The Repair Lasted Exactly One Rainstorm

[Lankyhank888]

Looking for feedback from other Bronco owners.


My 2025 Bronco Raptor developed a roof leak around 3,000 miles. Ford eventually replaced the front header seal after I documented the leak on video. Unfortunately, it started leaking again immediately after the repair.


I captured the rain and the water intrusion on video, and I’m curious if anyone has experienced something similar or found a permanent fix.


Short:



Full repair timeline and water test:

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[BroncoChallenger]

How many posts about this are you going to make? You've made several here, and one over on FTE.

Are you taking the panels out at all, or are they staying permanently in place? If you're taking them out and then seeing the leak, then this is 100% operator error. If they're not being pulled out, then yes, you have a problem.

It's not a common problem. Yes, it needs to be addressed and your dealer should do right by you. But making thread after thread after thread isn't going to help you out. Do a little diagnostic work.

To check seals, have someone move a bright light along the seam while you're sitting inside, and see if you can see light coming through anywhere. If that's not an option, you can take a strip of paper (a dollar bill works) and put it in the seal, and see if you can move it easily. I have located MANY seal leaks this way.

I notice you aren't even showing us where you suspect the water is coming in from - obviously it's coming from above, but for all we know (since we can't see in your videos), the driver's side panel isn't fully installed. Sure we see water dripping down the A-pillar, but where is it above that? That area is mostly open, taking a light to see where it is entering from should be no big deal.

I guess my point is, complaining on a forum isn't going to necessarily steer you in the right direction if you aren't going to do a little investigation on your end.

 

[Sandy56]

Ah my favorite type of person that I work with. The one who won’t do a little leg work and just complain that something doesn’t work but expects someone else to fix it. Anyway dont think your career as a bronco content creator is gonna take off.

 

[Lankyhank888]

How many posts about this are you going to make? You've made several here, and one over on FTE.

Are you taking the panels out at all, or are they staying permanently in place? If you're taking them out and then seeing the leak, then this is 100% operator error. If they're not being pulled out, then yes, you have a problem.

It's not a common problem. Yes, it needs to be addressed and your dealer should do right by you. But making thread after thread after thread isn't going to help you out. Do a little diagnostic work.

To check seals, have someone move a bright light along the seam while you're sitting inside, and see if you can see light coming through anywhere. If that's not an option, you can take a strip of paper (a dollar bill works) and put it in the seal, and see if you can move it easily. I have located MANY seal leaks this way.

I notice you aren't even showing us where you suspect the water is coming in from - obviously it's coming from above, but for all we know (since we can't see in your videos), the driver's side panel isn't fully installed. Sure we see water dripping down the A-pillar, but where is it above that? That area is mostly open, taking a light to see where it is entering from should be no big deal.

I guess my point is, complaining on a forum isn't going to necessarily steer you in the right direction if you aren't going to do a little investigation on your end.

Thanks for the feedback. Just to clarify, I haven’t removed the roof panels a single time since I got the Bronco back from the dealership after they had it for six weeks replacing the front header seal. That’s actually the whole reason I’ve been documenting this. The very first rain after the repair, with the roof exactly as the dealer returned it to me, it leaked again.


As far as the multiple posts, that was actually suggested to me. I was told I needed to get a second opinion, so I figured I’d get more than just one. There are a lot of experienced Bronco owners and technicians on these forums, and I’ve received some really helpful information that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.


I appreciate the suggestions about the flashlight and dollar bill tests. At the same time, since the vehicle is still under warranty and the dealer has already attempted one repair, I’m trying to let Ford diagnose and document the root cause rather than start disassembling or modifying anything myself. My goal isn’t to complain—it’s to understand what’s happening and hopefully help Ford get it fixed the right way.

 

[Lankyhank888]

Ah my favorite type of person that I work with. The one who won’t do a little leg work and just complain that something doesn’t work but expects someone else to fix it. Anyway dont think your career as a bronco content creator is gonna take off.

