Hi. I am planning to trade of my GMC on my first Ford. I have been looking for 2016 Lariats and working with a dealer that was eager to bring one in on a dealer trade for me to look at that fit most of my requirements. The one catch is that one of the options (dual moon roof) was not on my list, and the truck has it. My first impression looking at it was #1 will this leak? And #2, will all this extra mechanics and motors be nothing more than a headache? I like the extra light, but do benefits outweigh potential issues? I realize you can find anything online if you search for it, but I got really cold feet after reading various forums where people had these roofs that either leak, rattle and make noise, or just fail to work.

Please let me know if you have this option and if you would buy it again! Are there 100 good ones out there for every bad one? I realize people take to the web when stuff goes wrong, but rarely go out of the way to promote something thats working as designed.

I am strongly leaning toward this being a deal-breaker for me. I like everything else about the truck aside from this sticking point.

I was worried when I saw it, and after reading I feel like it is a legitimate concern. Any info would help!!

I live in Minnesota which can be -20 in January or 98 degrees in July. Those extremes make things move, and the last thing I want is a rattle box in the winter, and a dripping ceiling in the summer.

Opinions appreciated!

 

I felt the same way until I realized that all the trucks with the options I wanted had the moon roof. I despise moon/sun roofs, so I'm hoping mine proves to be hassle free. I've only had mine for a few days, so I'm not qualified to answer your question, just wanted you to know that you're not alone.

 

No issues here in my 16 Lariat.

In fact it was in my list of must haves. Opens up the cabin, as mines black. I've put air80 on it for the heat and wouldn't change a thing, love it.

 

Do those moon roofs have a drain line in their gutters??? If they don't then --- PASS. I've never seen a moon-roof aka sun roof that didn't rust out unless there were ADEQUATE drain lines in it. Moon/sun roofs look nice and I've had them on probably six or seven cars and trucks but we have NEVER actually used them other that just to open them to see if they work. We opened them a few times but it's almost always TOO hot or TOO sunny here in Florida to leave them open for more than a minute or two. My personal opinion is that they are a complete waste of money and I wouldn't give even one penny in added costs to get one! OTOH if you can get a vehicle with one CHEAPER than one without then why not? But only if it has honest to GOD, drains in the gutter. If it doesn't then you WILL be looking for leaks in the roof within a few years.

And BTW if you do get one, you'll need to keep the gutters CLEAN to prevet clogging the drains and you have to keep them painted to prevent rust. You'll also need to keep a lot of perservative on the rubber seals to prevent them from deteriorating and you'll also need to check the drain frequently to be SURE that they're working properly. None of this is difficult but you have to do it regularly to prevent future problems.

To me, buying a vehicle with a sun roof is like buying a house with a pool. It's an extra expense and it always impresses the uninitiated but they both take work to keep up and like a pool, you'll probably find yourself using it a lot LESS than you think you will.

 

Aluminum doesn't rust though... so that should be a non-issue.

To me, it doesnt matter because spending 60 grand on a pickup truck is ridiculous, moon roof or not

 

No way for me... I don't even like that I have that rear window slider... I'm only in an XLT, so there you go..

Good luck!

Mitch

 

I don't like the new sliding rear window. It's so f'ing small. I liked the old type that the entire top to bottom slid/opened. I could care less that it's electric, it's almost useless.

 

Mine is two weeks and 1500 miles old, but between rain, touchless car wash and a couple cleanings with an industrial power washer, there have been no leaks so far. A buddy/coworker's 2015 Lariat hasn't ever leaked, and we work in Montana/North Dakota where the temps have been lower and about as high as you listed. We put about 3,000 thousand washboard-road miles on our trucks every month... no problems for me so far and none related to the sunroof for my buddy (his has roughly 75,000 miles). You're probably going to be alright. If you're real concerned, the extended warranty covers the motors you're concerned with. You could also just not use it, I rarely do, but I like that it's there (Read: I like that girls are impressed with the giant sunroof) and I would buy it again. Hope that helps!

 

I am pretty sure I saw where there is a drain line of some sort.

My moon roof had a few creeks in it at first but Ford fixed it and no other issues so far. That being said while some folks have had problems and post about them you don't really know how many never have an issue because the don't post about non issues.

First glass roof I have ever had in a vehicle and while it was not something that I really was looking for, it just came with the options I wanted, I will say it is nice to have sometimes and i don't regret it.

 

I suppose it really depends on where you live. What I have found after owning a couple vehicles with sun/moon roofs is they let too much heat into the vehicle. In other words, I had to keep them closed all the time, including the shade panel!

For me, it would be a deal breaker. I can only imagine that you lose a LOT of rigidity by having a moving glass panel in place of a solid roof. I'd rather have the added assurance of driving a safer vehicle with a solid roof, than one with glass over my head that I can't even use but a couple times a year.

That's just my $.02

 

I've had mine for a few months, no issues so far. I've never opened it all the way and only occasionally use the front one. Doesn't bother me. I like not having to wax the whole roof though

 

Sunroofs have 4 drain tubes on most vehicles (one per corner)

Sunroofs don't remove any rigidity to the roof, the structure of the body is above the doors, and the roof is just a "skin" of sheet metal in most cases




After fixing tons of sunroof leaks and mechanism failures during my 5 years working for Land Rover. I definitely don't prefer to own a vehicle with one.

I can't personally speak for Ford's quality, longevity, or leaking potential.

 

I have about 3K miles on my 2016 KR with the sunroof and no issues whatsoever. I use it all the time too, all windows up, sunroof open and rear slider open creates a nice air flow that's not loud like having all the windows down. I'd definitely get the sun/moon roof again.

 

Land Rover...I just got rid of a 2015 Evoque Prestige that had the non opening "panoramic" roof. That was useless to me as it just heated up the cabin. Don't think I'd ever buy another Range Rover, while the Evoque was nice inside and did well on the freeway, it was a nightmare around town! the 2015 was first model with 9 speed trans and it had the worst hesitation, coupled with a small displacement turbo 4cyl, it wouldn't accelerate for a couple of seconds from a dead stop. Dangerous and very frustrating!! Had the software reflash 3 times and didn't help...that's why I wanted the 2016 F-150 rather than be the first with the new 10 speed trans...I hope Ford gets it well sorted out from the get go, but not willing to be a part of that learning curve...apologies to the OP for straying off topic...just the nightmare of that Evoque still haunts me

 

There were some issues with these, mainly in the earlier 2015s. The late 2015s and 2016s seemed to be better.

I've got one in my 2013 and it has been trouble free...maybe because I almost never use it....too noisey.

I would prefer not to have had to pay for one, but its difficult (i.e. almost impossible) to find a Platinum (on the lot) without it...

.