I am taking my '06 convertable in this afternoon to have the headliner replaced. A hole, too large to tolerate, has occurred above the right side garnish molding 3 inches forward of the molding rear edge. It occured when the headliner became trapped in the open joint at the verticle and horizontal intersection of the garnish molding when the top was down. Raising the top resulted in the garnish molding puncturing the headliner.
How many vert owners have had this occur and how many times have you had to replace the headliner?

 

Had mine replaced by the dealer and it took them all day to do the job. No problems since. They did a great job at Rodger Dean Chevy which is my local dealer.

 

There is a TSB out for cuts in the headliner caused by the plastic trim cutting into the headliner. I don't know if this is what caused your problem.

I did have two cuts in my headliner and brought the car in under warranty. Replacing the headliner and all its associated hardware is a very long and involved process, and my car was in the shop for two days. I still get some minor rubbing in the same areas, but it doesn't look like any cuts are forming.

 

Twice for me, but once was for a torn string that keeps the top tight across the rear. Out of warranty now, and the GM extended warranty says it doesn't cover convertible tops......

 

When I first bought my '05 vert, I read about the issue of the headliner rubbing against the molding. A CF member posted that he did a preventative DIY of cutting cloth patches (for pants) in strips and gluing them along the headliner where the wear most often occurred.

I did the DIY and for the last 2 1/2 years the headliner has worn well because of it. I do see where without those patches, it may well have damaged the headliner.

 

My '05 was just starting to have a little wear from the roughness of the top frame plastic where it met the headliner. A little sanding down of the very edge of it seems to have taken care of any further wear.

 

Guys, thanks for your input. There are two or more issues concerning the manual top headliner for '05 to '09 verts. I am only interested in PUNCTURES CAUSED BY THE GARNISH MOLDING ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE ABOVE THE DOOR GLASS ABOUT 3" FORWARD FROM THE REAR EDGE OF THE GLASS. Thanks again

 

I had your same issue on my 09 with less than 1000 miles on the clock, dealer sent the car to an outside top shop to replace the headliner, shop did a great job, no issues or other damage to the car what so ever, too bad that the amount paid to the outside shop was so low that I doubt they will ever do another one. Yes it is the upper garnish moldings doing the damage, I think it is not enough clearance between the radius edge of the moldings and the left to right steel frame of the top. When I open the top about 3/4 of the way and stop it I put my finger at the back end of the garnish molding and fine it is pressing very hard against that inside steel bar in the top, the headliner is pinched between the radius molding end and the steel frame efectivly cutting the headliner, I fully expect it to happen again, too bad that the low payout from warranty has probably shut the door with the top shop that did my first job. By the way, when I at first noticed the stretching of the headliner long before the holes I too did the sanding of the moldings and put felt on the edge of the moldings, neither did any good, and the felt actually may have decreased the clearance between the molding edge and the steel in the roof actually adding to the problem. As I have noted I do not think it is just the radius molding pushing into the headliner, I do feel it is the cutting or pinching with great force between the molding and the steel cutting the headliner. Chevrolet's fix of also changing some fasteners inside of the top is off baseand I do not think those screws are not the problem.

 

Is this problem limited to MANUAL tops? I have a 08 with a AUTO top and have put it down and up over 100 times and don't see any wear of any kind.

 

mikefili, thanks for your feedback. I have found that the headliner gets into the opening in the garnish molding at the verticle to horizontal joint. It happens when the joint is open in the top down position. One is unaware that the condition has happend when outside the car and raising the top. As the joint closes when raising the top the garnish molding grabs the headliner putting a hole in it. The TSB addresses rough edges on rear hinge fasteners, rough edges on the garnish molding and the step required to replace the headliner. It does not address the root cause for the above failure. I therefore believe my newly replaced headliner will get punctured again.

 

obxchartercaptain, At this time, I do not know for sure if this problem is limited just to manual tops. It can happen because the same relationship between the garnish molding and headliner can exist with the power top. See my answer to mikefili above.

 

i believe that the majority of problems are with power tops not the manual.

 

When I took my wife's in the liner and the two guide rails were replaced. The rails are different, they're more rounded in the back. OBXCHARTERCAPTAIN, there's a TSB specifically for the 2008. Just keep putting it up and down, it'll tear.

 

Ok thanks...I will carefully monitor it. Problem is the nearest dealership with a service dept is over 100 miles away.

 

I took my 08 to the dealer on Wednesday. They are replacing the liner. It was coming loose on the passenger side, on the top of the window. There was no tears.

 

I have and 06 and have had the headliner replaced twice and it has come apart yet again.

It comes loose on the drivers side over the window.
There are no tears.

I may not even bother to get it fixed yet again as it appears nobody in my area can fix it so it stays fixed.

 

I took my '09, (power top) to the dealer last month for the TSB to fix holes in headliner. When I first spoke with the dealer I told him i did not want the headliner replaced because the holes were barely noticeable and replacing the liner was a complicated job I had heard and asked that they just replace the bolts which were supposedly causing holes. Well, the technician who did the work did not get the message to not replace the liner and after he took the old one out could not figure out how to put the new one in. I arrived at the dealer 8:45am and left at 9:00pm and liner was still not installed correctly, the part behind the driver side is not tight. I live 2 1/2 hrs. from this dealer so do not want to go back, so will try to fix it myself. Moral: Have someone with experience replace the liner.

 

I have a manual top and had the same problem. My theory is that it gets pinched because the person picking the top up is grabbing it from one side. When you do that the top isnt going up level on both sides (just like if you close the hood from the corner it flexes and that isnt good). When the top is picked up without being level it gives a larger opportunity to get caught on those sharp plastic molding pieces as its going up. I got my liner replaced and now its happening again.

It doesnt happen to an auto top as much because the roof lifts at an even keel so there is a lesser window of opportunity for the line to get pinched by the plastic pieces. Just my theory on it.

 

My 09 is an power top, not manual. I do not think it has anything to do with the method that the top is moved, manual or power. I have studied this problem and think that the fact of the headliner getting caught at the split joint in the garnish molding only occures once the tear has started, once my tears got about an inch long each the getting caught thing started, you just did not notice the tears until the torn headliner gets caught in the split joint of the molding as the top is being operated. I do think that a redesigned molding with much material removed from the radius ends will be the only thing that will work, although reducing the material around the radius will allow you to see the canvas of the top past the lower edge of the headliner, that will increase the clearance and stop the pinching-cutting of the headliner.
Any stretching of the headliner is the begining of the tears and will absolutely result in the tears.

Hi Jimmie, long time no see... Have you had a cut headliner also???

 

Thanks for all of your replies. I cann't help think that this issue isn't larger than the 17 replies and 7 puncture incidents! MJC 611 I hope your situation has been resolved by now. If not I hope you got a loaner from the dealer. PTR 73 your theory sounds plausible. Maybe a heavier counterbalance spring on the right side might aleviate this situation. To all of you who have had a fix done on warranty, you have a 12 month / 12K mile warrant on the repair. USE IT. FYI the labor standard to change out the headliner is 1.14 hours. Judging by the shop that did mine this week, it took them 8 hours and they are good at what they do. A shop would have to charge $300 per hour to come out even against GM.