This video shows where water is leaking into the boot, which came from bad welds on the roof-bars resulting from crash repair damage.
The Lexus RX 400 H you see in this video was with us for a 28 point check water leak detection service and to also make the car like new again. The car was suffering with more than one leak, in fact in total we have Successfully found 5 different water leaks. This is not the first time we’ve had a Lexus of this calibre in for this process with more than one leak.
The one you see here was suffering with poorly welded seams around the roof bar and nearside rear, including corrosion around the rear boot seal due to previous repair. All four door membranes were also leaking on this car, so we fabricated a complete set and reinstalled the door cards.
The rear outside light gaskets were failing and a supporting bumper stop with screw also with failing gasket, common with cars of this age.
This Lexus has had updated replacement rear lights gaskets including the perished bumper stop gaskets and this proved successful with further testing, but water ingress into the boot floor pan was still persistent.
We carried out a smoke test which highlighted issues with the vehicle's welded seams around the top of the tailgate area, we then cleaned and prepped the area with a bonding agent, applying a waterproof sealant after. Due to common door sill issues on this model of car, the customer took our advice on removing the seals checking for any signs of corrosion making good and then applying a Sealant and reinstalling the seals.
Question: "The back seat of my car is wet, and I have no idea where it's coming from. I checked to make sure the rear windows weren't open."
Answer: If you have a hatchback, it could be that water is leaking from the top of the tailgate. When rubbers perish, water can run through and drip down onto the back seats. It's also possible that you have a leak which is pooling somewhere in the boot, which sloshes over onto the back seat while driving. You will get a better idea of where your leak is by looking for water dripping from the roof when it rains, and checking the rear floor carpets.
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