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Sunroof Jam Issues per dealer

139K views 131 replies 63 participants last post by  freddiec66 
#1 · (Edited)
This is just a recommendation to those with sunroofs to use/test them regularly. Mine stuck open 4 months ago, took it to dealer and they said the lubricants were dry and they repaired. When I left the dealer...it worked.

Fast forward to today, I opened sunroof for maybe the first time since its repair. It would not shut. It would move really slow to close, stop, then re-open.

Took back to dealer, and they said KIA is having problems with the 2016 sunroofs nationwide, and they have been instructed to re-lube...but there may be other sunroof issues. They sent a request in to KIA thinking they may have to replace the entire sunroof mechanism.

Until they get back to me, the service manager said if it sticks open again, you can force it to close by pushing through where it is jamming (although I'm not comfortable with that solution, even in the short term). At least it's closed for now.
 
#6 ·
The issue is the motor and cables are binding up. We have replaced 3 of them in the past month. Here in South Carolina apparently it's sunroof season. The issue is the new cables do not separate from the frame that holds the panoramic glasses in place. The frame cables motor and glass have had to be replaced its about 6k every time we do this repair.. Fun stuff!!!!
 
#7 ·
Nice! How many hours do you get for this job and can you make or beat the time? Can the repair be done without it looking like it was repaired? Whenever I'm up there drying the roof off I ponder these scenarios.:grin:

Ah Oh, I just wish Canada does not have this problem. LOL.
There you go, something to really lose sleep over now.:unsure:
 
#10 ·
I had this same problem a few months ago! Opened the sunroof and noticed the shade got halfway stuck. Opened the window and it opened fine but I couldn't get it to close! I tried holding down the button, going backwards and forwards, restarting the car, everything and finally it crawled to a close.

Husband took it in for me. They couldn't duplicate the issue of course but said the lube was dried up. I could pay $150 for them to fix it or have my husband do it. It seemed more of an electrical problem to me than a lube problem. I haven't had him fix it yet and I haven't tried opening it anymore either.
 
#15 ·
Are there any instructions out there from Kia for lubing the sunroof mechanism? For instance, where to lube and what lube to use? I haven't had any issues yet but have only opened it a few times. I'm not a big SR user but I definitely want it to close when I do open it.
 
#22 ·
Kia Is Aware

Spoke to one local dealer, they said Kia is in the middle of a fix and not to use it for the time being which is a pain in the butt. Called the other local dealer and they said they have no idea. I like the vehicle but I don't love it. Too many stupid issues like the sunroof and tranny slips. I am almost at the regret stage of buying this. My 2013 Optima was pure bliss. I want it back :-(
 
#30 ·
ooohhh I just noticed this topic. I had this issue around 6 months after receiving my car. the sunroof had difficulties to close, sometimes blocked and reopened. to close it when the issue was there, I had to help it.
At the moment, I don't have the issue anymore. I think it depend on the outside temperature as it doesn't occur everytime.
and I hope it will be covered by the warranty as it's not supposed to be a wearing part.

Spoke to one local dealer, they said Kia is in the middle of a fix and not to use it for the time being which is a pain in the butt. Called the other local dealer and they said they have no idea. I like the vehicle but I don't love it. Too many stupid issues like the sunroof and tranny slips. I am almost at the regret stage of buying this. My 2013 Optima was pure bliss. I want it back :-(
I have sadly the same feeling :( I found the Sorento more and more weak points unfortunately.
 
#23 ·
Just an update on my original post on this topic. The dealer confirmed there is a wide spread problem with the sunroof. Because they already tried the lubricant and checked everything else out, KIA advised them to replace the entire sunroof. The have ordered me a new sunroof and expect it to take a couple weeks before receiving it.

I just hope it fixes it...and it doesn't now start leaking or something else.
 
#24 ·
Haven't had any issues with mine but don't open it a whole lot. After reading the procedure for replacing the sunroof I don't know if I'd want it done. Have a feeling the car may never be the same again with the amount of disassembly involved to replace it.

According to the Kia service manual, replacing the sunroof requires removing the third row seat, most of the interior trim, sunvisors, assist handles, interior lighting on the roof trim, the roof trim, the windshield and of course pretty much the entire top of the car.

Maybe they will eventually determine a date range of vehicles that it affects.
 
#26 ·
Just an update on this issue.

I took my car in to get a routine service (20,000 miles) and I told the tech to check out the sunroof because mine was making cracking noises and I had read about sunroof issues in this forum. They called me later in the day and offered me a rental to keep my car for an extended period of time. I guess the tech "noticed some sticking" and he has opened up a case with Kia. I will probably hear something next week and will let you guys know about it.
 
#27 ·
I had my first routine service this week and asked the dealer to check the sunroof and lubricate it. When I picked it up the service manager mentioned that they lubricate it as part of the yearly maintenance but that it is a good idea to remind them to do it at other times. I don't use mine much, hardly ever in fact, but it's pretty important that it close when required. I'll be keeping an eye on this issue to see how it develops. Mine is late 2016 production - Nov.
 
#28 ·
I was actually the first person with sunroof problems, replaced part by part fast forward 6 months later and they just replaced the entire thing again, now works fine. Yes, you can push it past the slow down, with no worries. I had to do it for 2 months. Full replacement or nothing, its the only way to solve the issue. Then call Kia corporate and "ask for something" not permitted to disclose more, but ASK FOR SOMETHING ($$).
 