I actually have put quite a bit of elbow grease into this over the first 10,000 miles. I’ve documented the issue with videos, worked with the dealership through multiple visits, left the vehicle there for six weeks, and gave them every opportunity to repair it under warranty. The frustrating part is that it shouldn’t have been leaking in the first place on a brand-new vehicle, and it definitely shouldn’t have leaked again on the very first rain after the repair.


I’m not expecting strangers on the internet to fix my Bronco. I’m asking for additional opinions after I was told to get a second opinion, and these forums are full of experienced owners and technicians. That’s exactly why communities like this exist.

 

[BroncoChallenger]

I'm not suggesting you pull anything apart. I'm saying do a little simple diagnostic work - find exactly where the leak is so they can address it. Find the entry point of the water, not just 'oh it's dripping down my A-pillar.'

Figure out where the seal is weak, and point that out to your dealer. There could be a wrinkle in your front header that's not allowing it to seal that no one noticed. It could be the seals at one of the corners, where multiple seals come together, aren't aligned properly. It could be you've got a bad windshield seal and it's somehow working its way around the A-pillar (unlikely but possible). It could be as simple as the removable panels simply aren't adjusted tight enough so the seal isn't even being made.

I'm not telling you to do the repair yourself. I'm telling you that you'll make the technician's job a LOT easier if you can point out where the water is getting in from.

For instance, my wife had a 2007 Expedition years ago. One day we discovered water inside the passenger footwell that had never been there before. I did a lot of digging and discovered that a grommet (still don't know what it was for) had dry-rotted and fallen apart (it was out of warranty), so I made up my own seal for it and solved the problem. Had it been under warranty still, I'd have still figured out where the water was coming from and shown it to the tech, so they could figure out how to fix it.

A little legwork on something relatively simple like this will make your tech's life (and yours) a lot easier, and will help develop a better working relationship with your service department. I've found that's the best way to get quality service out of a dealer, and get better (and faster) treatment from them.

Just showing up with shaky videos that show at most a few seconds of the issue, and 'letting them figure it all out' is a good way to get labeled a nuisance that gets poor treatment in an effort to keep you from coming back.

 

[Lankyhank888]

I'm not suggesting you pull anything apart. I'm saying do a little simple diagnostic work - find exactly where the leak is so they can address it. Find the entry point of the water, not just 'oh it's dripping down my A-pillar.'

Figure out where the seal is weak, and point that out to your dealer. There could be a wrinkle in your front header that's not allowing it to seal that no one noticed. It could be the seals at one of the corners, where multiple seals come together, aren't aligned properly. It could be you've got a bad windshield seal and it's somehow working its way around the A-pillar (unlikely but possible). It could be as simple as the removable panels simply aren't adjusted tight enough so the seal isn't even being made.

I'm not telling you to do the repair yourself. I'm telling you that you'll make the technician's job a LOT easier if you can point out where the water is getting in from.

For instance, my wife had a 2007 Expedition years ago. One day we discovered water inside the passenger footwell that had never been there before. I did a lot of digging and discovered that a grommet (still don't know what it was for) had dry-rotted and fallen apart (it was out of warranty), so I made up my own seal for it and solved the problem. Had it been under warranty still, I'd have still figured out where the water was coming from and shown it to the tech, so they could figure out how to fix it.

A little legwork on something relatively simple like this will make your tech's life (and yours) a lot easier, and will help develop a better working relationship with your service department. I've found that's the best way to get quality service out of a dealer, and get better (and faster) treatment from them.

Just showing up with shaky videos that show at most a few seconds of the issue, and 'letting them figure it all out' is a good way to get labeled a nuisance that gets poor treatment in an effort to keep you from coming back.

I completely agree with the idea of finding the exact entry point—that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do. I’ve spent a lot of time running controlled water tests, filming from multiple angles, and documenting exactly where the water shows up.


