Toyota Highlander sunroof drains not draining, water pooling in driver floor, how to fix it

[@54632000]

Thanks for your video. The sunroof drain flowing into the floorboard has been a recurring issue. Took my 2010 Highlander to the Toyota dealership a few times where they enlarged the drainage holes but the problem continued to reappear. I think the extreme amount of tree pollen and residue from our heavily wooded lot has contributed to our issue. Not wanting to spend money again at the dealership for something that is not sustainable, I turned to KZbin and found your video. I used the same generic drain cleaner you used, rinsed with hot water, and the flow improved, but not so fast as to not back up in a heavy downpour. So I repeated the process again to where now the water drains immediately underneath the car when I pour into the sunroof well. I will repeat yearly from here on out. Both driver's and passenger's side were clogged so I did the treatment on both. To simplify things, I used the hole that you used for your camera to pour the drain cleaner into, so I didn't have to remove the wires, etc. (Thanks to others on this thread for suggesting that). Thanks again so much. This had been a huge source of frustration for our Highlander, and now the problem solved!

[@CousinCleatus]

I very much appreciate your feedback. I'm glad it helped. It is not the best design for a sunroof drain.

[@OPSteel97]

Suburu Oubacks have the same issue

[@CousinCleatus]

@OPSteel97 dang I just bought an outback

[@ramonledesma9774]

This was a great post. What a HORRIBLE flaw in this car! Because of u I was able to remedy both sides pooling water in my 2013 highlander. Took me under 2 hrs. Thanks man.

[@CousinCleatus]

Glad it helped. I'll tell you if you park under trees you'll have to do it again in about a year give or take. Thanks!

[@ramonledesma9774]

@@CousinCleatus even if I re routed the hose?

[@CousinCleatus]

I haven't tried that, that sounds like a good idea. Please let me know how it works out.

[@hudginsdesign]

Thanks for steering me in a simpler direction. Had watched another video where they went down there with a frayed wire to scrap it out but I am sure that will clog up again. I went with one of your follow up comments and went in through the hole you used for your scope. 1 cup Drano in both sides and a few gallons of hot water (2 cups at a time) to rinse each side. I poured the water in from the sunroof holes to let the hot water also help clean the tubes. What I noticed is that the water comes out all up and down the runner rail not just in one spot. It may come from that little pan in one spot but then it spreads.

[@CousinCleatus]

It's been almost a year now and I've rechecked them and they are still not clogged. When I was blowing them out or using a wire, I'd have to do it every 6-8 months. I live in Arkansas and have lots of trees where I live.

[@KennethDonnellyStargazer21]

Thanks Cleatus, very thorough and helpful. Working on my sunroof drain now, cheers man

[@CousinCleatus]

Thank you! Hope it helps.

[@ed1pk]

I used a paper funnel I shaped out of some thin cardboard and used liquid Green Gobbler hoping it's less corrosive than Draino. Poured it into the tiny hole underneath the driver side console area by the door. Used a turkey baster to carefully pour a little at a time. There was no draining, so I ran a coat wire into it and stabbed around randomly and it started pouring out! Left it for a few hours to eat away at whatever gunk was remaining and then poured a large pitcher of hot water to clear it out. Thanks for the idea! 🙏

[@CousinCleatus]

That'll work

[@walter.bellini]

Thank you for the video I have a 2009 Toyota Highlander Sport with 156K and I love the SUV, never lets me down But finally got my first Swamp Rug on the drivers side I will be following your lead here to clear out the clog, the Drano idea was great! I am going to take out that bottom black plastic under cover to see exactly what and where this drain hole is like Going to use my portable Rug Cleaner and suck dry all that water and spray up 70% Alcohol to kill any mold bacteria growth as I wouldn't want my carpet to stink up the car. Then I will do a deep slow rug cleaning in that area to clean up everything.

[@CousinCleatus]

They are great vehicles. Hopefully this will take care of your issue.

[@roughrides9973]

Great video man. Wet carpet is a nightmare.

[@CousinCleatus]

Yes it is

[@wilmerfeliciano5669]

Thanks for the video. I saw it after I solved my problem. What I did was divert the hose into the carpet from the factory tear that it comes with.

[@CousinCleatus]

That's pretty good idea

[@anneeaton8305]

Thank you so much. The one thing I cannot figure out from your video is exactly where the opening is (that is, the opening to the place where the water collects). I've pulled the wiring out but I just don't see any opening and I can't figure it out from your video. Thank you for the help!

