What to do about an SUV’s sagging roof interior

John Paul, AAA Northeast's Car Doctor, answers a question from an SUV owner dealing with a sagging interior cloth roof.

Q. I bought a new Nissan Murano in 2019. It has all the bells and whistles, and it is the best SUV I’ve owned. It now has 30,000 miles. My problem is the interior cloth roof by my moon roof is sagging. I brought it to my Nissan dealer, and they told me it would cost $2,100 to fix. I am retired and on social security, so my funds are somewhat limited. Is there anywhere else I can have this fixed any cheaper?

A. I was in Florida over the winter, and I saw some automotive upholstery shops advertising “we fix sagging headliners.” In Florida I suspect this is more common due to the heat and humidity. Before I spent $2,100 at the dealer (which may be the only choice) I would certainly contact some upholstery shops and see if they have a cheaper solution.

Q. My cousin needs to update her vehicle. She wanted to know what would be better, leasing or buying.

A. If she is considering an electric vehicle I would lease it. This is because technology is changing so rapidly that there is a chance that an electric vehicle purchase may be worth considerably less in a few years if more advanced battery technology becomes available. Leasing is great if you can deduct the payments as a business expense but for most people leasing is a guarantee of monthly car payments forever. Recently I had the folks from Consumer Reports on my radio program. Perhaps give it a listen to help with your decision.

Q. We got back last week after 4,000 miles (16 days, 12 stops, 13 states) with the vast majority of driving at highway speeds. My wife then took the car out for some errands and came back and told me the oil pressure light came on but went off again. I checked the dipstick, and it appeared very low, so I ran over to the shop that did the oil change and they confirmed it was low. They did put in two quarts of oil for me, but advised I should do another oil change within the next 1,000 miles. Since it requires synthetic oil, this is expensive. Do you concur? The last oil change was only a month ago, but it has over 4,000 miles on that oil.

A. Since the engine was low on oil, the remaining oil needed to work hard to keep the engine properly lubricated. I would change the oil again, and then check the oil level every 1,000 miles or so, just to monitor oil consumption. Using a couple of quarts of oil in 4,000 miles is certainly acceptable. You should always try to keep the oil level in the safe range as indicated on the oil dipstick.

Q. I have a question regarding an icon on my dashboard. It looks like a person with a seatbelt on and the airbag going off. What does this mean and is there a way I can fix it at home?

A. If the icon is for the passenger seat, it may mean that the passenger airbag is off since no one is in the passenger seat. If not, the airbag light is on because the airbag system is detecting a malfunction. At this point you will need to have a shop with the proper scan tool to test the airbag (SRS system) to look for fault codes. The issue could be one of the sensors is faulty or a wiring issue.

Q. I am thinking of an electric car. I know Tesla vehicles are some of the best, but I have an emotional problem with Elon and just can’t buy one of his cars. I am looking for a compact SUV but also with luxury features. I looked at the Audi but was not thrilled, considering the price.

A. I recently spent a week in the all-electric Genesis GV60 performance version. The interior is very luxurious, the infotainment system is one of the best in recent memory, and as a SUV it is handy but does not feel like a truck. The performance and handling are very good, and the advertised range of the all-wheel-drive performance model is 250 miles. I only can charge at home with a 120-volt outlet, but this slow charge indicated over 300 miles of range. I drove this car every day, charged it every night, and always started the day with a vehicle that could travel 300 miles before recharging.

Q. Do you see car prices coming down in the future? I remember negotiating from the dealer cost, but today it seems like some prices are above MSRP.

A. A combination of COVID, supply chain issues, and demand drove up car prices. Today we are starting to see more inventory on dealer lots. Higher inventories typically mean better prices for consumers. If you are shopping, use the internet to find the best price. Sometimes driving an extra 50-100 miles can result in thousands of dollars of savings.

John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor. He has over 40 years of experience in the automotive business and is an ASE-certified master technician. E-mail your Car Doctor question to [email protected]. Listen to the Car Doctor podcast at johnfpaul.podbean.com.