The BEST Way to Fix A Car's Sagging Headliner

[@HumbleMechanic]

HUGE thanks to Stich Craft NC. Be sure to give him a follow! Also all the links for everything you need to do this job are in the description! Also, also we will have more MK5 videos coming. Next up will be a full detail of the nasty inside. Once that is together, im on the hunt for a cheap K04 for some go faster goodies.

[@michaelblacktree]

Charles, do you have a DIY for the door panel upholstery?

[@janalexandro6655]

what ever happened to this car? we never got the reveal :(

[@raviolisauce103]

Chris is very good at his craft, and super chill. If I lived anywhere near you I'd definitely give him my business.

[@jn7154]

After dealing with a leaky sunroof in my harlequin themed mk5, I decided to bring the headliner and pillars inside before storing the car for winter. This video couldn't have come at a better time 🙌

[@spinnetti]

Funny,. My daughter just did hers on her TT using some alcantara type stuff with a foam backing off Amazon. It was her first try and looks fantastic. We used 3M 377 I think.. pretty good stuff. One cautionary tip - we found the fiber stuff under the gooey orange stuff to be pretty fragile after living in the Texas heat. Be careful with the wire brush/wheel as its easy to damage.

[@baistav8958]

Omg this gives me hope I’m going to attempt to do my tt this week !:)

[@joshparks269]

I did mine on my MK6 and it turned out amazing! 50 bucks for the materials, and about 3 hours of my time. Then took it a step further and did a 550 piece fiber optic starlight kit. 60 bucks, and about 7 hours… never done any of it before and it all turned out amazing

[@BlueOriginal]

Hi mate can you please tell me the measurement of the fabric you bought?!

[@joshparks269]

@@BlueOriginal it was 108 inches long, don’t remember the width. I tried to go back and look at the listing but it’s no longer there. Just measure your headliner from front to back and side to side at its longest points and then add about 8 inches each side. It’s better to have too much material than not enough material

[@flyenginerd12]

Great video! I've been waiting for this video topic...this problem is something that plagues all us VW owners

[@HumbleMechanic]

IT really does!!!

[@300DBenz]

I don’t think a single 80s American car still has its original headliner (I mean without thumbtacks or staples holding it in)

[@zeuss1353]

It’s a curse. I just don’t look up anymore when I sit in my car

[@2stroke438]

​@@zeuss1353same. Out of sight, out of mind.

[@mercer982]

Yup. My old mk3 variant as well. Not really sagging, but some peel has appeared to the windshield side.

[@miketeeveedub5779]

Luckily I have a tensioned vinyl headliner in my Mk1 Jetta - no droop! Still looks great 40 years later. Living in a cold climate like Canada helped to preserve it I guess. That said; I did replace the headliner on my old 1981 Old's Cutlass coupe 20+ years ago. Looked like an upside down circus tent. It was definitely less complicated than this Mk V VW. The difference is the backer shell on the Olds is made out of high density polypropylene foam. I found similar automotive headliner at a local fabric shop and used 3M spray adhesive to hold it in place. The only problem I encountered was the spray adhesive ate into the foam backer where there were clumps! There were some slight dimples on those spots when I applied the cloth headliner, but luckily it wasn't too noticeable - still way better than the circus tent it was before. So, to anyone out there - be sure to test the adhesives on a small area to see if they're compatible materials. As seen in this video it's not a terrible job to do yourself - MUCH less expensive than getting a custom shop to do it for you, or getting an OEM replacement (if they're even available). Just use some gumption and tenacity and watch KZbin videos for assistance. Thanks Charles!

[@EddieRibasCS]

Been on KZbin for years, between all my projects always searching for these kind of DIY's the step by steps and the information given is far higher quality than anywhere else, Thank you Charles!

[@jdubsvr6]

Didn't know the heat gun trick. Will keep this in mind when I reupholster my mk2 Jetta. When I did my R32, I struggled quite a bit with the Alcantara I used.

[@dicknodnfs]

I'm sure that there are other videos on headliner repair, but his skill makes this one a keeper and hope it gives his business a big shot in the arm. Thanks, Charles.

