I have a panoramic sunroof and the sunshade retracts when the switch is pressed, but it does not close. Just makes a whining noise. Took it to a shop and they couldn't figure it out but did show me that if you grab the end you can manually pull/slide it closed. So I took it to the dealer. They said the motor/railing unit needed to be replaced and it's a $3500 job. I told them to hold off. Then when I got home I went to pull it closed and it only closes as far as the sunroof. Feels like it's hitting something/some obstruction. Wasn't like that when I took it in so it must be something they did when diagnosing. Any suggestions on how to pull it all the way closed like it did before the dealer did what they needed to do to diagnose the issue, and any suggestions on getting it fixed for less than $3500? Yes, I do understand it's probably a labor intensive job. Thanks!

 

Sorry to see this happen as I also have the panoramic roof (no problems yet). I don't know if you can force it forward or back. If I were to decide to not repair it, I would prefer to force it back so that the utility of the sunroof still exists. Putting window tint on the sunroof would be my next step. You might find this video informative (watch the first 15 minutes) as a Toyota/Lexus master mechanic repairs a panoramic sunroof on a Highlander (very similar to a RX) and you will see that most of the interior has to be dismantled to remove the headliner.


At that point, more disassembling may be required to fix your problem. With all that labor, it is going to be very expensive at any garage. If it were my vehicle, I'd just leave the sunshade open all the time if it didn't work.

 

What year is your vehicle? Your profile shows a 2003 model.

 

Very common problem. I special ordered my last RX and specifically deleted the pano glass roof for that reason.

 

there are sorta wedge trim pieces that can come off by the sunroof track and jam in place...
mine have been loose a bit, but never fell off..

I specifically added the pano, along with the hud, ml, lux, and other options..

 

Thanks. I love The Car Care Nut. AMD! Anyway, you're correct. No way around it. Will just live with it for now. Appreciate the response & video link!

 

woops. Has it been that long since I updated my profile? Thanks. I've had 2 other RX's since. This is a 2017.