2019 Equinox water in spare tire well and floor of back seats

[NXR71]

Check out these links to TSBs:

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2022/MC-10219271-0001.pdf

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2022/MC-10216372-9999.pdf

 

[stefanibuhajla]

Have not had this problem (yet maybe). So far I am reading description of the source (maybe the source).
How does the water get to the tire well. I mean does it drip down onto the carpet on the access lid, or follow a hidden side drainage. How does it end up in the well. Is there a water trail.

It rolls down the inside of the body through the roof. If there is a lot of rain, sometimes it will even drip down the inside of the side rear window. THere is also water running down the wiring harness. I wonder sometimes if it could be the shark fin because water never drips at the front of the vehicle.

 

[SteveK]

It rolls down the inside of the body through the roof. If there is a lot of rain, sometimes it will even drip down the inside of the side rear window. THere is also water running down the wiring harness. I wonder sometimes if it could be the shark fin because water never drips at the front of the vehicle.

The TSB in the previous post explains this well, pin holes, blocked drains and some specific places to look.

 

[Flash]

The TSB in the previous post explains this well, pin holes, blocked drains and some specific places to look.

Does this even happen if drip lines are cleared and the roof never opened again?

 

[Hey Vern!]

Have not had this problem (yet maybe). So far I am reading description of the source (maybe the source).
How does the water get to the tire well. I mean does it drip down onto the carpet on the access lid, or follow a hidden side drainage. How does it end up in the well. Is there a water trail.

Hey Steve,

The sunroof has 4 drains. sometimes they fill up with debris and overflow and sometimes the drains crack, so keep them clean. I had 1 broken drain and it filled the spare tire area, soaked my headliner and my seat belts. Dealer fixed mine under certified preowned warranty after i made a fuss about it. The sunroof worked fine for a while, but i think the damage from that repair finally took it's toll, because it will no longer open and neither will the sun shade. The fuse is good, but they won't budge. If it leaks again, I'm covering the entire roof in clear vinyl wrap.

 

[SteveK]

Vern, aside from what you said this leak is known to come from a disconnected drain hose. One poster told me water gets inside the side walls that makes sense. pin hole leaks suggested by TSB seem a stretch. Plugged drains suggest overflow between sunroof and rubber seal, which as suggested should be cleaned with soap and water.
Water wicking makes more sense than water freely running

 

[SunsetBeach]

I am having the same issue with my 2019 Equinox Premier. I was curious to what the dealer found with yours and if you have had additional problems since. Thanks

And the reason we turned down 2019 after test driving one with the sun/moon roof. It appears the drain holes will plug up at times due to people leaving the roof or sunroof open. Stuff from trees falls into the roof area and plugs up the drain holes. While test driving one we heard sloshing and found water in the back seat area. My wife ended up with a new Premier, minus the sunroof. Heard you can buy some stout fishing line or weed whacker line and run it thru the drain holes on occasion to clear them out.

I have not heard the fishing line trick, however, my 2019 Premier rear drains were plugged up and to get at them the interior cargo side panel has to be removed! The Service Mgr. at Chevy said the same thing. Parking outside will cause this and in NC the pines are brutal! I agree! This needs to be a recall issue.

 

[SteveK]

I went to the car wash today and this thread popped up. So I checked my wheel well and it is dry. Any chance some of you have this issue only after washing vehicle by hand or car wash?

 

[Flash]

I went to the car wash today and this thread popped up. So I checked my wheel well and it is dry. Any chance some of you have this issue only after washing vehicle by hand or car wash?

Or a good rain storm

 

[caireen77]

Anybody know of any known leaks in the 2019 Equinox? I have a Premiere with the sunroof and have just discovered water in the spare tire well and also the floor in the back seat area with mold.

Taking to dealer in the morning, just trying to make sure they look everywhere.

I am on my 3rd diagnostic for this. I was lucky to file a claim while still under warranty. The first two diagnostics they insisted it was the moonroof drains clogging up from pine needles and that flushing the drains during each and every scheduled oil change would solve the problem so I complied. But, it’s still happening so it’s back for another diagnostic. I think GM is hoping people don’t figure out the problem until it’s no longer under warranty and owners give up and trade it in.

 

[Hey Vern!]

