That's like puting perfume on a pig. Dessicant will absorb moisture but in the case of the water leak it'll cause damage no matter how much dessicant you toss in the car.

 

I had the leak when my car was delivered to me brand new. An 07 convertible. It had been converted to a Shelby before I took delivery as requested. I certainly do not drive it in the rain as I have other cars for that. I suspect most owners keep their cars out of the rain if they have other wheels so they don't know they have this problem. But the fact that this problem covers several years of cars, coupe and convertible, I would say that it is going to be a pretty big population of cars. Its an expensive fix so I can see why Ford is avoiding a recall, but I would certainly determine if you have this problem by driving in a big rainstorm and if you do have it , get the TSB done by a dealer that has a very qualified body shop doing their work. That is what I did and it worked and the fenders got put back on the car straight. But this is NOT a small problem, just one that has not been discovered by a lot of Mustang owners.

 

Will they do the fix on a vehicle totally not under warranty?

 

Sure am glad my car aint my DD! It's a garage queen. Pretty days only! Hell her belly is almost as clean as the day she was born 4 yrs and 17k miles ago

 

Really that is up to your dealer and your relationship with them. If you "talked" about the problem before you ran out of warranty and they could not schedule a service visit that was convenient for you, then yes they will fix it out of warranty. As this is a manufacturing defect, they should pony up to the bar and fix it. I am surprised that Ford is waiting for a lawsuit before they recall this issue instead of TSB.

 

+1 No s197 has seen more road time, rain, etc than mine and I don't have any leaks anywhere. Heck, I had more leaks in my 2002 Corvette Z06....would leak like a siv at the top of the a pillars

 

Call BS if you want, but there are some serious deficiencies in the way several items under the cowl are sealed (I had to correct mine myself before Ford even acknowledged there was a problem). Being very familiar with the situation, I would definitely improve the sealing even on a car showing no visible signs of a leak. It's your car though.

 

I agree to an extent with both TorchVert and Howarmat.

No, you don't necessarily have to run to the dealer and have them try to fix it - your car may be sealed just fine and never have a problem.

But considering the severity of problems and major pain in the a$$ that this problem has the potential to cause, I think EVERYONE should keep an eye on this with regular checks after weather hits to the passenger side to see if there are any leaks around there. It takes all of 30 seconds to do a quick check, and could save you from 6 grand fixes like the OP.

 

No one is wrong with this problem...
I sure ain't gonna argue with someone that has a leak in their car because I'm aware that they're not dreaming and it's an actual fact for them.
All respect is due to them for posting strong warnings about this issue.
Yet, all hell isn't gonna break loose for those of us (Matt and I among others) that are fortunate enough to have a dry car, especially if it's a DD like mine.

 

I always keep an eye on mine, since I know it's an issue, and a costly. It seems like a gamble if you got a leaker or if you stay dry. Maybe those leakers were built on Mondays and Fridays, who really knows.

I am a bit interested though to know if Ford would take care of those out of warranty, just in case, one day, I do spring a leak. *knocks on wood*