[HoosierSailor]

Went for a drive today and noticed the headliner cloth on the leading by the front windshield flopping around with the breeze. Upon further investigation I found other areas coming lose as well. It appears that the foam backing on the cloth is rotten. If you touch it, it just falls apart.

This is really aggravating considering I only have 43K miles and it sits in a garage all of the time. I only drive it on occasions. To add insult to injury, our factory warranties ended in 2011 and my dealership informed me that the extended warranty, I purchased when I bought the car new, does not cover headliners. They also informed me that a new headline will be over $1300.

I might understand this if the car was exposed to the heat everyday. t
This is crap!

I've looked at a few sights online that offer kits to replace the cloth. My biggest concern is obtaining the same cloth. I have a feeling they are only offering the felt crap that is in most cars. We have a better looking cloth in ours.

Does anyone have any experience here or suggestions?

 

[hazards280]

I don't have any problems with my headliner. It looks like you have sunroof in your sig? Have you checked it for any signs of leakage?

I have quite a few more miles than you too!

 

[pony killer]

I agree ,not a bad idea to check for leakage or something. I have a sun roof and 56k ,no dry rot or falling headliner in mine. For 1300 I'd look into doing the ,oh what did that other member recently do ? Alacentra ,alcentara .I know I just hacked the crap out of that word,lol gotta look that post up and spell that proper.

 

[HoosierSailor]

I kind of doubt the water leak issue. I never drive it in the rain. It only gets wet when I wash it. The foam backing has deteriorated as if exposed to a chemical or solvent.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App

 

[GMCustomerService]

Went for a drive today and noticed the headliner cloth on the leading by the front windshield flopping around with the breeze. Upon further investigation I found other areas coming lose as well. It appears that the foam backing on the cloth is rotten. If you touch it, it just falls apart.

This is really aggravating considering I only have 43K miles and it sits in a garage all of the time. I only drive it on occasions. To add insult to injury, our factory warranties ended in 2011 and my dealership informed me that the extended warranty, I purchased when I bought the car new, does not cover headliners. They also informed me that a new headline will be over $1300.

I might understand this if the car was exposed to the heat everyday. t
This is crap!

I've looked at a few sights online that offer kits to replace the cloth. My biggest concern is obtaining the same cloth. I have a feeling they are only offering the felt crap that is in most cars. We have a better looking cloth in ours.

Does anyone have any experience here or suggestions?

Hello HoosierSailor,

Sorry to learn of your headliner issue you're having. I may be able to assist. Could you private message me your VIN and current vehicle mileage. I will then investigate further into your situation.

Reggie B.
GM Customer Service.

 

[HardTech]

GM should help cover this. But when cars sit they do build up humidity, that's why I don't like them sitting in a garage. Again I am in agreement GM should pay for the part and you pay for the labor or something like that.

 

[HoosierSailor]

I sent Reggie a PM. I sure hope he can help. I just cannot believe these things cost over $1300. Before I went in the Navy I used to make these headliners in Manville fiberglass plant in Bluffton, IN.

The construction is quite simple. A large square of fluffy fiberglass, just like you would find in your attic only wider, is placed in a hot mold. Out comes the shell and then it is placed in a trim machine to remove the fluffy edges. Out comes the shell and then it is placed in another warm mold with a piece of cloth. Out comes the headliner. An employ with nibble fingers pushes the cloth into the creases until it cools. It then goes to another press for final trim. That is it.

 

[bhayes]

Bumping and old thread I found in search for headliners after I noticed mine starting to hang at the edge of the passenger side windshield. No water.. sounds exactly like OPs issue. An area of rotting foam seems to have let loose. Owned the car since new in March 2009, DD, garage kept, and currently at 57k miles. A little 3M upholstery adhesive lightly applied in the area will hold it off for a while but dang it.

 

[Netfly]

My headliner has dropped from the roof about an inch. You can push it up and it sticks for a second, then drops again. My GM dealer tells me this is normal. Is it? Doesn't seem right to me.

 

[bhayes]

My headliner has dropped from the roof about an inch. You can push it up and it sticks for a second, then drops again. My GM dealer tells me this is normal. Is it? Doesn't seem right to me.

Wish mine was just falling and I could push it back up. It's the cloth coming loose from the headliner itself.

 

[Turbo2v]

My wifes is falling as well, plus the clearcoat bubbled on the spoiler. The foam between the material and headliner board deteriorates causing it to fall. This is ridiculous for a car thats just a few years old. I was looking into the new Chevrolet SS but doubt i will get one now with the long term quality issues im having.

 

[DJ_57]

No headliner issue here, and I have no sunroof. All CA car and the windows were not tinted when I got it, so it had 4+ years of CA valley heat coming through clear windows.
Since I bought the G8 last August the rear deck/package shelf was already delaminated, the fabric layer was bubbling off the foam padding.

When I had the back seats out a few months ago I took the piece to a guy who does upholstery.
He stated it is unrepairable. The fabric 'skin' was delaminating from the foam padding. It was most prevalent behind the driver's side speaker grille so I thought maybe lift it up and get some spray adhesive (3M Super 77 maybe?) and stick it back down, but I know it's only a matter of time before it fails elsewhere since I could see a few other smaller areas where it was starting to bubble too.

I know him and he only quoted about $120 or something to redo it with new material.
I asked him if I stripped the sub grilles and rear vent and he said it'd be closer to 80-90.
Oh and it took a few days for him to get some fabric samples in, but he found a black fabric sample that is a dang near 100% match. I just haven't done it yet because I've been busy and it requires taking out the seats again...

This is just another solution. Go take it to a local upholstery shop and see what kind of fabric/color samples they have.
It is a foam padded headliner material on the rear deck and looks to be the exact same material as the headliner.

 

[Scorpious]

i have no issues either with mine and i have a sunroof, for some seems like a quick fix and others a whole new headliner but try just using 3m spray glue it does wonders for things u never thought of

 

[GOPHERIT]

If my headliner or rear shelf started to deteriorate, I wouldn't even hesitate in getting new padded material applied. Its the agony of the removal and install procedure that would suck. Some distributor somewhere, must have access to a manufacturer of this type of padding/cloth (to supply your selected upholsterer with), that is not only equal in color tone, but also of *equal or better* materials in its manufacturing process.

 

[DJ_57]

If my headliner or rear shelf started to deteriorate, I wouldn't even hesitate in getting new padded material applied. Its the agony of the removal and install procedure that would suck. Some distributor somewhere, must have access to a manufacturer of this type of padding/cloth (to supply your selected upholsterer with), that is not only equal in color tone, but also of *equal or better* materials in its manufacturing process.

If/when I get mine redone with the material I have a sample of, I will try to find out more information on the material and post it up here. It really is a great match, IMO