The funny part is the dealership has shown zero interest in hearing any of my thoughts on where the water could actually be coming from. I’ve pointed out the areas I believe are allowing water in, shared videos, and even offered my observations, but they’ve consistently brushed them aside instead of investigating those possibilities.


At this point, I’d honestly be thrilled if they proved me wrong and found the true source. I don’t care who’s right—I just want the leak fixed correctly. That’s been my goal from day one.

 

[flip]

Did the warranty invoice say anything about checking the drains? There are circumstances depending on how the vehicle was parked (uphill, downhill, leaning, etc.) along with rain volume, that can cause water overload on the drains, fill the trough and well, you know the rest of the story.

Parked relatively level and run of the mill rain storm, the drains can usually keep up assuming they aren't pinched/disconnected/obstructed. Should be able to blow compressed air through them to verify integrity. You can also pull the front panels, take a bottle of water and pour in the trough and verify water draining.

 

[5GENIDN]

Okay here is another possibility to check.... There is a drain pan, very small, would fit in your hand. There is one at either end of the front window frame. The are just above the visors (toward the outside).... Yes they are up inside the plastic trim panel. My thought being they collect all the water that gets inside the front channel (below the roof panels). If you remove the roof section above the driver you will see a small hole in the channel (just to the side of the accessory ready mount that is above the window), this hole drains to a small pan below and that pan is attached to a hose (about 1/8 inside diameter) that drains the water down the A pillar to the outside of the Bronco.... IF that hose is detached it would than just be pouring that water into the plastic trim panel the visor is attached to....

I do not know, but something to check....

OH I am slow... Flip is all over this....

And Flip's suggestion is awesome.... Take off the roof panel and find the hole to the drain and pur water down it.... Pour a bunch and see what happens....

Flip is the man!

 

[Lankyhank888]

Did the warranty invoice say anything about checking the drains? There are circumstances depending on how the vehicle was parked (uphill, downhill, leaning, etc.) along with rain volume, that can cause water overload on the drains, fill the trough and well, you know the rest of the story.

Parked relatively level and run of the mill rain storm, the drains can usually keep up assuming they aren't pinched/disconnected/obstructed. Should be able to blow compressed air through them to verify integrity. You can also pull the front panels, take a bottle of water and pour in the trough and verify water draining.

Thanks a lot for taking the time to write all of that out. This is probably the best reply I’ve had so far, and that diagram is excellent. It really helps me understand how the drainage system is supposed to work.


I went back and read through all of my Ford repair invoices after seeing your comment. From what I can tell, I don’t see any mention of the drains being inspected, blown out with compressed air, tested with water, or verified for proper flow. The repair order says they performed several water leak tests, found water entering at the upper corner of the header/body area, removed the header assembly, installed a new header seal, applied seam sealer, and then retested until it passed. It doesn’t specifically mention the drain system.


What’s interesting is that after that repair, the leak came back immediately after the very first rain. The Bronco was parked on a fairly level driveway, and another time on a normal residential street, so it wasn’t on any extreme incline. That’s why your comment about the drains caught my attention.


At this point, I think it’s worth asking the Ford roof specialist specifically whether they’ve verified the drain tubes aren’t pinched, disconnected, or restricted. I really appreciate you bringing that up because it’s something I hadn’t seen documented anywhere in my paperwork. Thanks again for taking the time to explain it.

 

[Lankyhank888]

Okay here is another possibility to check.... There is a drain pan, very small, would fit in your hand. There is one at either end of the front window frame. The are just above the visors (toward the outside).... Yes they are up inside the plastic trim panel. My thought being they collect all the water that gets inside the front channel (below the roof panels). If you remove the roof section above the driver you will see a small hole in the channel (just to the side of the accessory ready mount that is above the window), this hole drains to a small pan below and that pan is attached to a hose (about 1/8 inside diameter) that drains the water down the A pillar to the outside of the Bronco.... IF that hose is detached it would than just be pouring that water into the plastic trim panel the visor is attached to....