#29 ·
I was actually the first person with sunroof problems, replaced part by part fast forward 6 months later and they just replaced the entire thing again, now works fine. Yes, you can push it past the slow down, with no worries. I had to do it for 2 months. Full replacement or nothing, its the only way to solve the issue. Then call Kia corporate and "ask for something" not permitted to disclose more, but ASK FOR SOMETHING ($$).
Hello,

Can you elaborate on this a bit more? Please feel free to PM if you can't discuss publicly.
 
#33 ·
Yes, lemon law applies to a lease as well. I informed my dealer they were to run a hose over the roof after the work to ensure no leaks. I believe they subbed it out to a glass replacement shop. Oh, i get your fears....the first repair, the dealer broke the windshield trying to get the roof track off. this was back last fall and they werent in stock in the US, so I had to wait 3 weeks for a replacement windshield.

There still is a small amount of noise in the roof related to body roll but I heard the same thing in a brand new one as well, so I guess its just how the roof is designed.

Overall, i'm pleased with the outcome. I did qualify for lemon law, they had the car in the shop 4 times for the roof for over 30 days. But this would have been an inconvenience to me. I wish I had asked for more $. I read a different post where they were offering upwards of 5K to prevent a lemon law claim. Mine was not that much, but it was not an insignificant amount.
 
#36 ·
Hi all, new to the boards... Joined because I'm having the same sunroof issue.

Purchased my '16 Sorento SX Limited AWD (with Technology package) from a Hyundai dealer. 12K miles on the odo and got them to do $31K + tax. (Not a bad price for a car that was $45K eight months earlier. They all seem to have dropped to the the low to mid '30's here in SoCal, but this one had all the options and the dealer wanted it gone)

The same day I drove it home though, the sunroof jammed. Slow to close, and it eventually would stick and reverse to the open position again, as if it was hitting some obstruction. I had to muscle it shut. Tried doing the sunroof reset procedure as outlined in the manual, but to no avail. Also, now the sunroof timing was off... opsuhing the "slide closed" button no longer stopped at closed, it went from closed to vent open. I had to manually flick the switch to quickly find the "glass closed" position.

Took it to the Kia dealership for warranty service, they said the motor was burning out. Had to wait a week for them to get the replacement. They installed it, and everything was right as rain again... but upon testing it the dealer observed it was slowing down again, and suspected that the guide rails may have become warped. They said they needed authorization from corporate on whether to replace the rails or the whole sunroof assembly. I'm advised not to open the sunroof if I can help it. (I opened the sunshade and the timing was correct again).

Two weeks go by and I'm told to bring the car in again. They keep it for four days (Kia instructed them to send it to an outside vendor). I go and pick it up, the invoice says that nothing has been replaced, the rails have been lubed and that's it. Fine, whatever, it's still under warranty if it messes up again. Except... My sunroof timing is screwed up again! The sunroof won't find it's own closes position, it wants to go from slide closed to vent open without stopping in between. I've tried resetting the sunroof as per the manual several times, no change.

Does anyone know how to correctly reset the sunroof timing with some technique NOT outlined in the manual? Or is it a mechanical issue and I have to take the car back to Kia AGAIN?
 
#40 ·
I guess this issue is prevalent with 16s mostly so if Kia knows it, ask for a full replacement.

$31k is a good price. I paid 40,500 new on a 17 and I get the full 10 yr drivetrain warranty. So $31K seems pretty inline for a year+ old car with 12K miles.
 
#37 ·
If you review this thread some have said it is a known issue to KIA. Seems to me by your post KIA doesn't seem to want to "own up" to this issue yet. It is a design flaw and I too am experiencing it. Sad thing is, it did it before I took delivery and they got it going w/some lube. I thought nothing of it at the time thinking it was exactly that: a minor issue cured. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess..
 
#55 ·
Mine finally took a dump.. Had to leave my moon roof open while I went to eat dinner.. luckily no rain in the forecast as the roof would not close.

I started to fiddle with it after dinner in the parking lot by pressing on the accordion things on the side of the roof and it finally closed luckily.

Time for a trip to the dealer tomorrow...
 
#41 ·
My sunroof was making slight cracking noises, but only a couple of times, not very frequent. I had the dealer check it out while I was doing my routine service. They owned up tot he fact that they noticed the roof was taking longer than it should to close. They said they will check it and gave me a rental for the day. They called the next day adn said the rails had to be lubed so they did that and it's been working like a charm ever since.
 
#43 ·
Update 2: Dealership has had my Sorento for a week. According to the service rep at the dealership, an engineer from Kia Motors came out and told the dealership they need to replace the sunroof. But the bean counters at corporate won't authorize the repair because it costs too much, and wants the dealership to send the car to a third party sunroof repair specialist that Kia Motors uses to see if they can fix it without replacing the sunroof. So I get to call corporate on Tuesday and chew somebody out because I'd really like to get my car back.... All told I've owned my car for six weeks and three weeks of it has been spent at the dealership for this sunroof, and whatever course of action Kia & the dealership decide upon will take another week at least...
 
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