Open Mon–Fri 9:30–5:30 · Open Saturdays 10–3 54/58 Princes Hwy, Arncliffe, Sydney NSW · minutes from Sydney Airport Call 0418 200 289
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Make file · Japanese sunroofs · Honda · Mazda · Nissan · Subaru · Mitsubishi

Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru
& Mitsubishi sunroof repair, Sydney

The sunroof on a CR-V, a Mazda 6 or an Outback is a simple, well-made thing that nobody services. Its drains fill with leaf litter, its guides run dry, its seal lifts at one corner, and one wet winter later there is water on the headlining and a motor straining against a jammed panel. Dealers quote a complete cassette; we rarely need one. These are the sunroofs that come through the workshop every week from the suburbs around Arncliffe, and most of them leave with the original roof working, drained, sealed and water-tested. Toyota and Lexus have their own page.

20+ yrs in automotive repair 1000+ roofs serviced 4.9★ Google rating
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54/58 Princes Hwy, Arncliffe NSW 2205 · minutes from Sydney AirportGet directions →

20+years in automotive repair
1000+roofs diagnosed & serviced
4.9★Google rating
  • Factory-trained technicians
  • OEM & premium aftermarket parts
  • Latest diagnostic equipment
  • Parts & labour warranty

The Japanese sunroof pattern

Three faults, one fix
that is almost never a new cassette

Across Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru and Mitsubishi the hardware differs but the failures do not. Here is what arrives, why the usual quote is wrong, and what we do instead.

Pattern 01

Water on the headlining, a wet footwell, a musty smell

CR-V · HR-V · Civic · Mazda 6 · CX-5 · Outback · Forester · X-Trail

How it shows up

A damp patch at the front of the headlining after rain, water running down the A-pillar trim, a wet passenger footwell, or a smell that will not go. On a CR-V or an Outback the first sign is often fogged windows on a dry morning. The glass looks fine and the seal looks fine.

Why it gets misread

The sunroof tray is designed to take water in and drain it out through four tubes down the pillars. When the tubes block, the tray overflows into the headlining, and that is what gets blamed: owners are sold new seals and silicone around the glass, neither of which touches the cause. On older Subarus and Hondas the drain hoses also pop off their nipples behind the trim.

What we do

We flow-test every drain, clear the tubes down to the sill, refit hoses that have come adrift, clean the tray and water-test the roof with the trim open so you can see the water going where it should. If the headlining has already sagged from being wet, we say so. The full method is on the leak repair page.

Call about a leaking sunroof Submit an enquiry Submit an enquiry
Pattern 02

Stops partway, grinds, tilts on one side, or will not close

Mazda 3 · Mazda 6 · Civic · Accord · Lancer · Prelude · Micra

How it shows up

The panel opens and then stops. It closes but sits proud on one corner. It grinds on the way back. On the older Mazda 3 and 6 and the Civic the panel can twist as it closes because one cable has let go; on a Micra or a Prelude the motor just hums.

Why it gets misread

The dealer answer is a cassette: the whole frame, motor and glass as one part, at a price that writes off a car worth less than the roof. In most of these the cassette is fine. A drive cable has frayed, a plastic guide shoe has cracked, the motor gear has stripped, or the roof has simply never been lubricated and the motor is losing the fight against dry rails.

What we do

We strip the panel, free the mechanism, replace the cable, shoe, lifter or motor that has actually failed, lubricate the rails and reset the motor so the panel learns its positions again. The glass is set square to the seal and the roof cycled until it is boring. If an owner has already pulled the panel and bought cables, as one Mini owner did this year, we can fit them.

Call about a jammed sunroof Submit an enquiry Submit an enquiry
Pattern 03

Panoramic roofs: the sagging blind and the glass that cracked on its own

HR-V · CX-9 · CX-5 · X-Trail · Qashqai · Pathfinder · ASX · Outlander

How it shows up

The roller blind under a panoramic roof droops in the middle, stops short, or has come away from its rail. Or the fixed rear glass on an HR-V, X-Trail or Outlander has a crack across it with no stone and no sound, usually after a hot day. The seal on a sliding panel whistles above 60 km/h.

Why it gets misread

A sagging blind is usually failed adhesive or a cable off its drum, not a new blind. A fixed glass crack is a stress crack from the bonded edge and will spread with every temperature change; a resin fill does not hold on roof glass. Both get quoted as the complete roof by workshops that do not see panoramic roofs weekly.

What we do

Blinds are re-bonded, re-cabled or replaced as a unit when the fabric has gone. Fixed and sliding glass is replaced with the fragments cleared from the rails and drains, the seal and alignment set, and the roof re-initialised. Insurance claims for shattered glass are quoted with photos; see the glass replacement page.

Call about a blind or glass Submit an enquiry Submit an enquiry

Model by model

The Japanese sunroofs
we see most

What each one tends to do, from the enquiries and the jobs. If yours is not here, it is almost certainly a close relative of one that is.