[@CousinCleatus]

It is behind the wiring. There is a metal box that leaks out of a pinch weld. You can't really get to it, I had to use a borescope to look in there. There is one on both driver and passenger side behind the kick panel.

[@highvisibilityraincoat]

I used some mechanics wire from HF to break up the large chunks. Worked great and cut down the time the draino took to just a few minutes.

[@CousinCleatus]

Very nice

[@brandonblair408]

There is a perforated plastic plug in the bottom of the drain hose. It easily gets plugged with debris. After removal of the plastic trim near the corner off the door frame I popped it out by pulling on the hose with a pair of needle nose pliers. 5th generation 4runner

[@CousinCleatus]

On the highlander the hose drains into a cavern or metal box, then it drips out of pinch welds. The hose itself isn't the issue on these.

[@timwilson7927]

Is that hose behind the the side trim or is it close to the floor? I’m having the. Same issue.

[@CousinCleatus]

Yes hoses are behind the pillar trim. There are also rear hoses if your rear floors are getting water in them.

[@loulou5069]

Hi there, I have a 2010 & just last week pulled away from drive to stop sign and heard a high whoosh of water. Then few days later noticed mildew smell & drove away same sound. Looked to my right for traffic & saw a small amount of water coming out the seatbelt adjuster up by the window on the frame. 😮 had it open in the sun trying to dry out a little but never had any wetness in the carpets or anywhere else. Must be underneath. Found those little drain holes but wasn’t sure that’s what it was. The passenger side where water was looked a bit clogged with mud? Thanks for the video, I’m on my way out with a wire hanger, hot water & rubbing alcohol to see if I can get the clog out

[@CousinCleatus]

That's awesome. You might want to check your tail light seals too. They are another place that leaks.

[@loulou5069]

@ thanks for your response. Wow I can’t believe I’ve had it all this time and just had this problem. Didn’t know about the tail lights, I don’t know anything about that will have to have my dad take a look. Thank you. Can I ask you on the drain hose does the actual hose stick out at all under the car or is it just a hole there. Asking because my leakage was only on one side & the street I live on where I have to park my car has an incline down to a street drain so a lot of water rushes thru when it’s heavy raining. There appeared to be mud clogging the drain hole and some mud around it. I was curious if it could be getting up in there or maybe it’s just from that side being under tree limbs

[@CousinCleatus]

@loulou5069 it does not drain to the ground. It drains into an area then out of a pinch weld. Parking under trees will clog it though.

[@loulou5069]

@ thank you ☺️

[@williamhoward7121]

I wonder if it would be possible to drill your own hole from under the car into that space. Seems you would have to find a way into that compartment to clear the existing hole otherwise.

[@CousinCleatus]

I went to the junkyard and drilled some holes to see and as far as I can tell you can't get into it.

[@pappascw]

Mine started leaking again and I thought about drilling some holes. I saw another video where the guy extended the drain tube under the carpet and out the hole on the floor eliminating the bucket toyota created.

[@CousinCleatus]

It clogged up again after using drano?

[@jonmiguel]

I've been led to understand that the drain should continue all the way down and thru the bottom of the car. Now I wonder..... At 5:24 I spotted something in the lower left of the endoscope pic that looks like a plumbing bulkhead fitting. Do you agree and if so I wonder of the drain is supposed to be connected there but comes up short on some cars. With the Japanese penchant for "Exactly what you need, no more" perhaps every now and again a drain tube was tucked up just a hair too tight and eventually comes off that fitting or out of whatever it hole its supposed to poke thru. THOUGHTS?

[@CousinCleatus]

On this vehicle, it does not go to the ground. It goes into that well and drips though a pinch weld.

[@jonmiguel]

@@CousinCleatus I've watched several videos and see that clearly. I have to ask... When the hell did Toyota hire an American engineer to design their cars???

[@CousinCleatus]

Lol right

[@itsjcfamily]

Can you do this From the sunroof without affecting the Wires pipes and hose of the sunroof on a venza?

[@CousinCleatus]

Yes, but make sure to flush it with water until clear water is coming out of the drains.

[@ginamancusi1511]

Did that fix last

[@CousinCleatus]

It has so far, found my tail lights were letting water in too.

[@brayden6260]

Before you all go tearing your drain hose out and anything above the electrical panel take off the mud flap and pull all the crap out from behind the wheel well liner. Dump a cup of water down the drain to confirm that was the issue.

[@CousinCleatus]

You'll see in the video the pocket was full of stagnant water.

[@stanleypeters5383]

Use a narrow pipe adapted/fitted to the shop-vac hose to draw out the water? There a small suction pumps with narrow hoses that fit in bit chuck of a drill/ battery powered driver

[@CousinCleatus]

That would work for sure.

