Model 3 Trunk Leak After Rain

[jka1117]

Hi there Tesla owners,

After days of rain in Southern California I finally went to take my 3 for a spin. I opened the trunk to store a bag and discovered the trunk had leaked for days. I am not experiencing the complaint of water coming in during a rain, or a small splash of water after opening the trunk. This was soaking wet cargo area, down into the lower cargo storage area, a true consistent leak.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? I did a rough online search and found a gasket problem, but did not find any specifics here. I will obviously be calling the service center, but thought I would start with you all first.

 

[SD_Engnr]

Hi there Tesla owners,

After days of rain in Southern California I finally went to take my 3 for a spin. I opened the trunk to store a bag and discovered the trunk had leaked for days. I am not experiencing the complaint of water coming in during a rain, or a small splash of water after opening the trunk. This was soaking wet cargo area, down into the lower cargo storage area, a true consistent leak.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? I did a rough online search and found a gasket problem, but did not find any specifics here. I will obviously be calling the service center, but thought I would start with you all first.

Not an isolated incident. I've read other posts about this, whether it was here, or in one of the many FB groups. I don't have the issue.

The issue I have, is moisture getting on the inside of the windows. Similar to what happens when it rains, and you roll your window down - you get the moisture from the window seal on the on the outside of your window. Well, I get this on the inside of my windows...

 

[woodisgood]

Some folks have had a defective gasket.

Others...sometimes you can close the trunk without it being fully closed. If you do this during a rainstorm, it’s trouble.

One of many good reasons to have an all-weather cargo mat back there.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Hi there Tesla owners,

After days of rain in Southern California I finally went to take my 3 for a spin. I opened the trunk to store a bag and discovered the trunk had leaked for days. I am not experiencing the complaint of water coming in during a rain, or a small splash of water after opening the trunk. This was soaking wet cargo area, down into the lower cargo storage area, a true consistent leak.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? I did a rough online search and found a gasket problem, but did not find any specifics here. I will obviously be calling the service center, but thought I would start with you all first.

Yes, as others have said, a couple possibilities. I would thoroughly dry it out (you’ll need to remove the liner) to avoid mold.

When it’s mostly dry, have someone thoroughly hose test it from the outside while you are inside the trunk via the rear bench with a bright flashlight.

That way you can (perhaps) spare yourself a service center visit. Will save a LOT of time.

If it’s a true leak, make sure they replace all the liner pieces as part of the fix, so you don’t have water-damaged pieces to live with.

 

[brkaus]

My 3 was soaked in the back at initial pickup. Put it on the due bill. Put in a fan and dried it out when I got home. Couldn't reproduce it with a hose so I never brought it back in.

I now have a cargo mat back there now and have never noticed any water on it after heavy rains. The lower part is dry too.

I'm guessing trunk wasn't fully closed, or had a leaf or something stuck on it when they washed it.

 

[ngogas]

Take it on to sc. it will be fixed. Common on some.

 

[jmarnold]

I had the same experience. I took the car to the SC and was told that the gasket was fine. Was also told that the trunk may not have been latched, but I distinctly remember the click when I opened it that morning. I noted that I’d had a lot of leaf debis on the back window, which may have gotten caught between the trunk and the window after opening and closing, allowing water to wick into the trunk. A new liner was ordered, but my appointment to replace it is about two weeks from when I discovered the leak. Although I don’t have a garage to dry the trunk out in, it seems dry now. I’m not sure whether I’ll have it replaced. Whether they were going to replace the liner at no charge to me was not made clear. I’ll keep the back window/trunk area clean in the future and hope the leak doesn’t reoccur. Id love to hear from others who have had this issue.

 

[lyletav]

I had the same experience. I took the car to the SC and was told that the gasket was fine. Was also told that the trunk may not have been latched, but I distinctly remember the click when I opened it that morning. I noted that I’d had a lot of leaf debis on the back window, which may have gotten caught between the trunk and the window after opening and closing, allowing water to wick into the trunk. A new liner was ordered, but my appointment to replace it is about two weeks from when I discovered the leak. Although I don’t have a garage to dry the trunk out in, it seems dry now. I’m not sure whether I’ll have it replaced. Whether they were going to replace the liner at no charge to me was not made clear. I’ll keep the back window/trunk area clean in the future and hope the leak doesn’t reoccur. Id love to hear from others who have had this issue.

I experienced this problem this weekend. I got back from a hike during which it rained heavily. I opened my trunk (expecting water to drip in from the flawed design when you open the trunk in the rain) and was surprised to see that everything in my trunk, including down into the trunk well, was completely soaked.

