to be causing it (as opposed to any salt, etc. contributing to it - for those living in snowy regions). Thankfully I still have until the end of July '12 before the warranty runs out! I'll add this to the list for my next trip to the dealer. Hopefully with others having the same problem and getting the sunroof ultimately replaced I am hoping I won't have any problems with getting it replaced myself.

A big thanks to everyone here on GenVibe - otherwise I can guarantee that I never would have looked into / noticed this otherwise ...

09vGT · Post by **09vGT** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 5:16 pm

I may mention this to my dealer, but at over 90,000 miles and my Vibe being almost 4 years old now I doubt I get anything. I'll never hear the end of this from the grandparents, as I threw a fit for wanting a Vibe with the GT package with a sunroof, if they have to pay for a new sunroof if it starts to leak or something :/

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 4:37 pm

09vGT wrote:I may mention this to my dealer, but at over 90,000 miles and my Vibe being almost 4 years old now I doubt I get anything. I'll never hear the end of this from the grandparents, as I threw a fit for wanting a Vibe with the GT package with a sunroof, if they have to pay for a new sunroof if it starts to leak or something :/

It certainly doesn't hurt to ask Ethan

.

So, my mom's sunroof glass was successfully replaced yesterday in about 30 minutes. Unfortunately I had to work late, so my mom took it to the dealer body shop, so I wasn't able to get pictures or anything

.

vibenvy · Post by **vibenvy** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 5:04 pm

Just out of curiousity I looked up the price of new sunroof glass on GMPartsCenter.net. I'm pretty surprised, it's only $290.34 through them ($393.68 MSRP). Worst case scenario, if rust appears again in another few years, I'll just order new glass and replace it myself I guess

.

09 Sunroof Frame Rust

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