A thorough maintenance program should be implemented for a car to serve its purpose correctly. Not only should you check the engine, change the oil, and inspect the tires, fluids, and brakes. Of course, your car doors are essential too!
Remember that vehicles with faulty door latches can quickly expel passengers in an accident, especially if they are not wearing seat belts. To avoid this, here are the reasons why your automobile doors are not shutting properly!
Why Won’t My Car Door Close?
1. Latch Jaw Is Stuck
Door latches are a form of mechanical hardware that are used to fasten and keep doors closed. That said, each has a prong that moves up and down in response to the door handle.
Also, the latch mechanism comprises the latch on the side of the door and the striker plate, a U-shaped anchor on the car’s body.
A stuck, binding, or rusted door latch will prohibit the door from shutting, which can occur due to several factors, including an electrical fault or an error while repairing the door.
Even if you try hard enough, a blocked latch jaw might cause friction to keep it from closing entirely!
2. Jammed Car Doors
If you don’t regularly have difficulties with your door lock and it becomes jammed on a cold day, it could be related to the weather.
With that, pulling on an inside or outside door handle extends a metal rod, allowing the door latch to be disengaged from the anchor.
Also, it’s possible that a portion of the lock’s inside has broken off, inhibiting proper operation. As a result, a binding or jammed door handle or linkage will cause the door to remain open.
3. Misaligned Car Doors
A sagging door could result from a previous minor collision, which causes the latch jaw to become misaligned with the striker on the jam.
If your car door sags more severely, the hinge pins and bushings are likely worn or damaged, which can be caused by slamming it shut regularly or wear and tear from the environment.
Additionally, this repair is a little more involved, usually needing the door to be removed entirely, the defective pieces replaced, and the door rehung in proper alignment.
Undoubtedly, the hinge fasteners could have become loose, allowing the door to slip out of alignment.
4. Frozen Latch
When the weather becomes cold and the temperatures drop, car doors tend to freeze shut due to ice collecting on the door, in the doorframe, or within the locking mechanism.
Of course, it’s uncomfortable enough to find your windscreen frosted in the morning, but it’s even more inconvenient to find your car’s doors frozen shut.
Some problem involves a frozen rubber door seal, ice holding the door’s metal, or even ice sealing the door to an adjacent piece of the vehicle’s body.
Obviously, a driver’s goal in all these circumstances is to open the door without damaging the door’s surface or the components within the lock.
5. Electronic Issues
Electronic problems are not confined to your power windows or instrument panel; they can manifest in your door components.
Whether you suspect this is the case, check your car’s fuses to determine if there is a short-circuit at work. Furthermore, locks will be set out as physical barriers to the door.
If this is the case, fix the wires or fuses and test the electronic locking control to see if the problem has been resolved.
Subsequently, a short-circuit could prevent your locks from disengaging when the door is opened, leading the locks to remain engaged.
6. Rusted Jaw Area
Rust is created as a result of oxidation. Thus, if your car is made of steel, which contains iron, it is prone to rust.
Over the years, the automobile industry has tried and tested various strategies to prevent or eliminate your car’s rust, from employing alloy materials to a highly resistant coating to the steel.
However, rusting cannot be avoided, and the process is unavoidable despite current car exterior safeguards.
When it comes to older vehicles, especially ones left outside for an extended period, enough corrosion in the jaw area may prevent a car door from closing and latching.
7. Warped Metal And Parts
Normal wear and use might cause issues with your door latches, such as warped metal or slightly bent portions on the latch mechanism.
Also, excessive slamming of the door may potentially cause the latch to bend.
Furthermore, if a liquid has gotten into your door due to rain or a recent car wash, it may pool and freeze around the latch.
In certain circumstances, door latches occasionally become damaged because of crooked parts and materials and not allowing the door to close.
8. Loose Hinges And Catches
Over time, your vehicle’s doors may lose their appropriate alignment, resulting in sagging and a challenging closing experience.
Because it is opened and closed more frequently than the others, the driver’s side door is the most likely to show traces of this.
Also, it can be a concern on doors that are frequently banged shut or are more exposed to the environment than others.
Therefore, if there is a noticeable loose misalignment, your door hinges are most certainly worn, preventing the car door from closing entirely.
9. Faulty Door Handle
A door will often not close due to a problem with the handle. Unfortunately, if the source of the problem is a defective door handle, you may need to seek professional help.
However, if some component screws are loose, your door handle may cease working.
As a result, if your door handle isn’t working correctly, the cable or metal rod is likely broken, leaving the door handle stuck in the open position.
To know more, you can also read our posts on why your airbag light is flashing, why you smell gas when you start your car, and why you smell antifreeze outside your car.
Conclusion
Car doors are just as critical as any other vehicle component and deserve the same level of attention.
Stuck latch jaws, jammed locks, and misaligned car doors are common reasons a car door will not open properly.
Ultimately, you should never drive a car with broken or partially open doors, and drivers should be aware that automotive doors have problems that can be DIYed or require professional assistance.