We have a 2006 E60 530xi. The car was left in a driveway for about 2-3 weeks while we were on holiday. When we came back there was a large amounts of water in the back foot area and the back seat. We took the car to the BMW service shop and they had the seat professionally cleaned and dried however there are water stains and the seat will need to be replaced - $1300. The cause of the water getting into the car - according to the dealership is a clogged waterway that exists to take the water from the roof (sunroof?) down to the bottom.

BMW warranty does not want to do anything because they say water is external damage, not sure if it's worth going through insurance to get the seat replaced.

Is this a common problem? I recall that water damage can kill the value of the car, so not sure if we should go through insurance.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Common sure - but on all vehicles that have a sun roof. Our e30 leaked like that and soaked the rear carpets - now I clean out the drains on the e30 and e60 in the spring and the fall.

Yes - it is common but only requires very simple preventive maintanance.

You have 2 problems going on:

1) The sunroof seal should keep nearly all water out of the sunroof frame. Your let in enough to soak your car so it needs replaced. You can do it youself for about $40.

2) The second problem is that your sunroof drains could not drain the water fast enough that came in past the seal. The drains need unclogged.


You need to test them seasonally or more often if you park under trees.

When this happend to me under warranty BMW removed my affected enterior and had it cleaned so no water stains.

Where exactly are they located? I am no where near my car otherwise i would have just gone out and took a look for myself. I should probably test and ensure my drains are not clogged. Better to be safe than sorry.

Here we go again and yes its common. All the major sensors and modules are located in the passenger floor of the vehicle. All you guys are talking about the sunroof drain but I have to say in my case it wasn't the sunroof drain but the drain in the front passenger wheel well that is located under the ebox. When it clogs it backs up directly into the passenger cabin of the car... ask me how I know!

My crappy day


Under the passenger side is a bunch of sensors and modules including active steering, ARS and the major wiring harness from the back of the car to the engine connecting all the modules (and the subwoofers).

Check your ebox up front on the passenger side below the microcabin filter. There are a couple modules in that box along with a fan... when the drain backs up it fills that box swamping the modules there, until it backs up into the passenger compartment. The carpeting and padding is so thick that it takes forever to dry and the water seeps and sits on these sensitive electronics.

The drains need to be cleared out - its a common problem in this car and its not that easy to do yourself because to do the front you have to remove the wheels and wheel well covers to access them.

I was advised to contact the insurance company the day after it happened - when dealing with electronics as well as a possible mold issue, you should... people will warn you about making a claim but look at my total damage... almost $13k!!!!! I can send you a list of expenses - fricken brutal! USAA was amazing and my car is like new now!

Good one. I always forget to remind people of that one. All three used E60s I have purchased I have cleaned out that area and they are always full of leaves, pine needles, etc.

I wish someone had told me about that one... this being my first e60 I had no idea and obviously learned the hard (read - expensive) way!!

Here is what the drain looks like...
https://i705.photobucket.com/albums/...3/8927301b.jpg

remove the underside panels and take the passenger side front tire off. Then remove all the wheel well panels and inside you will see this drain. you cant really tell but there is a flapper that opens when water runs through... once I cleared this one I ran washer fluid down so you can see its got blue liquid dripping from it.

And all the black crap on the floor is what came out... its sludge!
https://i705.photobucket.com/albums/...3/c0be7589.jpg

I had a similar problem but it was caused by the windows and sunroof opening as I walked away and didn't realize it. I filed a claim and the cost was way over the top. Replacing leather, door panels etc. In my situation, it was clean water and didn't run through anything prior to getting on the items. After the car sat in my garage for a week without driving it everything returned to normal. I have this insurance check that I will hold onto so if I ever decide to depart with the car I can afford to lower the price accordingly. At this point there is absolutely no sign of the problem.

Some things you might want to look into are, not filing a claim and paying for the repair out your pocket. The cost can be pretty high though. Once option could be to have the leather dyed but this could require everthing for matching. If you order a leather seat cover for the rear I want to say it was around 1800.00 and it probably won't match anyway. BMW uses matched sets for factory cars but the indvidual pieces are not matched but are required to be within a set color standard. So if you have wear and age, this will also come into play as a non match issue you will have to deal with.

If you file the claim, it will show up as water damage not flood damage there is a difference... I would say you should keep all records etc as to what the damage was and how it was repaired so if a new potential buyer is out there they might accept the car if there are details and the price is proper.

Last year during flood my Toyota Highlander almost gone damaged, mold and mildew were form on that. One day a gentle man advised me to use vinegar for removing mold and mildew. It worked! and now my vehicle is in running condition after some repair by professionals.

great neck new york flood cleanup

Thank you for your response Jay. I am currently experiencing same problem with my 08 BMW 535i. After heavy rains here in Florida I have noticed water/wet carpets left rear passenger floor panel. Also wet left driver side floor panel and damp right front and rear panels. I took it to BMW service and they diagnosed the problem to be front left drain off the windshield. I didn't let them clean out my drains because they wanted to charge me $420 dollars. Independent shop suggested that it could be Vapor Barrier on the doors. Do you know how to clean out those drains in the front? Please explain how or may be a link or a video. Cant' find anything online. Most of the threads talk about sunroof drains being clogged.