TIL people keep calling the car top inspection station a 'roof hatch' and it drives me nuts.

4 comments

4 Comments

Ugh, this happens with so many car words. People call the whole dashboard a "dash," or say "trunk" when it's a hatchback. The words just get smoothed out by everyone using them wrong until the wrong one becomes normal. It's like how everyone says "ATM machine" even though the M already stands for machine. Does that bug you too, or is it just me?

anthony_dixon1mo ago

My shop just calls it the sunroof...

oscarsullivan1mo ago

Yeah, that's a common mix-up in shops. A sunroof is just a solid panel that tilts up or slides back inside the roof. A moonroof is actually a glass panel, so you get the light (and the moon, I guess). It's a small detail, but it matters when you're ordering the right part for a repair. My old Honda had a sunroof, just metal, but my current car has a glass moonroof.

sage6051mo ago

Actually, the terms are pretty much the same thing now. The whole metal vs glass thing was more of an old school distinction. Most people and shops just say sunroof for any opening in the roof, glass or not. Anthony_dixon's shop has the right idea. If you order a "moonroof motor" you'll probably get the same part as a "sunroof motor" for your car. The real difference is if it's a pop-up, tilt/slide, or a big panoramic glass roof.