Hurricane Matthew - water in my Cadenza!!!

That is some very odd damage. I had the inside drivers door seal replaced, the one that's actually on the frame. Previous owner may have slid across this every time getting into the car...it was ripped up pretty good, I hadn't noticed it. $120 part new, real easy to install, but went back to the dealership that sold me the car and they covered it with no issue. Would be worth a good conversation with the dealer you bought it from.


That said, this does look like some kind of damage, and not your typical early wear. Something sliding across the roof, even an animal/bird perhaps. I had a bird, (same bird over several months, I would see it going to town every time I walked up to the car) tear up the moldings on my doors on the previous car, were scratches everywhere, would not have been a warrantee, but man you just never know what they might do for you...good luck!

Thanks, thats great advice.

So an update on this whole issue... 2 weeks after they replaced the strip along the drivers side of the sunroof (piece that goes from front windshield to rear between door frame and sunroof) we had our first rain since the hurricane that produced the first notice of water intrusion....

I got in the car to run an errand and was PISSED!!!! water, but less water, but water nonetheless....this time, dripping from top edge of windshield / interior headliner above steering wheel, getting the lower left controls on the steering wheel wet and dripping onto floor. It seems to have been a slow steady drip here. And again on the drivers side pillar right above the top of the drivers' side door.

I calmed down, thinking ok, its LESS water, I 'll get this worked out, no problem. The next day I emailed my contact at the dealership, and almost immediately a guy who works in service gave me a call and was understanding, and apologetic, asked me to bring vehicle back in. Wanting to have all my stuff together when I took the vehicle back in, I started looking closer at the initial repairs they made (like I should have done before leaving when they attempted the first repair!), and I noticed a few things...

1.) the long rubber (flat) seal along top edge of windshield (on the drivers side corner / end) was damaged (rips and tears like something chewed on it and it was loose and wasn't solidly in place and it seems that it had to be where the top of windshield was allowing water inside. this damaged area was just below the trim piece that was replaced.

2.) Also in the same corner / area, the tip / corner of the windshield glass itself had a cracked / chipped edge, about an 1/8 of an inch, tiny, but I KNOW it wasn't like that originally, and I know that it means the integrity of the glass itself (at least in that area) is now questionable....

3.) AND the whole trim piece doesn't appear to be 'seated' properly... the ends did NOT sit flush with the surrounding areas -- when compared with the passenger side trim piece it was raised on both ends (at rear and front windshields) about 1/4 inch or more and when you press lightly there was a lot of 'flex' / movement. it was obvious that there wasn't a tight SEAL here.


I get another appointment the following morning and showed them the issue and they promised to get it fixed... then about 10 minutes later I get called into the service bay area so they can show me an issue with the windshield, saying when they try to fix the trim piece again, the crack / chipped edge of the windshield will be under pressure and it will almost definitely crack the entire windshield -- which I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR -- that was it, I flipped out. I let them know that the 'pressure' applied for this type of repair / trim replacement was what caused the issue the first time they attempted the repair and there was no way I was paying for a glass that they damaged... a little back and forth, then I get them to bring over the head of the service dept... he listened, took a look, and immediately told his team they needed to just fix the vehicle the right way. he told them to order a new windshield, trim piece, to get their water intrusion vendor to come out and test it after the repairs were made and booked another visit for a few days out, enough time for the windshield and part to get in.

It's been back in my possession for 2 days now, I have to wait until Monday before I can wash it because of the new windshield. The trim seems to be almost identical to the passenger side trim piece now, maybe a slight raised area at front, but it seems seated properly at least this time.

I'm hopeful this will be the end of this drama, if its not, I can promise you it'll be the last time I buy a Kia, note: we've bought 2 in the past 3 years and up until now have been happy. the K900 was next on my list, so if this doesn't work out I'll just go get a Benz like the one I was about to buy before I got this Cadenza. To be clear, I love this vehicle. I just need it to stay dry inside!

will post an update after it rains later this week or I get it to the car wash and can see if theres any water making it in.

quick update...

So we've had a few rains (one was a big storm that lasted 2 or 3 days)... and the inside of the vehicle stayed as dry as a bone (( AWESOME ))

... BUT.....

Look at this image...

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Byo5QU1FOKvzWnN0MzBIOEJvUmc

so the windshield was replaced, great... and the rubber seal that runs across the top of windshield no longer lets water in, great... but the trim piece on the driver side (that runs from front of vehicle to back of vehicle, and is on the left and right of the pano sunroof)... its NOT seated properly and at both the front and back of the vehicle the ends of this trim piece are NOT flush with the windshield like the passenger side is.

Why cant they just fix it like its supposed to be, its a trim piece on THEIR make and model vehicle, not some obscure foreign vehicle.

They tried to make me pay for the entire front windshield last time, so I'm thinking (right now at least) that I'll cut my loses and just be satisfied that no water is INSIDE the vehicle... who knows how much worse of a job they'll do next time or what I'll have to pay for?

I did notice that when I opened the sunroof after the rain, I see a small amount of water inside the area where the mesh wind guard for the sunroof sits, and the mesh was soaking wet... so I guess over time it'll get all ruined and might smell, etc. etc. -- great... its clearly that water is coming in where the trim piece sits ABOVE the pano glass and the rubber gaskets are not flush / even.

Still love the vehicle, and was thinking about the k900 or a newer cadenza for my wife, but after this I think I'll just get the Benz E350 that I started to buy before I got this '15 cadenza a year ago. Its a shame, but maybe thats the price you pay (workmanship... the details...) when you try to save money?

I'll decide in the next day or two if I'll go back and fight for them to fix it right... something tells me I should, but not having access to a loaner just makes it inconvenient for me and its a pain... but then again, I'll have myself to blame if it gets worse I guess.