Sticking sunroof, no. But I can comment on your attitude toward the selling dealer. If Idaho has laws similar to New York, the selling dealer is responsible to warrant the vehicle for a period of time after the sale, depending on the odometer reading at the time of sale. 30 days is the minimum. regardless of what the guy told you, if there is a warranty I would take advantage of it. Once they touch it and acknowledge the problem, they are on the hook in the future should anything go wrong.

I honestly do understand your feelings toward a dealer, but this could be a "cutting off of your nose to spite your face" moment.

 

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I bought the car from the dealer, when the car was brand new. It is now out of warranty due to miles driven.

I'm still hoping that someone can help me figure out what is wrong with this thing.

 

I too suffer from similar sunroof operation anxiety. I think I opened mine twice in 3 years of ownership. I figure if I don't open it it won't get stuck open.

 

I have never experienced such a problem, but then I have only opened the sunroof about 5 times on my 2013. I am now pondering just leaving it closed. :creeplook

 

I felt strongly enough about NOT having a sunroof that I went to the trouble of locating a limited without a sunroof. You guys are making me happy that I bothered to do that.

 

Yeah, back in the day, I ordered cars without power accessories like windows and locks. I figure it was less to go wrong. The outback was my first sunroof and my last never use the darn thing.

 

I skipped air conditioning until 1985. It came with electric door locks, but roll up windows (Toyota Van). I have indulged myself ever since.

The sunroof thing is as much about max headroom as it is about failure.........I am long of torso, and don't like my hair rubbing on the roof. (My Mother had a Civic with a moonroof.......When I drove it as part of servicing it, I had to hold my head on an angle, one way or the other. If I had hit a big bump, I would probably be in a wheelchair.)

 

I can help

You have two buttons do both work?
If the slide button tips up and down and opens the sun roof in warm sunny flat parking spot then the switch needs re programming. Cold temps and very off camber parking spots can jam the slide mechanism. Wagons are flexy body types.

To re program the switch

Press the toggle to open let go and repeat for every stop the sunroof stops till all the way open, then press once every stop till closed then again one press through the tip up and down once all the way through the cycle the one touch open will work again along with the close and the secondary tip up and down switch will work again. Mine did this twice two yrs ago in cold weather has been fine since. BUT!!! Cold temps make the rubber tough and it will jam partially open but close again however you might find the switch lost its programming again. In 5yrs ive had to reprogram mine 3 times.

 

I can help

To re program the switch

Press the toggle to open let go and repeat for every stop the sunroof stops till all the way open, then press once every stop till closed then again one press through the tip up and down once all the way through the cycle the one touch open will work again along with the close and the secondary tip up and down switch will work again. Mine did this twice two yrs ago in cold weather has been fine since. BUT!!! Cold temps make the rubber tough and it will jam partially open but close again however you might find the switch lost its programming again. In 5yrs ive had to reprogram mine 3 times.

Thanks for the instructions. I did not about this reset feature. Is it in the owner's manual and I missed it?

 

I find it strange that an after market company installed the sunroof, mine was a factory option. Since you have already had problems with the dealer and they don't want to take responsibility you may want to take it to someone who installs sunroofs and have them look at it. It will be cheaper for you.

My own sunroof only acted up once on a very hot day near the beach. After parking in the shade it worked fine. Once it's repaired, open and close it periodically, a long period of disuse may have allowed crud to build up in the tracks. (Crud is a technical term.)

And you may want to find another dealer.

 

Yes, strange indeed. That was my point to the child in the service department who told me that it was installed aftermarket. I had to tell him that the Subaru sunroofs are factory installed sunroofs.

And Yes, I have already found a shop that does nothing but fix factory installed sunroofs. I would have never guessed that they were such a problem, to support an entire industry of repair shops.

And Yes, I will never return to that dealer.

 

Have the same issue. Subaru dealer wants $1600 to replace the entire moonroof

 

That really sucks dirty pond water.

 

With the sunroof in rear vent mode (i.e. the button that works) try to work silicone spray in the rails and rubber molding. Apply liberally but obviously watch out so you don't get your interior full of silicone spray. Now try to work the other mechanism to retract the sunroof. If it gives you slight opening where you couldn't get to with silicone spray, hit it up with more spray, and work it back again. Go back and forth, hit new spots with silicone spray. With some luck it will eventually come open. Once open, clean everything up, and re-apply silicone to the moldings from time to time.

Don't use WD-40 or any petroleum-based lubricants as it makes rubber deteriorate faster, whereas silicone protects rubber.

 

I got some silicone spray last night and tried it. It helped just a bit, but will still need adjusted or fixed. I'm thinking of calling a local sunroof repair shop to see if they can help.

 

Follow up to the sticking sunroof issue.

Recently I pushed down on the rear edge of the sunroof while pushing the button to open the roof. After becoming unstuck, and it worked as it was supposed to, fully retracting into the roof. I am wondering if the heavy pollen drop last year caused the roof to stick. I need to clean the edges of the sunroof, and the opening for the roof to see if that helps this problem. I also need to investigate lubricating the mechanism, if that is possible.

 

All pretty easy to do. Clean the opening with a soft, damp cloth while the glass is in the full back position. Then a paper towel to clean the gunk and old grease out of the track. Put a little white grease on another paper towel and wipe it into the track (you don't want too much, it will just collect more junk). Then spray silicone onto another paper towel and wipe on the front part of the seal from corner to corner. Then close the glass and raise the back so you can repeat the silicone steps for the rest of the seal.

 

Mine did this the first year. Stiff slides cold temps would hang it up. When this happens the switch looses its range of movement memory. To reprogram the switch you press the open button each time it stops till its fully open then press it once each time it stops closing. Once closed you press the slide close - three more times, once to tip up, once to tip down and once to finalize the programming.

It hasnt had any issues since that first year. I reprogrammed it maybe three times takes about 30 seconds to do once you've done it.

Parking in a very off camber steep parking spot once jammed it also, the wagon body flexes some and can jam the sun roof if its extreme enough.

 

Sorry for the delay. Thanks for your response!

 

I had the same issue on a '12 OB 3.6R Ltd. There are multiple posts on the moonroof in the these forums, with TSBs as well - 12-117-10R and 12-124-10R. Just beyond warranty, Carter Subaru here in Seattle did me a large one and fixed it for $0. Didn't hurt my cause to press them hard on the 'known issue' piece.
Also, if it gets stuck open, there's a hex bolt beneath the sunglasses holder at top of windshield - just crank it closed. (Manual explains this.)

 

Sorry for delayed response. Thanks so much for this info!

 

My 2010 sunroof started sticking in the almost-down-and-ready-to-slide-back position this morning.

I had been cleaning up the drain holes and wiping dust buildup from the pan after getting water into the car in a storm last weekend. I cleaned up the rubber surround of the glass at the same time, then sprayed everything with a Meguiars detailing spray to encourage water-shedding in the next storm. It was after I was finished that the glass started sticking.

What I've come up with is that the spray, either cleaner or detailer, has softened the rubber a tad and made it a little sticky. When the glass moves downwards the rubber grips the metal of the car which pushes it very slightly upwards relative to the glass, this makes the top part of the rubber surround just thick enough so it does not clear the lower edge of the metal. It seems to do it only in the very middle of the glass where there is a seem in the rubber.

I can stand on the door sill with one hand on the glass and the other on the switch. When I push the switch to open and also push down on the rear edge of the glass it opens normally. It closes normally without assistance.

I've left the sunroof open to give the rubber time to stabilize for the rest of the day and I'll check it again.