I need some advice on a repair. My car got hit and left a dent in the driver side door. The dent itself isn’t too bad, but it caused problems with the window rolling up and down, so I took it in to get the dent pushed out a bit so the window regulator had room to work. However, the car repair guy told me that I would still want to replace the whole door since the window seal is compromised and it could let water in and cause rust. Looking at the window, my boyfriend and I didn’t see any gaps that would let water seep into the panels, so I’m wondering if I actually need to replace the door. Advice?
This might be hard to do right now if you’re in a wintery area, but get a garden hose and spray water on the car. Or run it through a car wash if you want a real trial-by-fire for it.
Check to see if it’s leaking. If it’s not, then you’re fine. If it is, you may or may not need to replace the door - you might just need to replace the seal.
Be aware that a little moisture in the door is normal and expected - it’s not like your window gets completely dry if you roll it down at the drive-through on a rainy day.
If the dent isn’t too bad, sometimes you can wet the door skin, and then take a toilet plunger and stick it to the door, and then give the plunger a quick yank to pull the dent out.
How many more years are you planning to keep the car? I guess my advice would be what comes first, replacing the car or replacing the door. And you can always do the door later if needed. It will cost near the same to do the door now or later, let it go I say