[@tuomasholo]

This was very helpful. Thanks

[@CousinCleatus]

Glad it helped!

[@tainajovie90]

Hi this was really helpful but I don’t know if the carpet got wet again

[@CousinCleatus]

There is a seal around the tail lights in the rear that goes bad. It let's water in and it rolls forward into the rear floor boards. If you rear floors are wet, I bet the tail lights are to blame. You can just put a thin line of clear silicone, no need to replace the taillights.

[@davinhart8374]

Did you pour the draino from the sunroof? Is there any reason not to just pour it from there and avoid taking everything apart?

[@CousinCleatus]

No I just pored it in the bolt hole on both sides. If you pull the kick panel back a little, you don't have to take anything apart. You could pour it from the sunroof, but its not good for the plastic lines, you'll need to make sure you pour lots of water through it afterwards.

[@walterorr7446]

Ty Cleatus freaking 30,000 car 10.00 an hr. Engineering. I was wondering couldn't you drill like 1/2" hole under that fender well make it bigger for debris that gunk's up.

[@CousinCleatus]

Maybe even a rubber plug you could remove.

[@kCI251]

I love my Highlander but seriously thinking about sealing the whole damn sunroof shut. It is a crappy design. I will never buy a Toyota with a sunroof again.

[@CousinCleatus]

Not the first time I've heard that. It's a problem, especially if you park near trees. Good thing is they have great resale value.

[@kristopherblyth2200]

Just watching a few of these videos, seems like it'll just clog again and since mine is a 2005 a bit older I'll probably just do the same. Next highlander I'll get will not have a sunroof! Love the SUV but too much of a headache.

[@CousinCleatus]

Yeah for as much as someone uses a sunroof, it's kinda not worth it.

[@briansansone]

I had the same idea, but I didnt try it because I was afraid of what drano could do to the inside of the car. The water lets out where a bunch of wires sit. Im still not sure. What are side effects, or unintended consequences of drano flooding the drain passages, and everywhere the water pools? But like dude said : "you gotta do something"

[@CousinCleatus]

It's been almost a year now. I've had no issues. I did make sure to flush it with lots of water.

[@stanleypeters5383]

What about a thin wire gently played along the bottom of the "basin" to find the drain hole through the body panel while using your endoscope?

[@CousinCleatus]

I couldn't get one to work. It's a tight area though, maybe just couldn't find the hole.

[@jonathanstotts]

This is what I did, I just used a metal coat hanger and scraped along the bottom while pouring water in. It eventually started flowing freely.

[@CousinCleatus]

That works for sure

[@daniel_f4050]

Hmmm. Buying a small flexible funnel and some draino is going to be a lot easier than the video I thought would solve the problem. Maybe the 2010 Highlander will stay dry long enough for me to get rid of it next year. Thanks.

[@CousinCleatus]

Yes sir. It is a design flaw. Apparently it's not an issue if you don't park under trees.

[@daniel_f4050]

@@CousinCleatus Worked like a charm. I put about 2 cups of Draino into the driver’s side drain, waited 30 minutes, poured the boiling water, and…. Dribbles of water from just aft of the front wheel well to just in front of the rear wheel. I figure I’ll repeat the process every few months. Thanks again for the great tip.

[@CousinCleatus]

Awesome! Glad it worked for you. So far I find it's every 6-7 months, but I park under a tree.

[@MickGrigg]

@@CousinCleatus ... wrong. Its an issue if you park anywhere that gets heavy, continuous rain (like Melbourne, Australia). Mine floods continuously in the (roofless) carport. No trees in sight. I am thinking mould or something similar in that pool-well is clogging up. I love your idea and will be trying it myself this weekend. Would like more info on where the water drains underneath and those plugs you pulled/examined. Im sure we could drill new holes in there somewhere.

[@CousinCleatus]

Please let us know if you can find a place to drill for it to drain. It appears to drain out of pinch welds on the "frame".

[@aljohnson4314]

Best way to fix this design issue is to extend that plastic tube to exit the chassis, even if it takes to drill a hole in the floor pan.

[@CousinCleatus]

Yes for sure

[@taviuswalker1198]

Thanks!!!

