Driver's side door rubbing on the front fender
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 243
Likes: 0
From: Columbia Maryland
Driver's side door rubbing on the front fender
A couple weeks back I went to open my door to get in my '06 and noticed I couldn't open the door more than a couple of inches. It looked as if it was catching on the front fender. I pulled the door length wise towards the back of the car (I couldn't tell if this actually shifted the position or not), closed it and it opened fine. I looked for damage but didn't see any so I forgot about it. The incident hasn't repeated since. Jump ahead to today when I was getting out of my car. For some reason, after I closed the door, my eyes focused on the area between the door and fender and I noticed the paint is slightly rubbed off of a small 1/4" spot. I started playing with the door, comparing it to the passenger's side, and I'm reasonably sure that the clearance when the driver's side door is opened/closed is too small. Even if it isn't completely catching as it did a few weeks back, it must be rubbing. Is this a published/common issue? Any thoughts on if this will be covered under warranty??
CF Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,313
Likes: 25
From: Tucson Arizona
I've heard of this several times before. It should be an easy fix at the dealership. Some have speculated that high summer temperatures may contribute to the problem. Refrain from opening and closing the door until you get it fixed.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,693
Likes: 660
From: Blairsville , Georgia
same problem
It happened to me on my 07. There is a push in plastic retainer sticking through the fender into the area between the fender and the door. If you open the door fully you can see it. I just pushed it in with my fingers enough to bend the plastic tip away for the edge of the door and the problem has not returned. I just used my touch up paint on the nick and it is fine. I personally did not trust a dealer to try and touch it up so I did not check to see if it is a warranty issue but it probably is. Good luck and I hope this info helps to solve your problem.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 190
Likes: 0
From: Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii
I was actually considering making a thread on this topic today as it happens to me every day. Since it started getting in the 90s, I have to pull on the fender outwards in order to open my door. I cannot open the door unless I do that and it rubs every time (twice I just used the passenger door and climbed over before I figured that trick out). I took it to my dealership to have it fixed, along with my roof creak. Of course this "easy fix" isn't so easy for my local dealership (not naming names) as nothing there is an easy fix. Yours can probably do it fine unless you live where I do. I don't trust them to do it, so I'm waiting till I move, but if you pull outward on the inlet in the fender (forgot what its called) and simultaneously open the door, it will provide enough clearance to open without rubbing.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,250
Likes: 3
From: Honolulu HI
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Jackson, MI. USA
My Victory Red '06 Convertible alignment was off on the upper passenger side door. While the door did not rub on the fender when openned, it was so close that I was afraid if the door expanded in the hot sun, it would rub on the fender.
My fix was to loosen the upper hinge and move the door slightly (1/8") rearward. After doing this, I had to loosen the lower hinge and move it slightly reward also, to maintain the original horizontal alignment of the door.
The result was no rubbing on the fender, and a door that has nearly perfect gaps all the way around. I was so pleased with this, and how easy it was to accomplish, that I did the same to the driver's side door to even the gaps all the way around.
The factory has a gap guage, and if the gap is within spec, it's OK, even if it's not perfect. I would guess that many of these cars are assembled with differing gaps between the doors, hood ,trunk, etc. I have seen them in dealer show rooms and on the lots, an no two are exactly the same.
Good Luck on your repairs......you are not the only one with this type of issue.
My fix was to loosen the upper hinge and move the door slightly (1/8") rearward. After doing this, I had to loosen the lower hinge and move it slightly reward also, to maintain the original horizontal alignment of the door.
The result was no rubbing on the fender, and a door that has nearly perfect gaps all the way around. I was so pleased with this, and how easy it was to accomplish, that I did the same to the driver's side door to even the gaps all the way around.
The factory has a gap guage, and if the gap is within spec, it's OK, even if it's not perfect. I would guess that many of these cars are assembled with differing gaps between the doors, hood ,trunk, etc. I have seen them in dealer show rooms and on the lots, an no two are exactly the same.
Good Luck on your repairs......you are not the only one with this type of issue.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 924
Likes: 7
From: Smith River CA
My Victory Red '06 Convertible alignment was off on the upper passenger side door. While the door did not rub on the fender when openned, it was so close that I was afraid if the door expanded in the hot sun, it would rub on the fender.
My fix was to loosen the upper hinge and move the door slightly (1/8") rearward. After doing this, I had to loosen the lower hinge and move it slightly reward also, to maintain the original horizontal alignment of the door.
The result was no rubbing on the fender, and a door that has nearly perfect gaps all the way around. I was so pleased with this, and how easy it was to accomplish, that I did the same to the driver's side door to even the gaps all the way around.
The factory has a gap guage, and if the gap is within spec, it's OK, even if it's not perfect. I would guess that many of these cars are assembled with differing gaps between the doors, hood ,trunk, etc. I have seen them in dealer show rooms and on the lots, an no two are exactly the same.
Good Luck on your repairs......you are not the only one with this type of issue.
My fix was to loosen the upper hinge and move the door slightly (1/8") rearward. After doing this, I had to loosen the lower hinge and move it slightly reward also, to maintain the original horizontal alignment of the door.
The result was no rubbing on the fender, and a door that has nearly perfect gaps all the way around. I was so pleased with this, and how easy it was to accomplish, that I did the same to the driver's side door to even the gaps all the way around.
The factory has a gap guage, and if the gap is within spec, it's OK, even if it's not perfect. I would guess that many of these cars are assembled with differing gaps between the doors, hood ,trunk, etc. I have seen them in dealer show rooms and on the lots, an no two are exactly the same.
Good Luck on your repairs......you are not the only one with this type of issue.
Just be sure you don't loosen all the hinge screws at once or the door will fall completely out of alignment and you will have to start from scratch.
As described above, alternately adjust the top and the bottom of the door until you get it just right.
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Pro
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 741
Likes: 0
From: Austin Tx
Whoot, add me to the list. Apparently the problem still exists on the 2008's. The last few days it hasn't rained and the temps have been higher than they have been in the past few weeks.
I was pretty peeved about it since it's leaving a mark. It's at the dealer now, they said they have to adjust the hinge or replace it. The service writer said it's happened to a few other Corvettes, but he thought they fixed it in the 08's... guess not.
I was pretty peeved about it since it's leaving a mark. It's at the dealer now, they said they have to adjust the hinge or replace it. The service writer said it's happened to a few other Corvettes, but he thought they fixed it in the 08's... guess not.
