Water Leak on Front Passenger Side:

Here’s the full story:

I have a G35X ’07 Sedan. I had my windshield replaced in the summer of ’07. A few months later there was a heavy rain and I noticed a huge puddle on my front passenger side rubber mat. I took off the plastic panel underneath the passenger side footrest and a torrent of water spilled out.

The next day, I took the car to the Infiniti dealership. They said they couldn’t replicate the leak. I took the car to Safelite (company who replaced my windshield), they said they couldn’t replicate the leak. I poured a s@#it load of water on the windshield…still couldn’t replicate the leak. I was told by both the dealership and Safelite to come back the next time I see the leak.

Fast forward to this weekend. There was heavy overnight rain and the car was left outside. In the morning, I noticed a huge puddle (~1L of water) gathered in the front passenger side floor mat. I took the car to the Infiniti dealership a few days later (they didn’t have an earlier loaner). They run all the ‘water tests’ and tell me that they have found the leak! They say it is due to bad sealing by Safelite and that I need to take it back to Safelite for repair. See photo 1 for the location of the leak that was proposed by the dealership. Please note that this photo was made after the removal of a rubber seal. This photo was taken at Safelite while they were showing me where the leak was coming from.

I took it back to Safelite and they ran their own “water tests.” They said that the windshield was put in properly and that there is nothing wrong with the installation. They noted that there is a “square notch” in the plastic piece which snaps on to the bottom of the windshield. See photo below of the notch (1). They said that water is going through the notch and than flowing through the small opening (2) and than gathering in the cabin air filter. There is a diagram of the filter in the last photo. The last photo shows the edge of the windshield (1), cabin air filter (2), plastic piece which snaps on to the bottom of the windshield (3).

Right now the car is at the Infiniti dealership for some more “water tests.” Any advice would be appreciated.

 

I used to use Safelite until they F'd up our brand new MDX.
A week into ownership, a highway rock cracked the windshield.
3 installs later, the windshield still has an annoying whistle at 80 mph and a nice scratch on the dash from them cutting the sealant.

Good luck with you repairs.

 

By the way... It didn't leak before they touched it but does now.
They suck for not taking more responsibility for this.

 

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. Yehh...I knew I was going to get kicked in nuts becuase of this decision...at the time it was the only choice.

I am sorry to hear about the whistling problem...while I was at safelite I asked what where some of the common effects of an incorrect windshield install. The first thing they said was whistling noise...I assume you don't want a 4th install.

-Russell

 

Nope... I'm just waiting for a new crack so a different company can fix the problem.
We drive the MDX from Massachusetts to Chicago about twice a year. That damn noise drives me absolutely insane.

Safelite destroyed the experience of driving a brand new $45K car...

 

I just got off the phone with the dealer with some rather 'interesting' results.

The dealer says that Safelite has put the windshield in "crooked" i.e. one side is higher than the other. According to him, this creates a gap in the place where a sealant (a soft neoprene-type tube..see earlier post) rides up against the bottom windshield edge. The dealer think leak can be mitigated by replacing the entire cal piece (the huge plastic piece that fits against the bottom windshield). He also think part of the part of the problem was that the sealant (soft neoprene-type tube) was old and distorted thus exacerbating the problem.

The dealer has also agreed to replace the in-cabin filter, since this is the route of the water into the front passanger side.

By Monday I should now whether this solution works....stay tuned.

 

Good luck man.

I'm getting my windshield replaced tomorrow by JN Phillips. It was between them and Safelite, kinda glad that I went with JN Phillips now that I'm reading this. Although I'm still nervous that they're gonna f' things up like this with the replacement windshield. I thought I could get away with leaving the crack there, but it just kept bigger.

 

I also had WS issues with Lupient Infiniti, Brand new car, when they installed the Dia-mon fusion glass treatment, in there prep work the scrubed a new ws to much and scratched the WHOLE thing, So they replaced it, and it promtly leaked at both A-pillers!! So they had to replace it again! get this... It leaked also,,, So they reset the new 2nd ws twice,, they had my whole interior gutted!!! and the head liner also.. i was so worried they were gonna f it up.. but it turned out allright.... p.s. the dia-mon fusion works super,, thind Ran-x but 20 times better.... for life

 

best of luck man....i hope that you avoid all the sh%6t that i have been going through.

 

i am hoping to avoid any further damage.. (so far just my cabin filter is screwed). i am sorry to hear about your misery...

thanks for the story.

-russell

 

Just got the car from the dealership.

I was told that the dealer changed the in-cabin air filter and put in a new cal piece (the huge plastic piece that fits against the bottom of the windshield). The dealer said they ran all the water tests and there was no leak.

I am praying that this problem is over....

it's raining now...we'll see what happens.

 

I have a water leaking into the passenger compartment, but found it was coming from the large wire harness coming into the firewall from the engine side directly above the air filter. There is a large rubber plug around the harness that snaps on into hole in the firewall, but the join is rather poor fitting, the fire wall does not have a recess to keep the water away from the hole... and water gets through, Poor, stupid design!! I put silicone last year but now it does it again!

 

is your problem fixed!??

 

Yes, the leak has stopped....problem fixed

 

So a shield over the cabin filter intake?

BTW, this is a problem on the stock car--doubtful if the replacement windshield is to blame.