Leaking roof in or near body seam

[PeceKeepr]

Okay so this has been on so going issue for several months. At first I thought it was a windshield gasket leak because of where the drip would show up. First I digress. Let me set the picture. I have a 25 taco with a Sherpa roof rack I installed an into the factory mounts. Several months later I start seeing a small dried up water trail center of the windshield and I take it to Toyota. They charge me 300$ to look at it since I’ve put the rack on it voids that from being under warranty. Ok then they tell me it’s leaking at the point where the foot meets the roof on the drivers side. They want to charge me another 300$ to fix it. But I take the rack off and silicone the crap out of it. And attempt to fix it myself. Next time it rains. Water comes in again. I take it to another Toyota dealership. When I pull in they tell me the won’t even look at it. Because I’m thinking it’s the windshield but whatever. So I make an appointment with an upholstery shop. He uses some type of ultra sonic listen device in front of me and actually has me put the headphones on and he convinced me it was leaking around the foot of the roof rack. So he tells me he’ll drop the roof liner and run some water test and it’ll take several days. So last Thursday I go to get my truck and he says I think I fixed it but I’m not sure. It’s in a body seam and that he can’t see where exactly the water comes in at. He though it was down in the area that housed the protective clips where the roof rack went into. Also seems to think I over torqued the rack when I installed it possibly causing micro cracks or fissures. So today it rained and you guessed water came in same spot. I gave the guy a call and he said that he didn’t know what could be done that he thinks the whole roof would have to be cut off and a new one installed. I asked him what he would do in my shoes he said he’d sell the truck.
Ive put my heart and soul into this truck I don’t want to sell it what can I do to fix it. I know someone somewhere has had and fixed this issue. I mean can’t I take something like flex seal and brush on some all along that joint? Or what do you guys think. Thanks everyone

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[izzy]

Why not take the rack off, put the OEM covers back on the roof and take it to a different dealer.

If they ask just say you removed the dealer installed rack. Plenty of guys have removed their dealer installed racks and they aren't having leaking issues..

There's no way you went so ham on a 10mm bolt you busted the roof, that guy didn't wanna work on your truck or something.

 

[trailhunger]

Why not take the rack off, put the OEM covers back on the roof and take it to a different dealer.

If they ask just say you removed the dealer installed rack. Plenty of guys have removed their dealer installed racks and they aren't having leaking issues..

Isn’t there a service record now in the dealer system?

Can you circle back to the first dealer and proceed with the work? Paying 6 bones to the dealer sounds crazy depending on what they planned to do, but would that repair to fix water intrusion be under warranty now, correct?

So if the original dealer doesn’t want to work on it (or doesn’t offer any insight as to what they’ll actually do to repair it) I’d get in line with one of those 4x4/overland shops that have a lot of experience mounting roof racks & punching holes in roofs.

I mounted my own roof rack, there’s like a rubberized gasket tape over each of the bolt holes. Have you peeled off the suspected area and taken a good look at the body there?

I don’t think there’s any ‘seams’ on the Tacoma roofs. They’re 1 continuous piece of stamped metal up top. Granted, there’s welds on inside, but any leaks would come from those 8 bolt holes or your windshield gasket. Water can also leak in from the rear fairing but nearly impossible in this situation given where the water is showing up.

There’s good sealants and flexible 2 part epoxies, etc. Suggesting cutting your roof off is the wildest thing here. It’s just a stupid leak, if you stripped a mounting nut or cracked that weld, an outfitter 4x4 shop can fix that. You might’ve bottomed out with a bolt too long, sometimes these rack builders can send the wrong hardware. I definitely know there’s a ‘bottom’ to these bolt holes, can’t go full send, need the right length…

 

[co425]

I beg to differ the roof channel where your roof rack would bolt in is not a single piece into the a b and c pillars. Im pretty positive it is welded together at the outer part of the channel.

I would try some paint friendly uv dye and a black light in those seams.

Maybe this. Obviously use at your own risk.

https://www.amazon.com/DOSIDIAG-Universal-Leak-Detector-Visibility/dp/B0F88SJJGT

 

[Yotota]

So the first dealership said they could fix it for $300, correct?

 

[trailhunger]

I beg to differ the roof channel where your roof rack would bolt in is not a single piece into the a b and c pillars. Im pretty positive it is welded together at the outer part of the channel.

I would try some paint friendly uv dye and a black light in those seams.

Maybe this. Obviously use at your own risk.

https://www.amazon.com/DOSIDIAG-Universal-Leak-Detector-Visibility/dp/B0F88SJJGT

Yea second look that’s a painted gasket rubber material where roofline intersects with mounts. Looked like metal when I was up there but yea it’s a joint. Bro might have a warranty issue if the leak originates away from the mounting holes

 

[DGtvman]

I had a 2023 Tacoma that I removed the roof rack. Had leak that I just knew was from removing the rack. After sealing the holes 3 times I finally dropped the headline and it was coming through top corner of the windshield. Water would sometimes travel back up higher and to the side pillar and then drip onto the floor mat. I think that the windshield started leaking due to all the stress caused from wind catching the roof rack. Sealed it with a product in a tube that is for sealing windshield. It was real runny and filled in the leak and is self leavening. Now have a 2025 and no roof rack.

 

[co425]

Yea second look that’s a painted gasket rubber material where roofline intersects with mounts. Looked like metal when I was up there but yea it’s a joint. Bro might have a warranty issue if the leak originates away from the mounting holes

I’d bet money that it’s either the windshield or that weld seam. More likely the windshield. I’d pull the headliner and soak the roof and windshield. I would gently push on the windshield from inside and out to see if it will leak. Corners would be my focal point.

 

[PeceKeepr]

Ok thanks lots of great info for me to do and double check. Thank you everyone

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