I recently took my '07 tC through an automatic car wash and found the water streaming into the back seat as the machine spray arm moved over the top of the car. I freaked out and immediately high-tailed it out of the wash bay. Upon inspection, it appears as though the top part of the rear hatch is now higher than the adjoining roof. Unfortunately, this past summer, I purchased a Saris Bones (3-bike) bike rack along with an accessory they call a "Hatch Hugger" (part #3035), as is recommended on their web site for this specific car (the accessory accommodates the fact that our tC hatches/roofs are glass). Unfortunately it seems as though this Saris rig has sprung my back hatch at the top by the hinges by pulling the hatch up and away from the car through use. I am posting this thread for two reason:

1) I STRONGLY urge tC owners to avoid this type of bike rack and accessory, so this does not happen to you.

2) I would like to ask if anyone has any recommendations for me as I fear that this will be a very expensive fix, if it can even be repaired.

I would appreciate any feedback.
Thanks,
pm

 

must be why the one scion offered is a roof rack

 

Sounds like the metal clips that hook on the top of hatch glass were not positioned properly. I had the same rack, but I bent mine to go all the way on and it worked like a champ.

Take your car to a body shop and have them try to adjust your hinge/latch, or you bent the metal surrounding the hinge and your SOL

 

Thanks Tshock. I'll have a body shop take a peek. ...and keep my fingers crossed it isn't the metal frame surrounding the hinge!

Also, just for reference, I replaced top straps w/ the clips with an accessory Saris calls "Hatch Huggers." Essentially these are replacement straps with padded tubes on the ends rather than metal clips. Rather than clipping to the outside of the hatch (using the metal clips), the tubes are placed completely inside the hatch near the hinges and the strap is threaded through the opening to the outside and down to the bike rack. Once the trunk is closed, the straps are pulled to cinch the padded tubes up against the closed hatch. I'm pretty certain that this is what caused the problem.

Again, thanks Tshock for sharing your thoughts. Let's just hope I'm not SOL.
pm

 

I would have to see a picture to know what's goin on. Is the rear hatch glass visibly higher than the roof glass, vice versa?

I would imagine your glass would crack long before the shell would bend, but I'm just an idiot.

Is it possible your hatch hugger may have been pinched between the weather stripping causing them to distort, thus leak?

Sent from my SGSII

 

Just wondering what you found out. I've been researching bike racks for my 2007 Scion tC and I had settled on the Saris Bones with Hatch Huggers until I read this post. Do you still maintain that I should not go this route or do you think it was due to it not being installed properly?

 

I was watching the Saris installation video with the Hatch Huggers and I was wondering if maybe you accidentally put those padded tubes between the hatch and the hatch frame, rather than inside the car. If they got caught in the frame, they may have caused the damage you were talking about.

BTW, I ended up on this forum because I am considering an '06 tC to replace my '86 Accord and I have a Saris Bones rack and I was wondering if it would be safe on that car.

 

Patrick42h, I think you hit the nail on the head. I just happen to live in Madison, WI where Saris is headquartered, so dropped in one day this past spring to get their help figuring it out. Several folks looked it over, including a product engineer, who looks like the guy in the video. The only thing we could come up with is that the "*****" somehow got wedged between the frame and hatch, as shown what NOT to do in the video. (note that I do have a teenager in the house, so after "second thought" it is certainly possible!) I noticed the date stamp on the video, which coincides with when I stopped by. Bottom line is that the Saris folks were extremely helpful and committed to providing a quality product. I believe that if installation is done according to the video, there should be no problem. Hope that is helpful.

WillJitsu, I am so sorry for not responding to your post. Unfortunately, I didn't see it until receiving the notification of Patrick42h's post. Hopefully, the above answers your question too.