Removing Roof Rails from 2021 CX-5

[klm682]

My 2021 CX-5 came equipped with the silver roof rails and I am looking to replace them with the plain black roof moulding. I purchased the replacement trim pieces from here: LINK and attempted to install it today. I removed one side and tried to fit the replacement trim piece into the channel and it was too narrow for the channel and didn't 'fill' the gap so-to-speak. I checked the website from where I ordered and it says the part is for 2017-2020. Although there are other sites selling the same part(number) and advertising it as 2017-2021 HERE . So now I don't know what to believe, do I in fact have the wrong part or am I just not installing it correctly/missing additional parts needed for the job. I can't be the only one that has removed the roof rails and installed the roof moulding. Does anyone have experience doing this? Please help

 

[Silly Wabbit]

Inferior aftermarket fitment quality perhaps?

 

[Mantra 7]

Inferior aftermarket fitment quality perhaps?

The link he posted shows it's an oem part backed by Mazda.

 

[hal2]

. I can't be the only one that has removed the roof rails and installed the roof moulding.

Actually, you are probably the only one who removed the side rails to replace it with molding - I'd like to say j/k, but I'm serious

Is there any molding missing. I, as have others, went from molding to side rail with no problems so I don't see why it shouldn't work the other way around

 

[Silly Wabbit]

The link he posted shows it's an oem part backed by Mazda.

op bought thru carid and the brand name was Mazda OE. I doubt they are in any way affiliated with Mazda

 

[murky]

My 2021 CX-5 came equipped with the silver roof rails and I am looking to replace them with the plain black roof moulding. I purchased the replacement trim pieces from here: LINK and attempted to install it today. I removed one side and tried to fit the replacement trim piece into the channel and it was too narrow for the channel and didn't 'fill' the gap so-to-speak. I checked the website from where I ordered and it says the part is for 2017-2020. Although there are other sites selling the same part(number) and advertising it as 2017-2021 HERE . So now I don't know what to believe, do I in fact have the wrong part or am I just not installing it correctly/missing additional parts needed for the job. I can't be the only one that has removed the roof rails and installed the roof moulding. Does anyone have experience doing this? Please help

I don't have any particular information, but am sympathetic to your situation.

I went out of my way to avoid the ugly, aerodynamic compromising, silver roof rails, and certainly wasn't going to pay for them.

 

[hal2]

Though this is not what you asked, have you considered painting them.

And by the way, that's how you park 2 cars in a garage to help minimize door dings. - yes, you have to let the passenger out first. Added tip, I have 4x4 on the floor along the side wall of the garage so my tires will hit, stop the car, before the side of my car accidentally scrapes the wall.

 

[Mantra 7]

I went out of my way to avoid the ugly, aerodynamic compromising, silver roof rails, and certainly wasn't going to pay for them.

That’s how I felt about them, told the salesperson they could take ‘em off and sell them to someone else but I wasn’t paying $400 for something I didn’t need. She said they couldn’t do that but they took another $400 off the price of the car. She called me a month later and said they had a pair of filler panels from a car that the owner upgraded to rails. I told her I’d come pick them up but she said not to bother and shipped them to my house free of charge. I guess I got used to the rails because they’re still on the car three years later, lol.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

My 2021 CX-5 came equipped with the silver roof rails and I am looking to replace them with the plain black roof moulding. I purchased the replacement trim pieces from here: LINK and attempted to install it today. I removed one side and tried to fit the replacement trim piece into the channel and it was too narrow for the channel and didn't 'fill' the gap so-to-speak. I checked the website from where I ordered and it says the part is for 2017-2020. Although there are other sites selling the same part(number) and advertising it as 2017-2021 HERE . So now I don't know what to believe, do I in fact have the wrong part or am I just not installing it correctly/missing additional parts needed for the job. I can't be the only one that has removed the roof rails and installed the roof moulding. Does anyone have experience doing this? Please help

Bought and painted side rails but haven't installed them yet.

Looking at the OEM moulding, it is not wide enough that it completly fills the gap. It is slightly thinner.
The moulding fits up against the outer side and leave a thin gap on the inner side(towards center of roof). The moulding is centered in the dip and the windshield wiper type flap sits flush against the outside lip which leaves a gap on the inner side


I think you are overthinking this.
If it fits in the space and the screw holes line up correctly, you should be good.

