Does anyone know what's under this strip of painted plastic running along the top edges of the car?

when i got the car back from the dealer for rattles, it was bent and popped up like so, and i can't push it back. it won't stick. I think they fcuked up my car.

 

I don't know what's under that strip, but that sure as hell doesn't look right!
Bring it back to the dealer and have them correct this misalignment.

 

I do, it's the cover to the rain gutter running front to back both sides of your car.

First look and see front edges at front windshield to confirm they are not popped up there as well and that they are about 1/8th of inch from top of windhsield. Mine was popped up there. You will see black weatherstripping there coming from windshield to front edge of plastic strip. You will also see a uniform distance between windshield and top of car and between windshield and front edge of these plastic strips of about 1/8th inch.

Then go back to problem area in rear of car. On top of plastic strip go toward front of car from perspective of pic about 1 and a 1/2 inches and push VERY lightly down on strip while taking thumb on exposed edge currently sticking up and pushing toward front of car. It should slide a good 1/16 th of an inch forward or at least enough for you to pop it back down. If need be take a paperclip and lightly pry the weatherstripping edge at top of back glass at contact point up so that it will let plastic pop down completely.

Last make another service call for that back glass metal combo rattle that reveals itself with the light pounding test you mentioned you tried. See NGG's structural integrity post where he in detail outlines everything done to his car as it relates to back area of car.

I don't think service did that popped up strip, I think it's torsion back there related to NGG's findings allowing this to happen as my former ES350 and my current ES350.

 

Could this have been bent up in an effort to keep wind from hitting the gap between the body and the window? An effort to decrease wind noise?

 

no. because the other side doesn't have it popped up or bent. It's clearly bent, and i think the mechanic bent it.

 

did u get this issue resolved? did u try what es350bob recommended?
I have the same problem Both sides though I think. I will try to fix it myself, but my scheduled service is coming up and I will bring it up.

 

If they remove the trim, they MUST use new clips!!
See this file.. It might help you out:
http://www.filesend.net/download.php...f6155bc09a2f23

 

Mine is like that too. I thought that was how the car is supposed to look.

 

I had the same problem and they replaced it. It only helped a little.