mtbscott

One of my major gripes about my 991 from the very start was the way the sunroof rattled when open over even the most minor of bumps. On my first dealer service visit I asked them to look at it, they threw some lube on it and it was a little better but the SA told me "with the external opening design, it's just going to rattle a little, sorry."
I grudgingly accepted that even after reading anecdotal evidence here. I certainly wasn't the only one with a rattling sunroof but plenty of others said they had no issues at all so I wasn't buying the inevitability of it.
So here in the last month or so it had begun creaking really bad when fully closed to go along with the rattling when open. My tech friend I've mentioned before told me to try lubing the rubber edges with silicon but that didn't help so I finally had had enough and took it back to the shop.
When I picked it up yesterday, they told me they had actually "adjusted" the sunroof, i.e. loosening it, realigning it, and retightening everything. They also told me they had ordered a new base rubber gasket (the big one on/in the car) and will install that when it arrives. But the big news is, they fixed it!
It was quiet as a mouse when closed even over some hefty expansion joints on the drive home. When I got into the neighborhood I opened it and for the first time ever I wasn't hearing any rattling at all, so pleased with the results. I guess my lesson learned was not to give up. I'm not a complainer by nature but when I took it back I did mention that they had tried before to no avail. I guess they may have learned a few things since my first visit two years ago when the 991 was still very new to them.

ggreg911

Ive been battling sunroof rattles since I took delivery 9 months ago. I would never purchase another 911 with a sunroof. My car goes in next Tues... fifth time for sunroof rattles.

Glad to hear your issue has been resolved.

PDX991

I too brought my car in 4 times for a sunroof rattle. The progression:

1. Lube and adjustment - minor, almost imperceptible improvement
2. they looked closer and found something serious but need more time
3. broken rails (snapped) and they need the car for 3 days - major improvement but then worsened after a month
4. they noted rails and nuts were loose - fixed it but now 2 months later slight rattle over rough services


I think the first time they actually didn't even attempt to diagnose anything but probably because lube and adjustments work most of the time. I think this next time they'll probably just do another lube and adjustment and it should work too. I'm glad I have the warranty until 2019.

In their defense, I use my sunroof almost every day several times a day and I love the openness and light of the glass. Today with the temperature approaching 70 for the first time in 2015, I drove with the sunroof and windows down and could hear the engine gloriously making up for the loss of the convertible. So would I get another sunroof again? Yes. But I'm glad my CPO goes until 2019.

mtbscott

Had it back a week now. Open, it's better than it's ever been, only the slightest rattle on the worst type choppy bumps. Closed, there's an ever so slight creaking when backing out of my driveway, i.e. when the stiffness of the chassis is being tested. Still, an easy 95% better.
The gasked has arrived and I'm just waiting on a loaner for my second appointment. Hope it all stays good.

ggreg911

So far ive had sunroof motor, entire panel (required painting), and all seals replaced.

mtbscott

But there's more....I mentioned in my first post on this thread that the dealer had ordered the base gasket and wanted to bring the car back for another visit to replace that. It was done about two weeks after my first visit and after two days they returned it to me and it was worse than after the first adjustment.
They also told me then they had decided to replace "the frame" and had to order that piece.
Two weeks later took it back and the next day the advisor called to tell me that this repair had to be sent to their body shop. Now mine is like yours' ggreg911, the "frame" kit basically replaces everything. The plastic/metal frame that is bonded into the aluminum roof, new roof panel (had to be painted), new seals, new motor....well everything. Got it back after about two weeks and it was perfect....well almost.
I use my roofrack and for those of you who don't know, the 991 has eight small tabs that riveted into the roof itself that pop up when revealed by pulling some of the rubber trim up. The rack fits onto those and then eight bolts are holding it on, everything very well integrated and hidden when not in use. The body shop covered one of the tabs so that it couldn't be opened. Had to take it back one more time for two days while they readjusted that.
I'm not happy that all of this had to happen....but I am grateful that without any argument they followed their "protocol" to the end to fix it, and essentially the body shop accomplished what the factory failed at, installing the sunroof properly so that it doesn't rattle at all open or shut.
I was given Porsche loaners every time the car was in the shop, a Boxster, a Cayman, a Cayenne S, and lastly a brand new Cayenne diesel off the floor with 14 miles on it because they were out of loaners. Kind of hard to bitch about that. Everyone at the dealer was courteous throughout and kept me informed of all the progress.
Like ggreg911 though, I think this has cured me of sunroofs. I just don't use it that much to justify the extra cost but more so the extra things that can go wrong. Had this all been out of warranty I would have had to just live with it, or likely pay thousands.

JAM2

Thanks for sharing. I am in the process of ordering a 991 GTS for an October build. I am planning on adding the glass sunroof option. However, after hearing about a few sunroof issues, perhaps I should do NO Sunroof. Is the rattle issue more common than not?

MJBird993

Looking at your avatar picture, that is the biggest sunroof that I have ever seen!

Sorry to hear that you guys have gone through so much trouble, but I'm glad that they resolved it for you. FWIW for those deciding to order a new car, I ordered mine with no sunroof and I haven't missed it a bit.

CSK 911 C4S

I'm going to start this process as well on my next trip to the service center.

I have a metal moon roof that only rattles when it's slid back.

It's quiet in the closed and popped position.

Bacura

Just to add some balance. I have a glass sunroof and have no rattles. Works perfectly. Don't assume you will automatically have problems.

Grunty

I must be lucky. Mine has never made a peep. Sorry for your troubles.

ggreg911

Replaced it with a cab yesterday... My C2S rattled all the way up to the moment of trade in!

beaverlake

Good luck ggreg. I've had a 981 BS and now a 991 C2s cab and they have been the most noise prone cars I've ever owned - and I've owned a lot of BMWs, Mercs, and other marques. The good news is that the service techs heard what I heard and agreed the noises were not cab chassis flexing related. They finally got the BS quiet. They are about half way there on the 991. Now I have to steel myself for another round of test drives with the tech. If these cars didn't drive like they do and if the local PCA chapter wasn't so great the noises might have driven me back to Merc.

Good luck with the cab!

woodrow

Well i sure hope my white 2015 gts mt w,pdcc,+ aerokit cup WITH GLASS ROOF is 100% as it should be QUIET i don't do rattles at all just ask audi of reno had my rs5 in there 3 times the bang olufsen sound system had the doors loose in no time hence i listen to BPM ...wish me luck boy's

shaytun

I wish you luck, but there will likely be sunroof rattles. I haven't been in any car with panoramic style sunroof that doesn't have it. It seems like every 991 owner has it to a different extent. I have it and it's been addressed once with pretty good decrease in rattles, but it's still present. I ordered a GTS with it too, but I can live with it. Just mentioning it because you need it to be 100% perfect, you may want to consider deleting the sunroof.