[@soapmcsoapface1787]

over here in Sweden the sunroof cassettes tend to freeze and crack during winter because they get clogged and water collects there, and as we all know water expand when it freezes. Then they start to leak, really sucks. Swapped a fair amount of them due to that issue. really makes you look for cars that dont have sunroofs/panoramic roofs over here.

[@BonnieBobberNightRider]

Christian did the headliner in my mk4 Jetta. He's definitely worthy of your business. I believe he also does seats as well!

[@V8.77]

Heyo Charles! Awesome video, I love the how-to tutorials, thank you. I do headliners to make some spare cash (every bit helps right). Just a tip I suppose, I usually buy a cheap brand new toilet scrubbing brush from the software or grocery store, cut it off a few inches above the bristles and it fits right in the drill. Plus the nylon bristles run less of a risk of hurting the board :) all the best and thanks again!

[@michaelblacktree]

That's a great idea!

[@V8.77]

@@michaelblacktree thanks man. Also works for scrubbing the carpet when using shampoo and what have you.

[@G60syncro]

The fat bristles on the brush make me think it's one with stiff plastic bristles rather than the steel or brass ones you typically see... I have one and it's great at removing crud without destroying the part underneath!!

[@Imbored-aw]

I always use a 4 inch steel wire wheel for the drill, and if you’re super careful it saves a ton of time over a plastic bristle brush, also with the plastic bristle brush I tend to have to apply more pressure and have actually done more damage with a plastic then the steel

[@4BillC]

I put a new headliner in my B5. To anyone that needs to do it... It was harder getting it out of the car then the job itself. It was my first attempt and it came out fantastic! No heat gun needed. Just some spray adhesive (follow directions on can) and headliner material. A second person helps too.

[@MyzteryMedia]

It’s so cool to watch people of different crafts work and know so much about their craft

[@rambow70]

Christian did a great job with that and explaining it too! It really brought that interior back to life.

[@nategrauvogel6410]

Perfect timing for me, Charles. My Mk4 Beetle and B6 wagon headliners have started to pull away in the deep corners...love the tips from Christian. My wife is asking for two tone leather in her SEL Alltrack. NC isn't too far away should we go the custom route. Beautiful work on his Insta.

[@wadecrawford6445]

I just replaced my 08 R32 headliner with a new one over the summer. With a color very similar to the Fahrenheit color!

[@Vikino-Viki85]

We would like to see more of those two golf. Is amazing project. Can’t wait for another episode

[@russellhammond4373]

Love watching an expert at work. Great results.

[@mastonlyons8878]

Christian did a great job explaining the process. I recently replaced the headliner fabric on my B6 A4. I had the most trouble on the sunroof opening.

[@KyleFajardo-u8y]

Explained the process exceptionally well.👍👍

[@JohnyForElectric]

Thank you! Sooo awesome video, especially the details how to deal with creases in the newly installed headliner. The Mark 5 headliner surprised me on the depth of those valleys in the front around A-pillar on each side and the middle. Knowing these tricks is very helpful for any DYIer!

[@Sean-nv6zk]

Great video! I was causally watching this two weeks ago, but this morning, I got into my MKVI 2012 and realized the headliner in the back passage was starting to fail. This video was in the right place at the right time. lol

[@augmentedjustin835]

Just did this in my Mk6 gti. What made it worse was someone had previously done it and did a really bad job. So i had to remove the orange crap as well as new headliner glue. Glad i redid it though. Looks way better when done properly.

[@craigsmith1354]

Thank you Charles, I needed that video. I have an 02 audi A4 avant and the headliner is sagging in the rear . As usual great job 👏 👍....

[@MavadoKen]

Love your videos Charles! As a mk5 r32 owner with a sunroof leak and a sagging headliner it feels like this was a little targeted, haha. Keep up the great work!!!

[@slicknickwc]

So glad you made this video! Same principle can be used for the door fabric on mk4s!

[@petecurran3995]

Proper top job, Charles - yer man knows his stuff!

[@caioramos5198]

hey really like your videos, if you end up doing that repair on the sunroof would be nice if you could make a video on how to do so, just removed the headliner from my b5 passat and would like to do some maintenance on the sunroof, clean the tracks, grease then and etc

[@scottday2939]

Outstanding.

