Water stains on 2023 MDX headliner — Dealer says no leak & cleaning didn't work. Advice?
Hey everyone,
Looking for some advice or to see if anyone else with a 4th-gen MDX has dealt with a similar situation.
I recently noticed distinct water stain rings on the headliner of my 2023 MDX (purchased Oct 2022, still well under the 4 yr / 50k factory warranty). The water marks are right at the top of the driver-side B-pillar, near the overhead grab handle/speaker, and also near the top of the rear right C-pillar.
I took it to my local Acura dealer to inspect for leaks and fix the headliner. The service department looked at it, but the service advisor told me:
- They couldn't find an active leak.
- They sent it to detailing to clean the headliner, but admitted the water stains didn't fully come out.
I'm pretty frustrated because water marks don't just appear near the roofline out of nowhere. I suspect a pinched, clogged, or disconnected panoramic sunroof drain line that overflows during heavy rain or car washes. More importantly, leaving me with a partially cleaned, water-stained headliner on a vehicle under factory warranty doesn't feel acceptable.
A few questions for the community:
- Has anyone experienced a similar leak along the B/C pillars? Was it a drain line, sunroof cassette, or body seam?
- If detailing failed to remove the water rings, were you able to get Acura to approve a full headliner replacement under warranty?
- Should I keep pushing this specific dealer/service manager, or am I better off taking it to a different Acura dealership or opening a case with Acura Client Relations right away?
Appreciate any insight or advice on how to get this properly resolved before warranty runs out!