My car door doesn't shut properly when temperatures are low

January 5, 2025 6:18 PM

I have a 2008 Kia Rio. Ever since the temperatures dropped below freezing this fall, I've had a problem with the front driver's-side door. It often won't latch properly after I open it. This never happens if the temperature is above freezing.

There's never a problem opening the door. But once it's opened, it doesn't want to latch shut. The latch never "catches". I think it's stuck in the open position, so there's no "clanging" when you shut the door.

I got tired of driving with one hand on the door handle, so I started experimenting. I sprayed a bunch of WD-40 dry lube on the latch mechanism, and also into the keyhole for good measure. No effect.

I then ran an extension cord into the driveway and set up a space heater pointed at the side of the open car door. I ran it for an hour or two. No long-term effect.

I finally found a workaround, though the effect is only temporary. I have a small butane torch that I use to light campfires. If I heat up the side of the door, the problem goes away until the car gets cold again. I have a picture that shows the area I heat (see the part circled in red). It only takes about 20 seconds or so for the latch to start working again, so the frozen area must be fairly near the surface, not buried deep inside.

Any ideas on how I can fix this permanently?

posted by alex1965 to Grab Bag (6 answers total)

My 97 RAV4 did this for the last 5 or so years I had it. Very annoying. No amount of WD40 or home remedies worked permanently.

What I did was I got a length of rope and tied the door closed from the inside once I was in, then after about 10 minutes of driving the car would be warmed up enough that I could engage the latch. Was this stupid? Yes. Also sometimes the door would freeze closed so when that happened I'd climb in from the passenger seat. Was this also stupid? Yes, but arguably less so. Is a car safe to drive like this? No.

Eventually I got a new car, which fixed the problem permanently.
posted by phunniemee at 6:25 PM on January 5 [3 favorites]

Is it a mechanical lock or an electric lock? If it's an electric lock the fuse in the door mechanism can die or get condensation on it that freezes and thaws and drips in the area causing a short.
posted by blnkfrnk at 8:07 PM on January 5

Response by poster: @blnkfrnk: Not sure I understand the question. The door can be locked (or unlocked) by turning the key, or by means of an electric switch inside the car (on the door handle). So is the lock electric? In any case, I don't think it's the locking mechanism per se that is the issue here. The problem arises before the door is locked.
posted by alex1965 at 8:52 PM on January 5 [1 favorite]

How much visible wear is there on the striker plate for that door latch?
posted by flabdablet at 9:51 PM on January 5

I'd guess the grease in the latch has gotten thick with age so it sticks when cold. Heating it up thins it to the point where the latch works. Pulling the latch out, cleaning out all the old grease and then relubing may remedy the problem.
posted by Mitheral at 10:02 PM on January 5 [4 favorites]

I have this problem too, on a different make/model of car. What worked to fix it at long last this winter was a hefty spray of regular WD-40 inside the latch mechanism, followed by another hefty spray of WD-40 white lithium while the car was thawed and temperatures were above freezing.

Just regular WD-40 alone didn't work when I tried it but the white lithium combo worked well, and this treatment stopped it from freezing up for a couple of months. However, it recently did freeze up again so I guess it's a thing that's worth treating regularly during the winter.
posted by terretu at 1:46 AM on January 6