[@JerS66]

You are a legend my friend. I love all the content. You're up there with the great Edd China.

[@djneedles000]

Grape job!🍇

[@rezaali7541]

Excellent video…I will now attempt to try it on my own…I have a Jetta 4-door sedan.

[@chrisjones7281]

My Sunroof cable wore thru the track cover as well. Fortunatley I found one at the Pick your part yard for cheap. My headliner was also sagging it ended up getting material and spray adhesive from Amazon and doing it my self. Came out pretty good. I did learn a thing or do in the process so it was worth it. Plus saving a ton of cash😊

[@AdiusOmega]

I remember back when I had my MK4 GLS I ended up doing the headliner in a red suede material. Needless to say it was a pain in the ass, that material has absolutely zero stretch to it. I'm surprised I was able to get it looking good considering my complete lack of knowledge on the subject. I totally winged it.

[@auTHORity0492]

Just in time! My MK6 GTI is in need of this job and I plan to DIY. Thanks for the detailed video!

[@Flies2FLL]

Honestly, fabric over your head is just going to sag again eventually. My dad had a '97 Golf that had a solid, vinyl covered non-fabric headliner. It looked fine, could be wiped clean with a wet rag, and NEVER sagged simply because it couldn't. OK, it reflected sound slightly, but so what? On this headliner? I'd be tempted to clean it as clean as possible, and then just paint it to match the interior. GREAT video!

[@jhuntosgarage]

How complicated things have become since the Beatles. I really like the headliner material and the tutorial which is applicable to many other makes. Well done and thanks for sharing.

[@jibmaster]

This is gold! Great tips for sure. Thank you for the content.

[@wanderer7779]

Diy videos like this are really appreciated 👍. I'd love to se more!

[@shawnm4kq]

perfect timing as Im mid redo of my Corrado interior. Thank you!!!

[@4ndy65]

great guide and advice Now the handles vanity mirrors etc need coloured to match

[@waynesmith3526]

I did my 05 suburban almost 2 years ago, definitely could have done a better job on it but it came out good. Between that experience and this video, ill do my mk4 soon and im sure that will come out 10x better than the suburban.

[@JuergenSchulz-y3u]

Love the new wheels on the car. Looks like a MK1 throwback.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thanks! they are so good!

[@HouseCallAutoRepair]

Thank you, thank you! Now I know how to go about dealing with the hanging and torn headliner in my Crown Vic! (Wont be until Spring, and if I film it, this video is getting tagged!) Thanks Charles!

[@thediydentalchairguy7269]

For those working in warmer climate zones like Florida your tack time is about 2 minutes.you can also use internationals 951 adhesive glue, works even better.

[@fredjones5327]

Amazing video, but was that a VW grill and bike in the background???😂😂😂💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽 Let’s go!!!

[@HumbleMechanic]

the grill is something I had for years. I put it out there to see how it would age. The bike is a cheap POS I got to ride with the kiddo.

[@fredjones5327]

@@HumbleMechanic awesome sauce bearded wonder just pulling your chains we love all these videos keep em coming brother!!!

[@_noname617]

Adding custom led lights looks cool, you could also get adhesive spray with a straw $10

[@_brushie]

Side note, have a shop vac on the side while scrubbing off the old glue. You can suck up the dust while you scrap it or have a buddy hold the tube as well.

[@sonder1097]

Tried this on my Golf MK6, glued up both half side of the board and fabric, folded it over in one move, ended up with tons of wrinkles and fabric sticking to itself. Tried pulling it off to readjust, foam ripped off and entire job was ruined. Used both fabric and glue from yourautotrim that was recommended. Maybe because its the middle of summer and I'm in Florida? Definitely better doing it by rolling the fabric out as you go, section by section as you creep toward the end of one side. Some other KZbin videos show this alternate way of doing it, much better for beginners.

[@Slowcarfastbeans]

The alternative is a stop at Ellen fabrics, select your fave floral print for < $15, Office Depot to get a stapler and scissors, and then fasten to ceiling.

[@oZixn]

Looking at a MK3 Jetta GLS, probably gonna redo the headliner with alcantera. Thanks for the video!