I do not know, but something to check....

OH I am slow... Flip is all over this....

And Flip's suggestion is awesome.... Take off the roof panel and find the hole to the drain and pur water down it.... Pour a bunch and see what happens....

Flip is the man!

Thanks again for taking the time to explain all of that. I really appreciate it. This thread has honestly given me more useful technical information than I’ve gotten anywhere else.


That’s definitely another possibility I hadn’t considered. The symptoms do seem like they could match a disconnected or restricted drain hose if water is ending up inside the A-pillar area.


The frustrating part is that Ford has already had the Bronco for about six weeks, removed the header assembly, replaced the front header seal, water tested it, and returned it to me saying it was fixed. Then it leaked again during the very first rain while it was parked on a fairly level driveway.


I have a Ford roof specialist coming to inspect it, so I’m going to bring up everything you and Flip mentioned about verifying the drain pans, hoses, and actually pouring water directly into the drain channels to confirm they’re flowing correctly. If that’s all it ends up being, I’ll be thrilled. At this point I just want it fixed correctly.


Thanks again—you guys have given me several things to ask about that aren’t even mentioned anywhere on my repair order.

 

[flip]

The leaks I've seen usually involve vehicle with the nose pointed down at a slight angle and very heavy rain. A lot more water will be running over the front seal and filling trough faster than the drains can keep up. Of those, two were early builds that fell under a service message and the header seal was replaced, neither of those or any other, have had restricted drains.

Not saying this is "normal", just trying to give some first hand info. Obviously OP still has an issue that needs to be investigated further.

 

[rechinca]

Some of the replies here are killing it. The guy is asking for help, not complaining. Simply asking if anyone has had similar issues or other thoughts as to how to locate the leak or what might be the issue. Let’s face it, half or more of the “Techs” today can’t fix or troubleshoot anything a computer doesn’t tell them is wrong.

Thankfully in three Broncos I have not had that issue, but our Jeep we had before them did. The seal was not making solid contact with the roof panel and until I tried narrow strips of paper about 1/4” wide I couldn’t find it. Pretty sure it was operator induced as it stopped after I had a location found and reseated the panel a couple of times.

Now the one around the rear glass, what a PITA. Had it checked twice and supposedly repaired. With globs of clear silicone applied the “tech”. Spent a couple of hours scraping it out and cleaning the channel. It never dried as it appears they installed it over water in the weatherstrip. The seal kept falling. Since it is metal reinforced I pinched it closed further and applied 3M Black Adhesive. Now it stays in place and seals.

 

[Lankyhank888]

The leaks I've seen usually involve vehicle with the nose pointed down at a slight angle and very heavy rain. A lot more water will be running over the front seal and filling trough faster than the drains can keep up. Of those, two were early builds that fell under a service message and the header seal was replaced, neither of those or any other, have had restricted drains.

Not saying this is "normal", just trying to give some first hand info. Obviously OP still has an issue that needs to be investigated further.

Thanks again for the detailed explanation. You seem to have firsthand experience with these roofs, so I have one technical question if you don’t mind.


In my main video, it’s hard to tell from the camera angle, but I was watching it closely during the test. Within about 10–15 seconds of turning the hose on the roof, water was already flowing out of the drains on both sides of the front header seal.


Is that amount and speed of water entering the header cavity considered normal? My concern isn’t that the drains are clogged—it’s that I believe too much water is entering the header cavity too quickly where the two front roof panels meet the header seal, rather than being diverted away by the sealing surfaces.


Does that sound like expected behavior, or would that make you suspect an issue with the header seal or the fitment where the front panels meet it? I’d really appreciate your opinion since you seem to have firsthand experience with these systems.

 

[TomC]

On the explorer forum someone rec. using weedeater string and feeding it down the drain tubes to clear any debris. I do that every year on my wife's explorer with sun roof. This has inspired me to check the bronco.

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