Have you ever seen a stain like this in a car roof interior. Would it put you off buying it?

[UlezSchmulez]

I'm buying a second hand car which is in great condition and is a good price for the age and mileage.
The only fault is two stains above the corners of the rear window.
They are about 8 and 10 inches long.
You wouldn't really notice them unless you were looking for faults.
They seem more obvious in the photos because I'm shining a light on them.
The stain doesn't really bother me but I worry that there is a leak or a flaw of some description.
Am I worrying over nothing?

Yes, it looks as though there’s been a leak at some point.

My [second hand] 2003 Fiat Punto has stains like this, as well as the general roof interior being quite significantly discoloured. It didn't put me off buying it but then I only paid £500 expecting to get 6 months out of it.

This is on a 5 year old, 10 grand car
The guy in the dealership said it was normal wear and tear.

Tell him to buy it then 😄.

I wouldn't be keen.

They are water stains so at some point there has been a leak. My car is 10 years old and doesn't have marks like that so it's not 'wear and tear'! (And my car before was also 10 when I traded it in and guess what - didn't have those marks!)

I would want to see a full history documenting any works carried out and if there has been a problem that it has been fully rectified.

I wouldn't spend £10k on that.

It doesn't necessarily mean there has been a leak (15 years selling cars and I've never seen a stain like that from a leak) but I have in fact had a similar stain on my own car years ago, my son left a bottle of coke in the car and it exploded in the heat, after much wiping and then cleaning it dried unevenly and left stains. We got it professionally cleaned and it was fine but I would recommend getting the car checked by a professional and if there has been body damage they will spot it really easily, when I started working in car sales I was taught to look at cars for damage/repairs etc before accepting trade ins and it amazed me how obvious damage repair became and I was spotting it in car parks etc.

No, I wouldn’t say you’re worrying over nothing. It could be completely innocent and a fizzy drink has erupted, or the seal has gone and has now been sorted, but I’d want a decent mechanic to have a look at it before parting with 10k. Some cars are prone to leaking.

Out of interest, does the car have a brand new and very pungent air freshener in it? Not that I’m suggesting a car salesman would attempt to hide the smell of damp, but we have two amazing mechanics in our circle, there is nothing they can’t fix, and the horror stories I’ve heard mean that I would never believe anything that comes out of a salesman’s mouth.

Is there any evidence of rust, distortion or other problems around the door or door frame? You'd think if there was anything serious going on, you'd see evidence at those points?

As well as drink explosion, someone could have done something silly like leave the window open and then a torrential rain storm happened.

Looks more like someone had the windows down in the rain if you look at the pattern. You can have that fabric replaced fairly cheaply. Ask the dealership if they can cut you a deal to re-cover the interior roof with new fabric. Be clear it’s putting you off on completing the sale. I’ve done that with other cosmetic issues and they’ve resolved things like that for under £200.

No.. probably a leak coming through door when it rains