I have a 2010 Honda Accord EX-L with about 160,000 miles on it. We are struggling to diagnose the cause of how water gets into the cabin air filter when we take it through a high pressure car wash. We have taken the car to the Honda dealer and another shop and neither can figure it out. The Honda dealer swears there are only two ways water could enter the cabin air filter cabinet - through a bad seal on the windshield (which there does not appear to be an issue with) or through the sunroof somehow (which they’ve also looked at and say is not an issue).
Some additional context:
The car did sit mostly unused in our driveway since last September. We started using it again because my primary car was totaled. When I took it to the car wash, I discovered this issue because the wet cabin filter somehow slows the air pressure out of the vents.
My neighbor backed into the car last September and repairs were made to the driver side door and panels. After that repair at the body shop, the car mostly sat. Those repairs are on the opposite side of where the cabin air filter sits (behind the glove box).
Does anyone have any other ideas on what may be causing this? Water does not seem to come in when it rains or any other way. Is it possible the body shop took some part off and forgot to put it back on? What could that be? Is there anything else that might wear quickly out in the elements that could cause this? We’re at a loss and we’d like to sell the car, but I can’t do that with a good conscience until we get to the root of the problem.