When I open the tailgate I often get a musty smell. It's usually stronger after several days of rain so I know it's moisture related. But I don't notice any wet areas in the cargo area. I replaced my rear hatch a while back and made sure to seal around the 3rd brake light so I don't believe I'm getting any leaks. I also recently took the trim piece off along the rear edge of the carpet. No sign of water or rust but there was a lot of dirt jammed under the lip with the rubber seal. I did a thorough cleaning, hoping that was the source of the smell. No luck. I did a search as I know leaks are a common issue. Couldn't find any threads specific to smell without signs of water though. Thanks for any suggestions.
Funk in the trunk (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Jfcol
- Start date
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I'd begin with riding in the rear area, sitting on the floor, facing the rear hatch while someone drives the truck through a pressure wash. Remember this is a very unsafe thing to try when car is moving so please be safe!
If you still can't see or hear any water coming in then I would suspect the lower hatch is collecting water and not draining or perhaps one of the sunroof drains is not draining outside.
If you still can't see or hear any water coming in then I would suspect the lower hatch is collecting water and not draining or perhaps one of the sunroof drains is not draining outside.
It seems more rare than common, but my rear cargo window leaked due to being loose. So that might be something to look at as well, especially if yours rattle some. A leak there won't necessarily make it to the carpet.
There are rubber plugs in the bottom of the quarter panels as well—you could pull one or both and feel around for moisture inside.
There are rubber plugs in the bottom of the quarter panels as well—you could pull one or both and feel around for moisture inside.
The area at the top of my rear hatch always seems to collect a bunch of gunk- that's pretty obvious if there is a problem though, start by cleaning that well. I believe the other area that is known to leak is the 5th brake light up top across the top of the hatch. Do you have 3rd row seats? Where the latches engage with the floor there are some holes that go thru for drainage.. its possible that you have some pooling there.
Check your third brake light. I had a leak due to the foam wearing away. I filled the gap with clear silicone and problem solved. Another leak area are the rear most side windows. sometimes they don't close fully and leaves a small gap that allows water in.