[@CousinCleatus]

🏆

[@gambinoDangeruss]

All these videos make a simple job difficult. Just remove the electrical wire harness box. It has 3 clips on the passenger side. No real need to unplug all the connectors unless they are in the way of getting at the clips on the box they are plugged into. Gentle force to wiggle it out. Reach inside and move debris from the hole. You may need to stick a wire or small brush in hole to completely unclog the hole. I used a piece of 12 gauge solid copper wire. It only needs to be long enough to hold onto and about an inch or two passed the entrance of the hole. I did mine in about 15 minutes total to get at and unclog. The hardest part was removing the trim pieces. I did not put the carpet back down nor the trim until the carpet and under padding dried. All in all, about 30 minutes plus drying time. I would suggest pulling out the carpet up to the seat so you can squeeze the majority of the water out of the under padding and lay it over a plastic bag drapped over the seat so gravity pulls all the water toward the floor drain. You can use a shop vac, but I didn't have one, so I let it air dry and squeezed padding until the majority of the water was gone. Sprayed Lysol on the underside and floor before reinstalling to prevent mold and get rid of smell.

[@CousinCleatus]

Sounds like a lot. You should make a video on it.

[@michellewilsonortas]

Can I pour it from the top? Where the sun roof drains start?

[@CousinCleatus]

Yes, but just gotta pour it slow. If it gets on your interior it may damage it.

[@brianjoetaylor]

I think using Drano was a great idea. I'm trying to find something a little less corrosive that would dissolve the gunk and let it drain. But if it could be poored down the drain hole from the sunroof and not damage the tubing, it would be ideal. Guess I'm just gonna have to pull out the plastic and do it the hard way. Sure would be nice to find a easier way.

[@CousinCleatus]

I'd say use a funnel and poor it down the small hole the plastic kick panel snaps into. It's the small hole I was sticking the camera in. Then just make sure to flush it out good, it should be okay.

[@brianjoetaylor]

So I just read about this drain cleaner called Green Gobbler that is suppose to be safe to use on rubber. I'm going to test it with some rubber tubing first just to make sure it won't damage the tubing. I'll update this post if it works to clear the drain.

[@CousinCleatus]

Please do!

[@eastcoast1005]

@@brianjoetaylor Hi friend, can you please post your results? i am trying to find the exact same thing.

[@d.gilmore5345]

@@CousinCleatus can you tell me where in the video you can find the small hole the kick panel snaps into?

[@TheElrayo36]

I don't know why, Toyota, I don't take that hose out of the metal down, this is a headache with my 2010 Toyota Hilhander, the entire carpet destroyed,

[@CousinCleatus]

They make a solid vehicle. You think they would have done this.

[@KCnAd]

I’d like to see where the water is coming out from underneath the car-I don’t see a clear shot of that

[@CousinCleatus]

After a bunch of testing I finally found that it was coming in fron the taillights. I tightened them up and put silicone on the top of them, that took care of it.

[@MrCrime97]

@@CousinCleatus so the problem is not the driver side sun roof cubby drain? I’m asking because I have the same issue on my 2012 Highlander and I’m about to pour drank down the small hole where you put the camera through but now that I read this, how are the taillights causing this issue?

[@CousinCleatus]

@MrCrime97 the sunroof drain is the problem for the water in the front floor boards. The taillight seals were the issues with the water getting into the rear and the hybrid battery area.

[@walterorr7446]

I guess you just keep flushing it out once a yr with draino or extend the hose through the fender somehow

[@CousinCleatus]

I hope they fixed it on later models.

[@seekthetruth192]

I know where its clogged and I know how you can clear it out

[@seekthetruth192]

Send me an email or some way I can send you a video

[@CousinCleatus]

[e-mail]

[@ZX9RinHollywood]

@Stuff With Cleatus Automotive What did he say?

[@CousinCleatus]

Never got an email.

[@MickGrigg]

Explanation, pics, or YT vids mate or you are all hot air ...;)

[@rottenL]

Couldn’t you just have poured liquid plumber from the sunroof and avoided taking apart the whole car? 😊

[@CousinCleatus]

You probably can. I just didn't want to get it in the sunroof track.

[@chanlon5539]

I used Drano gel mixed with a little water. Seemed to increase the drainage from the pinched weld area. Looked like 2-3 areas with drainage and 1 was the main area of flow. Used lots of water to flush out the drano. I might give it a second treatment in a few days. Probably dirt and leaves in the holding area.

[@CousinCleatus]

@chanlon5539 makes sense

[@richardpelzer4049]

Garden hose

[@CousinCleatus]

Yeah

[@richardpelzer4049]

Get under it see where the drain empties

[@CousinCleatus]

@richardpelzer4049 it's at the pinch welds, can't see much. I should have set up a second camera though.

[@curtisb9492]

Toyota! Lol

[@CousinCleatus]

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