Honda CR-V (2007 to 2024) and HR-V (2015 on)
CR-V: drains blocking at the rear corners, water into the headlining and the dome light, sliding panel stopping partway, roller blind glue failing. HR-V: the fixed panoramic rear glass cracking, blind off its rail, front panel seal lifting. Both come through the workshop regularly.
Honda Civic, Accord Euro, Odyssey, Prelude
Sliding sunroofs: motor and cable faults, the panel sitting proud, drains and the front weather strip. The Prelude and older Accord are the ones the dealer no longer supports.
Mazda 3, Mazda 6, CX-5, CX-9, CX-30
Mazda 3 and 6: panel twisting as it closes (cable or guide shoe), drains, rattles. CX-5 and CX-9: sliding panoramic panel, blind motor, drains into the C-pillar, and glass. Parts are available and the cassette almost never needs replacing.
Nissan X-Trail, Qashqai and Dualis, Pathfinder, Micra
Panoramic roofs on the X-Trail, Qashqai and Pathfinder: blind cables, the fixed rear glass, drains, rattles over bumps. Dualis J10 and Micra: small sliding sunroofs with motor and seal faults. The 350Z and 370Z roadsters have their own page.
Subaru Outback, Forester, Liberty, Impreza, WRX
The classic Subaru fault: drain hoses blocked or off their nipples, water into the headlining, the footwell and the electronics under the seat. Motors and deflectors on older Libertys and Foresters. Diagnosed with the trim open and water-tested before handover.
Mitsubishi ASX, Outlander, Lancer and Evo, Pajero
ASX and Outlander: fixed panoramic glass and the blind under it. Lancer and Evo: sliding sunroof motor, switch and cable faults, including the Evo 9 that would not close. Pajero: drains and seals on a roof that has done twenty years.

Suzuki, Isuzu or something else Japanese? We work on most makes: text us the make and model or call 0418 200 289.

How a visit works

Four steps. No surprises.

  1. 1

    Tell us the car and the symptom

    Call 0418 200 289 or use the form, with the make, model, year and VIN. "2016 CR-V, water on the headlining after rain" or "Mazda 6 sunroof stops halfway" is enough for a first read, usually the same business day. A photo of the wet patch or a short video of the jam helps.

  2. 2

    We diagnose, you see it

    Drains flow-tested with the trim open, the mechanism run with the panel out where needed, the motor read where the car has a module. You see the blocked tube or the frayed cable before anything is quoted.

  3. 3

    We fix the cause, not the cassette

    Drains cleared and hoses refitted, cables, shoes, lifters, motors, blinds and seals replaced only where they have failed, with genuine or quality aftermarket parts and your go-ahead first. Glass replaced where it has cracked.

  4. 4

    We rain on it before Sydney does

    No sunroof leaves on a promise. The roof is cycled repeatedly, the seals soaked under a controlled water test, and the headlining and footwells checked dry before handover.

Straight answers

Japanese sunroof questions,
answered straight

If yours isn't here, call. You'll get the same straight answer.

Ask us directly Submit an enquiry
The dealer says my Honda or Mazda needs a whole new sunroof cassette. Does it?

Rarely. The cassette is the frame, rails, motor and glass as one part, and dealers quote it because they do not strip sunroofs. On most of these cars the fault is a drain, a cable, a guide shoe, a motor or a blind, all of which we replace individually. We tell you plainly on the day if the frame itself is damaged.

Water comes in but the glass and seal look perfect. Why?

Because the glass seal is not designed to be watertight. Water is meant to get past it into a tray and drain out through tubes in the pillars. When the tubes block or a hose comes off, the tray overflows into the headlining. Clearing and testing the drains fixes most Japanese sunroof leaks; new seals and silicone fix almost none of them.

The rear glass on my HR-V or X-Trail cracked by itself. Is that normal?

It is common. Fixed panoramic glass is bonded under tension and a stress crack can start at the edge on a hot day with no impact at all. It will spread. We replace the panel, clear the fragments and water-test the bond; if the car is insured for glass, we quote with photos for the claim.

Can you re-glue or fix the roller blind rather than replace it?

Often, yes. Most sagging blinds are failed adhesive at the end bar or a cable that has jumped its drum. Where the fabric has torn or the mechanism has broken, a new blind is the honest answer and we say so. Details on the sunshade page.

Do you do Toyota and Lexus too?

Yes, every week. Land Cruiser, Prado, Kluger, RAV4, Camry, Corolla and the Lexus range have their own page.

What owners say

From the 4.9★ Google reviews

★★★★★

"Michael is the best. My Benz had a seized panoramic sunroof and the motor for the roof died. He had it fixed and working perfectly in three hours. And was by far the most reasonably priced."

Mercedes-Benz · Seized panoramic sunroof & motor
★★★★★

"It was an absolute pleasure dealing with Michael. With 29 years of experience, he really knows his craft. He was honest, friendly, and did a perfect job fixing the convertible top on my Mercedes. Definitely worth the 1-hour drive to get there. Highly recommended!"

Mercedes-Benz · Convertible top
★★★★★

"Michael is an amazing craftsman. For what would have taken us to get an entire large part from BMW and coordinate roof repair with expensive repair service, Michael created a small part for our car and fixed it then and there. He charges reasonably. I highly recommend his service and will happily be a repeat customer."

BMW · Roof repair

Visit the workshop

Bring it in, or start
with a text

Address
54/58 Princes Hwy, Arncliffe, Sydney NSW 2205, minutes from Sydney Airport
Hours
Mon–Fri 9:30am–5:30pm · Sat 10am–3pm · Sun closed

Start an enquiry

A few details so we can tell you whether it's a job for us and how we'd approach it. By appointment; for most faults, we diagnose before quoting. For urgent enquiries or if we missed you — call 0418 200 289.

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