2005 Chevy Impala Drivers Door Won’t Open

I have a 2005 Impala four door. I have to pull down on the drivers door to open it. Can you tell me how to adjust it? I have loosen the hinge bolts and tried to pull it down but it did not work.

Protech:
Hello Alan. Has the car been in any kind of accident ?

No, I just noticed one day that the door was sticking and I had to pull down on it to open it. I suspect that the wind caught it but don’t know for sure.

I do not see any damage and no paint scrapes or anything.

Ya, the wind catching it is pretty common. First you need to decide if the hinges are bent. Close the door and see if the door is flush with the front fender and rear door.

Looks pretty good. Consistent space between the door and fender and also at the back door. Looks like the top rear is slightly high. That is where I pull down slightly to release the door. The hinges etc. do not look bent or anything

OK. Then the problem may not be with the hinges. You may need to adjust the striker. This is the part that the latch on the rear of the door latches onto. It is on the body of the car. There are 2 Torx Style bolts that hold the strike on the body. You can try to loosen them a little and knock it with a hammer to make small adjustments until it opens easier. Sort of trial and error.

Also spray some WD-40 in the latch.

I thought about that but couldn’t figure out how it would work. Looks like the Torx heads are recessed and there isn’t much room for adjustment. I guess I don’t need much so I will give it a try. Thanks for your help!

No. There is not much at all. But you can get a little our of them. You can even use a large screwdriver in the center of it to bend it.

Great, thanks,

Your welcome. Come back again !