 

[voip-ninja]

Hi there Tesla owners,

After days of rain in Southern California I finally went to take my 3 for a spin. I opened the trunk to store a bag and discovered the trunk had leaked for days. I am not experiencing the complaint of water coming in during a rain, or a small splash of water after opening the trunk. This was soaking wet cargo area, down into the lower cargo storage area, a true consistent leak.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? I did a rough online search and found a gasket problem, but did not find any specifics here. I will obviously be calling the service center, but thought I would start with you all first.

The most common result of root cause analysis on this issue is that the owner did not completely shut the trunk and this allowed water to enter the trunk.

Second possibility is incorrect installation of the trunk weather gasket.

 

[StellarRat]

I think that is a fairly common problem in the Model 3. I know when I picked mine up the delivery guys were double checking to make sure the trunk seal was installed properly. That tells me it was a known issue to them.

 

[vinko]

Aside from making sure the trunk is closed tight. Anyone have photos or instructions on how to ensure the seals are installed properly?

 

[afadeev]

After days of rain in Southern California I finally went to take my 3 for a spin. I opened the trunk to store a bag and discovered the trunk had leaked for days. I am not experiencing the complaint of water coming in during a rain, or a small splash of water after opening the trunk. This was soaking wet cargo area, down into the lower cargo storage area, a true consistent leak.

User error - you live in a climate where it rains.
It's not Tesla's problem that you've chosen to, irresponsibly, live outside of a desert.
Shame on you for suggesting that Tesla can have a defect!

Has anyone else experienced this problem? I did a rough online search and found a gasket problem, but did not find any specifics here. I will obviously be calling the service center, but thought I would start with you all first.

If you can't reproduce the problem with a garden hose, you may not get much love or support from a Tesla service center. Trunk and roof gaskets are the obvious suspects.

For what it's worth, my trunk gets wet only when I open it after a rain storm, and the water cascades down from the trunk lid (clearly my fault, can't be Tesla's). However, my co-worker has been struggling with exactly the issue you are describing with his TM3, and is yet to find a resolution.

I keep telling him that it is his fault for parking outdoors, where it can rain.
He doesn't seam to appreciate this particular Tesla feature.
He must be a TSLA short.

a

 

[jnhashmi]

Unfortunately this issue is still alive and well. I picked up my Model 3 15 days ago and the lower trunk is SOAKED. I have a service appt in 4 days.

 

[ChrisH]

Unfortunately this issue is still alive and well. I picked up my Model 3 15 days ago and the lower trunk is SOAKED. I have a service appt in 4 days.

I don’t understand how this happens. It’s obviously a rarity so how does it happen on only a few cars?

 

[Resist]

I don’t understand how this happens. It’s obviously a rarity so how does it happen on only a few cars?

Poor quality control

 

[brkaus]

Unfortunately this issue is still alive and well. I picked up my Model 3 15 days ago and the lower trunk is SOAKED. I have a service appt in 4 days.

Does it leak? Or does it get wet when they do something stupid like wash the car with the trunk slightly open. Mine was wet at pickup, but not a drop in the last 14+ months. And I never brought it back in after I put a fan in the back to dry it.

 

[Watts_Up]

I noticed this video Tesla model 3 Anti rain spoiler

 

[jnhashmi]

It’s way too wet to be a few drops rolling off the glass when I open my trunk. I have no idea what the problem is. All I know is:
1. It rained fairly hard in Los Angeles a couple times since I’ve had the car and I park outside.
2. I washed the car once.
3. The lower trunk is soaked with water (along with what I had in it - the mobile charger, tire repair kit, and a blanket.) the upper trunk is not wet at all.

 

[Kognos]

I had this problem and took it in for service - this is the only real issue I've had with my car in 6 months.

While they didn't officially find anything wrong with it (they did test it) I'm still seeing the problem, and have done my own diagnosis: The rubber inside the trunk makes contact with the trunk lid when it's closed and causes a seal that - when clean - works successfully. But you get one damn pine needle in there and that seal is broken and water will flow through.

I don't know really what to do to fix this issue -- if it's really something that needs another service appointment or just "the way it is". Its not like my car is covered in pine needles, but I don't think I should have to do a careful inspection of the seal and dirt on the trunk when closing it every single time.

 

[toolman335]

I had to learn the hard way to keep my snowbrush in the backseat of the car. Opening the trunk with snow on it is a disaster, unless you want to transport snow inside the trunk for future snowball-making use!