6 Reasons Your Car Door Won’t Close and How to Fix It
Your car door may close but not latch and you may have to push it open. Or the door may swing open when it’s closed. Like a hood that won’t close or open, this is often due to a latch problem, but there could be other causes.
1) Latch jaws are stuck in the closed position
Inspect the latch on the door that won’t close. Then inspect another door that opens and closes properly. On this door you can see what the fully open jaws look like. If the latch on the affected door is not in the fully open position, the door will not close.
How to fix the problem
1. Pay attention to the jaws and pull the door lever or handle with one hand as if you were trying to open the door. This will release the jaws and springs to the fully open position. Release the door handle. The jaws should stay open.
2. Use a screwdriver to try and push the jaws into the closed position. They should move easily to the closed position and click into place. Then pull the door handle or handles again. This should cause the door handle to click back into the open position.
3. Test the door operation. After 3-4 tries, it should click open correctly into place and the issue is resolved. 4. If these steps do not resolve the issue, the locking mechanism of your car door may be broken. In this case, the problem should be repaired by a qualified technician.
2) Shutters do not stay in locked position
Inspect the latch for the door in question. If the shutters stay in any position other than fully open, there may be a problem with the locking mechanism. How to fix the problem:
1. Use a screwdriver to move the jaws to the fully open position. Then move them to the closed position. In the closed position they should click into place. Try moving them with a screwdriver. He should hold this position firmly.
2. Paying attention to the jaws, pull the door lever or handle to open the door. This should release the jaws and lock them in the open position. If this is not the case, the locking mechanism may be faulty. The jaw locking mechanism may also be dry and stuck due to lack of lubrication. Follow steps (3) and (4) to release and lubricate the jaws.
3. You may need help with this step. Have an assistant hold the door opener lever or handle facing outward to open the door. Lightly spray the jaw pivot points with a penetrating lubricant, such as WD-40. Do not overspray. Use a screwdriver to move the jaws back and forth until they move freely. Release the door-open lever. Push the jaws into the closed position. Wipe off any excess lubricant.
4. With the jaws in the closed position, pull the door open lever. The jaws should lock in the open position. If they do not move to the open position, or only move partially, the locking mechanism may be defective.
3) Lockjaw and strike plate are misaligned
Door deflection may be the result of a previous light impact, which causes the lockjaw to become misaligned with the strike plate in the door frame. Or the hinge fasteners may have come loose, causing the door to become misaligned.
How to fix the problem
The door needs to be realigned to fix, which can be a difficult process for DIYers. In most cases, you will need to take your car to a good auto repair shop to have it fixed.
4) Frozen Door Latches
Door latches rarely freeze on modern cars. But it can happen.
Note: Frozen door latches are only possible if the weather is extremely cold. h. well below freezing (0 °C) and accompanied by rain, freezing rain, or snow.
Such events can occur as follows:
Her car was left outside for a while during a storm. Rain and dropping temperatures have caused ice to form on your windshield and windows. You open the door to get a scraper, but the door won’t close.
How to fix the problem:
1. Don’t slam the door. This can damage the locking mechanism. Instead, with the door slightly open, pull the door release lever or handle out and back in several times. The force of this action often dislodges a stuck locking mechanism. If this doesn’t work…
2. Get in your car and start the engine. Keep the doors closed as much as possible. Wait until the engine is warm and set the windshield heater to “High”. Set the heating temperature to the highest level. Allow the interior of the vehicle to heat up, including the door units. It may take 15 to 20 minutes for the door lock mechanism to disengage. If this doesn’t solve your problem, here’s another option…
3. You need hot water (for example from home). Start the engine and start the defroster as per step (2) above. While the car is warming up, fill a kettle with hot tap water (do not boil). Once the car interior and windows are fully warm, close the doors tightly. Next, slowly pour warm water into the back corner of the door above the exterior lock handle.
4. After each step above, close the door and check if the problem is resolved. If the door still won’t lock, you will need to contact a service technician to resolve it.
5) Jaw Area Corroded
With older vehicles (especially those stored outside for long periods of time), enough corrosion of the jaw area may prevent a car door from closing and latching.
How to Fix
The latch that is stuck due to severe corrosion may possibly be corrected by following steps (3) and (4) in the “Jaw Won’t Stay in Latched Position” section above which deal with lubricating the jaw.
6) Latch Mechanism Failure
A latch operational mechanism failure is very possible if none of the steps discussed above correct the problem.
How to Fix
Should this be the case, repair or replacement of the latch mechanism by a qualified automotive technician will be required.