 

[Pitter]

Mazda went for "looks" when just about every other similar class SUV provides roof rails/racks. I'm a buyer who missed them and had them installed by Mazda along with the cross rails. What can I say? If you need them you need them.

 

[hal2]

That’s how I felt about them, told the salesperson they could take ‘em off and sell them to someone else but I wasn’t paying $400 for something I didn’t need. She said they couldn’t do that but they took another $400 off the price of the car.

Right. It's from the factory (albeit maybe port installed), but it is part of the car as shown on the Monroney Sticker. It's not a BS dealer add-on that they can return to the parts department

 

[cxha]

Right. It's from the factory (albeit maybe port installed), but it is part of the car as shown on the Monroney Sticker. It's not a BS dealer add-on that they can return to the parts department

Correct, even though it isn't installed until the car arrives here at the port, the configuration of colors, trim level, options, etc. is baked in when a VIN is allocated. The dealers have to take it the way it's built.

 

[klm682]

Bought and painted side rails but haven't installed them yet.

Looking at the OEM moulding, it is not wide enough that it completly fills the gap. It is slightly thinner.
The moulding fits up against the outer side and leave a thin gap on the inner side(towards center of roof). The moulding is centered in the dip and the windshield wiper type flap sits flush against the outside lip which leaves a gap on the inner side


I think you are overthinking this.
If it fits in the space and the screw holes line up correctly, you should be good.

Thanks for the info. Maybe I am overthinking it, but I ended up spending $120 on the roof mouldings (RIP) so want to make sure I get it right. Can you post a pic of what the oem moulding looks like for you?

 

[Jack Rabbit]

Thanks for the info. Maybe I am overthinking it, but I ended up spending $120 on the roof mouldings (RIP) so want to make sure I get it right. Can you post a pic of what the oem moulding looks like for you?

Sure will post 1 tonight.

 

[klm682]

Though this is not what you asked, have you considered painting them.

Yes, I considered painting them and even bought the paint to do so. But after seeing the car without roof rails I personally much prefer that look. Makes the car look ~shorter and more sleek imo

 

[Jack Rabbit]

Yeah. It does look nicer without the rails. and the silver rails look horrible but I need the roof rails to transport so I painted mine with shadow chrome.

Here is what the roof looks like with just the moulding. see the gap on the inner side ?

also, you should keep the rails in case you decide to paint black and install later.

 

[klm682]

Here is what the roof looks like with just the moulding. see the gap on the inner side ?

also, you should keep the rails in case you decide to paint black and install later.

Awesome, thanks for the pic! It does in fact look like the same moulding/gap on inner side which I was concerned about. I will take another stab at installing them. Appreciate the help. I currently have them for sale on here but you're right, I might as well just keep them if I ever need them.

 

[klm682]

Here is what the roof looks like with just the moulding. see the gap on the inner side ?

I went for install attempt #2 today. Did not go that well actually. There are two clips on each end of the roof moulding which fasten it to the roof. Other than the there are about 4 rubber 'clips' or pieces which do absolutely nothing. There seems to be a bump on the roof where maybe there should be a piece they slide into or something but there is nothing there. So with nothing but the two end clips holding it down the moulding piece wiggles a lot and does not seem secure.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

I went for install attempt #2 today. Did not go that well actually. There are two clips on each end of the roof moulding which fasten it to the roof. Other than the there are about 4 rubber 'clips' or pieces which do absolutely nothing. There seems to be a bump on the roof where maybe there should be a piece they slide into or something but there is nothing there. So with nothing but the two end clips holding it down the moulding piece wiggles a lot and does not seem secure. View attachment 313149

The clips are slideable. Slide past the raised portion. There are videos that show removing the moulding and putting the roof rails on. Some are in very good detail and you should be able to see how the moulding was clipped on by seeing them remove it.

EDIT
If you look immediately to the right of the raised section you circled, you can see where the clip should snap down onto the square (with round bump).

 

[chickdr]

Yeah. It does look nicer without the rails. and the silver rails look horrible but I need the roof rails to transport so I painted mine with shadow chrome.

Here is what the roof looks like with just the moulding. see the gap on the inner side ?

also, you should keep the rails in case you decide to paint black and install later.

Interesting take. Whenever I see a CX-5 without the rails, I don't like it at all. Personally I use the rails to hold myself up to clean the roof of the car. I stand on the back tire and hold the rail with one hand while I wash with the other. They are very sleek and integrated in appearance to my eye. I don't like rails which have a gap underneath.