I just talked to my service rep. He told me their sunroof guy guarantees his work. Since he worked on mine, they would like to have it back to look it over. I feel like the tubes fall out of the drains causing the problem. Even with my sunroof wrapped closed the antenna leaks a bit. I am debating having them look at it. I guess the worst thing i would lose is $20 in auto wrap and the time to install it. I just have zero confidence in their ability to stop the leak.

 

[caireen77]

I just talked to my service rep. He told me their sunroof guy guarantees his work. Since he worked on mine, they would like to have it back to look it over. I feel like the tubes fall out of the drains causing the problem. Even with my sunroof wrapped closed the antenna leaks a bit. I am debating having them look at it. I guess the worst thing i would lose is $20 in auto wrap and the time to install it. I just have zero confidence in their ability to stop the leak.

Mine is currently at the dealership. They took the seats out this time, they said something about faulty gaskets.

 

[caireen77]

Mine is currently at the dealership. They took the seats out this time, they said something about faulty gaskets.

I had my moonroof gasket replaced and the problem remains so it’s not the moonroof gasket.

 

[caireen77]

Or a good rain storm

It definitely is from rain in my case. I didn’t know there was a problem until it began to smell. I felt under the rubber mats in the back seat and they were soaked. Brought it to dealership and they said the moonroof drains were clogged and I don’t park under trees. They never mentioned the trunk. Thank god I googled the problem and discovered this forum. That’s how I found out about the spare tire well after the first diagnosis. Mine is a 2020. I had to invest in an ozone generator to get the smell out.it’s a nightmare.

 

[NikeRJC]

Hi all! I have a 2019 Equinox Premier with the sunroof. I have also been a tech with Chevy for many years. This is a widespread issue that should 100% be recalled or at the very least a Service Bulletin with a proper repair. The problem is just a poor design. The rear drains and very prone to clogging. It doesn't matter if you use your sunroof or not, the debris gets in past the sunroof glass moldings(normal) but it should make its way out of the drain tube. I have personally worked on countless Equinoxs for water leaks and sunroof issues. They always come back eventually with clogged drains again. My car included. Ive come to grips that this is just how this POS is so I figured I'd get proactive. It always fills the spare tire well up first and it takes a lot of rain water for that to happen. So these issues are going on LONG before the water even sloshes into the back seat and then after a while we will notice the odor or the fogging windows. I purchased a flood sensor and placed it under the spare tire insulator as that's the first thing to get wet. If we could catch it there then we can avoid much bigger issues. I also purchased a flexible tube cleaner to clean my sunroof drains out as a regular maintenance. We shouldn't have to do any of this but alas......

 

[SteveK]

Is there a reason to not have a drain out of the wheel well?
Does the drain hose end inside the wheel well or is the water ending there in another manner?

 

[NikeRJC]

Is there a reason to not have a drain out of the wheel well?
Does the drain hose end inside the wheel well or is the water ending there in another manner?

I personally wouldnt want to drill a hole in the sheet metal. Plus the problem is that the drains clog then as a result you take on water. Id rather tackle the issue of the clog. The drain hose exits the vehicle behind the rear wheels. You can look up and see the black grommet. Thats also where you'd snake that drain cleaner from to avoid having to remove the rear sunroof glass.

 

[SteveK]

What I am trying to understand is how the water gets in the wheel well if it is to drain to the outside. A plugged drain at the top should overflow water to the outside or run down the rear hatch sides kept out by the door gasket. But how does it get into the wheel well without wetting the carpet deck or the storage above the wheel well.

 

[NikeRJC]

What I am trying to understand is how the water gets in the wheel well if it is to drain to the outside. A plugged drain at the top should overflow water to the outside or run down the rear hatch sides kept out by the door gasket. But how does it get into the wheel well without wetting the carpet deck or the storage above the wheel well.

The sunroof has a water management system. Water that goes past the sunroof seals goes into a gutter that channels the water to the sunroof drains. When debris gets lodged at the entrance of the drain the water has nowhere to go. It then overflows and runs over the gutter onto the headliner, and runs down the backside of the rear cargo panels and just collects in the spare tire well.

 

[caireen77]

Anybody know of any known leaks in the 2019 Equinox? I have a Premiere with the sunroof and have just discovered water in the spare tire well and also the floor in the back seat area with mold.

Taking to dealer in the morning, just trying to make sure they look everywhere.

Good luck, been dealing with the same thing and have had 4 diagnostic’s. The dealership insists it’s excessive debris clogging up the drains which seems to be the case but how that’s my fault is infuriating. I don’t even open the moonroof. This had cost me lots of money.