What to do if…
your sunroof is stuck open and rain is forecast

What to do now

1. Get the car under shelter. Use a garage, covered car park, petrol station canopy, or another safe overhead cover. If you are at the roadside, move to a safer place first if you can do that without creating danger.
2. Switch off and protect what is already inside. Take the keys, remove valuables and papers, lift items off the floor, and blot any visible water.
3. Cover the sunroof opening from outside. Use a clean waterproof car cover, tarp, bin bag, or heavy plastic sheet. Make it larger than the opening and keep it taut so water runs away from the gap.
4. Secure the cover without blocking your view. Use straps, bungee cords, magnets made for car covers, or tape only where it will not obstruct windows, mirrors, lights, number plates, or door operation. If you need tape on paint or trim, put low-tack decorator’s masking tape down first, then stronger tape over that.
5. Do not drive with an unsafe cover. If the cover flaps, slides, blocks your view, or may come loose, do not drive. Call your breakdown provider, a local garage, a body shop, or dealer service department and say: “My sunroof is stuck open, rain is forecast, and I need it secured.”
6. Check the handbook only for a model-specific emergency close. Some vehicles have a reset or manual closing procedure. Use it only if the handbook clearly describes it for your vehicle; otherwise leave the mechanism alone.
7. After the opening is sealed, limit water damage. Remove wet mats, blot the footwells and seats, and ventilate the car only while it is under cover and supervised. If warning lights appear, controls behave oddly, or you smell burning or damp electrics, keep the vehicle off until it has been assessed.