[@lester2358]

Nice! Next time video replacing the sunroof track cables, Thank you!

[@joshhibbs_nola]

AMAZING JOB CHRISTIAN! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@HumbleMechanic]

he crushed it

[@joshhibbs_nola]

@@HumbleMechanicYES HE DID! 👏🏼🤙🏼

[@linusbarloonii237]

Bro...thanks for an amazing video...great help for me doing the headliner on my MKIV...thank you!

[@mihaiachim5299]

@ 3:18 it is much more convenient and easier to control the grinding process if you use a 90 degree adapter for the brushes mounted on the drilling machines ;) + that way you can work with one hand ;) 😊

[@HCmotorsports]

Thanks for video, i have 3 of my cars with headliner issues waiting for the job this is useful

[@kekicjovan]

Removing was most important part!!!!

[@Dski9393]

Thanks Charles! MKV headliner redo is in my future.

[@jeffreymoore4132]

Huge thanks for the DIY lesson, but his experience made that look trivially easy. No way my attempt would look anywhere near as good.

[@The_Stick]

This was a really great video. Will we see more of the MK8? I’m curious if any of the normal maintenance procedures - like for the AWD system - are significant different from the previous generation.

[@crxtodd16]

Very impressive.

[@justinvanburen8259]

Great job!! It looks great!!!

[@aarongarcia1066]

I did my mk5 a couple years ago. Did the removal and insert by myself. A local shop replaced the fabric for $200. Well worth the cost.

[@HumbleMechanic]

thats a solid deal. The local place I called wanted $800 to cover, and $900 to remove and cover. No thank

[@TribbleBot]

Ugh, thanks for reminding me I still need to do this with my Cayenne

[@nickpitsakis755]

Took my Golf V at the upholstery shop but mine was easier due to the lack of sunroof. Great video by the way. PS: Dear Charles, is there a possibility to create a video about the rear reassembly of the refurbished r32 suspension in the near future ? Thank you

[@sokthearrith]

After watching this I’m all set with doing it on my own, I’ll pay my local reputable VW shop 😂

[@Zachhidden]

A nice reminder mk7 panoramic sunroofs leak, and headliners are affected by this, and the patches aren't holding on them, but epoxy seems to be a viable long term solution. Back to the gorrila glue and send it days of vintage euros, an opportunity to apply carbon alcantara headliner mod also 😊 still love my TDI SEL highline.

[@Zachhidden]

PSA - best solution so far mk7 sunshade is removal, the plastic sliders tend to break into many pieces ranging from .5"-1" and get pushed forward into the groove on the rail, when you open your sunroof it crushed it into the rail. These sunroofs are very easy to work on t45 and blue loctite you can remove the glass and get them unstuck. Yet to hear if an aftermarket solution is less prone to cracking the plastic, a friend of mine wants to redesign the sliders with a more flexible and better material replacement to work with OEM headliner using 3D printer so will post if results seem promising

[@MaxNakfoor]

Reminds me of my old MK4. Man I don't miss that car.

[@GradyRho92]

He did the headliner in my Touareg.

[@KRAMPUS_G60_16V]

Great stuff! I really like that he uses metric.

[@cardiacdrummer5443]

My first manual car was a 1999.5 Jetta. I brought that car back to life at the shop I use to work at and was about to refresh the headliner to save some $$. The master mechanic I work with walked in with a new headliner right as I was throwing in the towel in frustration. 100%: pay a professional who has experience or get a new one

[@AutoWAG]

Amazing work

[@jamesisaphotographer]

When I first saw the Golf, I was torn on the colour. Now I totally get it - if you're going to get a GTI, get a GTI.

[@alianan3206]

I'm following this MK5 GTi.. Please upload the next video for the project..

[@dB_944]

Didn’t have this problem up through the 70-80’s!

[@TheVgonman]

Are you (or Paul) going to have a video on the removal of the headliner from the car on the Mk5?

[@shoobert]

Would love to see a tutorial for the doors and rear arm rests! my mk5 is only peeling there and not the headliner thankfully!

[@EduardM.]

Nice job.

