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The genuine LR front rubber mats leak water through the mounting pin holes... so water leaks thru the floor mat onto the rubber flooring, cannot evaporate since it has a rubber mat on top, and in my case then sat here since my offroading trip in early December.
Note: pulled up the side panel and under seat access cover by the subwoofer, water does not appear to then be going thru the mounting pegs onto the metal floor below which was my fear.
The mats were bone dry on top, the underside was a mildewy wet mess.
How is that a good thing / how on earth they designed them this way is beyond me.
Anyone know if other aftermarket mats still leak through their mounting points as well? (taxmat, weather tech (which I think look tacky)..., etc?)
Water pools in here, as it is supposed to, then leaks through these round mounting holes. As a test, tried filling up the mat with water on our outdoor table and it steadily dripped out of both mounting pegs. This is all from the mat itself, not a leak in the car
Last edited by nashvegas; Jan 4, 2023 at 12:05 PM.
I haven't experienced that with mine - wonder if it's a failure that happens over time? I know I've gotten into my Defender with wet feet many times and when I pull the mats to clean, it's always been perfectly clean and dry - no staining or anything else. Makes me think I should put some sealant around them, or just plan on aftermarket mats, perhaps.
The genuine LR front rubber mats leak water through the mounting pin holes... so water leaks thru the floor mat onto the rubber flooring, cannot evaporate since it has a rubber mat on top, and in my case then sat here since my offloading trip in early December.
Note: pulled up the side panel and under seat access cover by the subwoofer, water does not appear to then be going thru the mounting pegs onto the metal floor below which was my fear.
The mats were bone dry on top, the underside was a mildewy wet mess.
How is that a good thing / how on earth they designed them this way is beyond me.
Anyone know if other aftermarket mats still leak through their mounting points as well? (taxmat, weather tech (which I think look tacky)..., etc?)
Water pools in here, as it is supposed to, then leaks through these round mounting holes. As a test, tried filling up the matt with water on our outdoor table and it steadily dripped out of both mounting pegs. This is all from the mat itself, not a leak in the car
So what are the best aftermarket options? I've liked Weathertech in other vehicles but if they look terrible or don't work well for the Defender, I'd be interested in hearing other options - preferably before my factory ones start leaking!
For some strange reason, I decided to go with the WeatherTec versions. I think because the back row in my 110 came with a single piece from them while the OEM was three pieces (each side & middle). But it's been longer than my brain cells have been alive, so I've either forgotten or don't recall the details properly. Anyway, the point is -- not a problem on my WeatherTecs as they don't have that grommet attachment point. It's built into the "unimold" (or whatever the term is). As a result, to paraphrase an old commercial: the wet side stays wet and the dry side stays dry. I don't write this to gloat, but to give future buyers details to make decisions. Further, I find that the footwell floormats have worked very well. However, the boot one SUCKED. It was cheesy and slid around too much. I liked the heavy duty, rubbery configuration of the OEM so I then bought one of those. My bad for R&D'ing for everyone - but the rear boot version of the WeatherTec I would not recommend.
For some strange reason, I decided to go with the WeatherTec versions. I think because the back row in my 110 came with a single piece from them while the OEM was three pieces (each side & middle). But it's been longer than my brain cells have been alive, so I've either forgotten or don't recall the details properly. Anyway, the point is -- not a problem on my WeatherTecs as they don't have that grommet attachment point. It's built into the "unimold" (or whatever the term is). As a result, to paraphrase an old commercial: the wet side stays wet and the dry side stays dry. I don't write this to gloat, but to give future buyers details to make decisions. Further, I find that the footwell floormats have worked very well. However, the boot one SUCKED. It was cheesy and slid around too much. I liked the heavy duty, rubbery configuration of the OEM so I then bought one of those. My bad for R&D'ing for everyone - but the rear boot version of the WeatherTec I would not recommend.
Good luck to those making a choice. Ymmv.
Same issue with the rear Weathertech liner, so I cut a piece of carpet pad to fit and problem solved.
Front rubber LR floor mats suck
