NHTSA Complaint #10277227 — 2004 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

SUN ROOF LEAKS. NOTICED A MUSTY SMELL, WINDOWS FOGGING OVER EASILY, DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT THAT WAS WET, WET RUG IN THE REAR BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT AND FINALLY WET HEAD LINER AND SIDE PANELS IN REAR OF CAR ALSO ON THE DRIVER SIDE. CHECKED THE SUN ROOF DRAINS AND THEY WERE CLEAR AND THE SUN ROOF TRAY HAD NO STANDING WATER. HOWEVER, FOUND ABOUT 2 INCHES OF STANDING WATER IN A WELL JUST BELOW REAR TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND A DRIPPING WET BLACK BOX MOUNTED ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE REAR WHEEL HOUSING, WHICH I ASSUME IS THE COMPUTER CONTROL MODULE FOR THE CAR. POURED WATER INTO SUN ROOF TRAY AND WATER WOULD JUST POUR DOWN INTO AND UPON THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS. GOOGLED VW SUN ROOF LEAKS AND IMMEDIATELY FOUND VW OWNER WEB SITES COMPLAINING OF THIS SAME SITUATION AND THE REPAIRS THEY HAVE MADE. ALMOST EVERY SITUATION OF SUN ROOF LEAK WAS DUE TO FAILED BOND IN AN ADAPTER AND TUBE ASSEMBLY. SUN ROOF TRAY HAS FOUR BALL END NIPPLES, ONE IN EACH CORNER, ON WHICH AN PLASTIC ADAPTER SLIPS OVER AND THEN A DRAIN TUBE END SLIPS INTO AND IS SUPPOSED TO BE BONDED TO THIS ADAPTER. I PULLED THE HEAD LINER DOWN TO OBSERVE THE JOINT AND POURED WATER INTO THE TRAY AND WATER IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO RUN FROM THIS BONDED JOINT. ON CLOSER EXAMINATION THERE WAS A GAP AND BY JUST SQUEEZING THE JOINT WITH MY FINGERS THE REST OF THE BOND FAILED AND THE JOINT CAME APART. AS SUGGESTED ON THESE WEB SITES, I BOUGHT 3/4 INCH CLEAR PLASTIC TUBING WHICH I HOSE CLAMPED TO THE NIPPLE ON THE TRAY AND SNAKED THE NEW TUBING IN PLACE OF THE OLD WITH NO NIPPLE ADAPTER. TESTED THE REPAIR BY REPEATEDLY POURING WATER INTO THE TRAY. THE JOINT THAT FAILED ON MY VEHICLE IS THE EASIEST TO ACCESS AND REPAIR. I PRAY I DON'T HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE FRONT DRAINS AS SOME OTHER UNFORTUNATES HAD HAPPEN TO THEM AS THIS INVOLVES SERIOUS DIS-ASSEMBLY OF THE DASH, DIS-ARMING AIRBAGS, ETC. *TR