Hi All! Any direction on where this issue is at? When it rains the next day and for several days after there is a very bad mildew or mold smell making me want to not drive the car till it drys out. No obvious areas of water getting in. I have not been able to get underneath to look though. Possible relevant information: 2008 Base, package 2 I think. Bought new. 214,400 miles. Brand new tires. Leak issue started maybe a year ago, now really bad.
open up the back, look under the spare and in the 12v battery tray. also the hybrid battery area. is the rear seat carpet dry?
Rear seems fine. Was a very small amount of damp or sticky substance. Need to fully remove it rather than the lift and look due to looking at work.
Open the rear hatch take out the spare tire cover and then remove the spare tire. You will probably see water in the spare tire well. maybe so much water it has overflowed in to the rear seat wells and soaked the carpet. Remove the rubber plug under the spare tireso it can drain. get a flashlight and look in the 12 volt battery well and you may see standing water in there too. Same deal there's a rubber drain plug remove it. Soapy water and clean it all up and flush it out. if water in these places it usually comes from cracks in the upper hatch valley where the rear quarter panel meets the roof. There is weld seams there covered in putty then painted. You will see a hairline crack running across the corner hatch valley and up into the black plastic valence strip valley on the roof.. One on each side just unsnap those strips and pull them off.
