How to fix Kia Sorento leaking sunroof (clogged drain holes)

This is a guide on how to fix a leaking sunroof for a 2003 Kia Sorento EX. This vehicle is diesel and right hand drive in Trinidad but will probably work for other years and models of Sorento up to 2009 around the world.

Symptoms: 
When rain falls or you wash your vehicle-
Water may be leaking from under the dashboard, onto the driver or front passenger's feet.
Water may be leaking from the left or right corners of the ceiling liner where the ceiling meets the pillar.
Water may be dripping out of the console near the rear view mirror.
The radio and dash may be acting strangely, button functions switched around or not working at all.

The reason is that the drain holes are clogged and water gets backed up in the drain tubes and starts overflowing into the liner of the vehicle. Since the liner's backing is waterproof the water runs down into the pillars and into the dashboard where any number of things can go wrong.  The rubber around the glass window itself for the sunroof is only supposed to keep air out and some water. The drain holes are there to take care of the water. Do not try to seal the space around the glass since this is not the problem.

Sorento sunroof water drain hole

Fix:
There are two drain holes at the front corners (pictured above) that take water from around the sun roof which are probably clogged. The ends of the tubes for these holes collect silt/sand/dirt and water backs up to the top of the tube and overflows into the cabin. The hole on the opposite side of the car cannot help as the area between the holes is raised and blocks water. The rubber seals around the glass sunroof does not actually keep water out which is why the drain holes are needed.

You have to get access to the space under the shroud located between the front wiper blades and the bonnet (hood) to access the ends of the tubes. There are a few screw clips and a rubber moulding that had to be removed. I did not have to remove the shroud completely as it could be raised up enough for my hands to get to the tubing. A piece of wire or small screwdriver is sufficient to clear the debris. The entire process can take 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on how familiar you are with the type of work.

Note:
I had another leak after this which turned out to be a leak in the windshield seal, upper left corner. Water was dripping out of the ceiling liner. I took off the pillar plastic cover as well as the sun visor and a few screws holding the liner up in that corner. After testing with water from the outside I could then see where the water was coming from. I used regular silicone to fill the space around where the water was coming from. I also put some on the outside between the space for the windshield rubber and the body.

Topics:
Water coming inside Kia sorento
Leaking kia sorento roof
Dripping ceiling in kia sorento when rain falls