[@darrellroireau4061]

Awesome straight forward vid! Love your content Humble Mech!!! I noticed there is flat knit material which looks closer to my Mk6 GTI. I'm wondering if it is any good. 🤔 Cheers Bros!

[@vdubguy55]

Well I gave this video a watch and the next day I found my Golf r headliner starting to separate…. I blame you Charles! 😂

[@E.Taylor]

Ahh.... Now to do this in both Mk.4s I own.

[@HumbleMechanic]

LOL VW plague of sagging headliners.

[@zeuss1353]

Honestly just close your eyes. I would prefer swapping a whole drivetrain than doing this

[@sputnik94115]

This just confirms the $460 I paid a shop to redo the headliner in my 2008 Rabbit was money well spent.

[@Slowcarfastbeans]

I’m messy so I’d have to buy some adhesive backed film to cover the presentation side or I’d end up with visible glue on the ceiling after all that work and a very difficult rework process (glue wet or dry).

[@mydimeisup5103]

Awesome video Charles and great work by Christian! I'm shooting this question to you but can also DM Christian. I have a C7 A6 sedan and my headliner is sagging where my sunvisors fold up. erWin says I need to remove the windshield. Do you or Chrsitian have any experience working with these headliners and is it possible to remove it through the door/trunk or since its a sedan without a hatch, do I have to removing the windshield/rear glass?

[@marysage7960]

Awesome job

[@carwerks101]

Wish I would have known about the fabric site you linked when I did my mercedes, I did the fake suede, it came out good but I’d much rather have done more oem look

[@guitarloser07]

Thumbtacks for the headliner, because, this is a pain. BUT will shortly be using this method for my door cards. Thank you for the info!! Just need to find the fabric...

[@tjmone74]

I have more than 2 cents to add to this. This is a miserable job. I replaced the headliner on a B7 A4. Being a four door makes it very difficult to remove and replace in the car. Removing the foam is horrible. The old glue gums up every tool you use and gets on you. Laying the new liner down definitely benefits from experience but can be achieved by a diy er with patience. My advice is to make sure you leave enough extra when you wrap around the sunroof, etc. I thought I left enough and came up a little short. Finally, it might be hard to get the right color liner depending on what you need.

[@GabrielFlaten-w3g]

i would love to see how to replace my motor/trans mounts on my b5.5 w8. see you at wookies!

[@laalaa99stl]

Hit like before even before watching the video. So few videos covering this super common problem. And I have that exact car (Fahrenheit Edition) and that exact problem. That said, this looked even more of a pain in the butt than an engine rebuild and might be one of the few jobs worth paying someone else to do. I would have gone with a tartan pattern since, with the leather seats, there is otherwise no reference to that little bit of GTI history.

[@lyndonhudson5859]

I reckon the next car that needs a new headlining you & Paul should give it go, though I suspect viewers would loose interest after the first 2 hours 😂 Great video, can't wait for the next installment.

[@HumbleMechanic]

HAHA I have a guy now!

[@tjmone74]

My B7 A4 had a leaking drain. There was mud caked on the drain exit under the car blocking it. Amazon sells a "pipe cleaner" for clearing out sunroof drain tubes.

[@Sireoja]

19:15 I had the sunroof drain problem on my mk4 golf. Mine is a 5 door so I was able to squeeze my hand between the roof and the headliner and put the line back in it's place. If anyone wants to try this you have to remove the rear passenger door weather stripping, the dome light and the handle in order to get you hand underneath the headliner so you can put the line back on. It's not hard but you have to be careful not to bend the headliner.

[@HoboJoeGarage]

I did it once on my wife’s 08’ Rabbit. Never again. Such a huge pain in the butt. Wrinkled and pulled away in spots. It’s better than it was before, but man it could be a ton better.

[@rising_crust]

Excellent shop foreman skills. 😅

[@HumbleMechanic]

HAHA Thank you!!!

[@SueBobChicVid]

Boy, do I need to do this to my 2012 R. I used staples to hold mine up.

[@nicolasfremat6748]

I wonder if you ll be enough humble to do a removing tutorial for this mk5 gti ? Will be very helpfull for me to refurbish mine. Thanks

[@OrlandoPaco]

NICE