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1st snow and single digits temps here in Detroit, and my brand new, 1 week old vn pp's driver door handle doesn't work on the outside.
Door handle
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178 Posts
:surprise::surprise::surprise: WHAT?! Mine works perfectly and it's regularly -20c where it's parked. I am shocked that you are having this problem!
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I live in Toronto, Canada and I picked up my car yesterday from the dealership (less than 80kms on it) and this happened to me too... TWICE! I had to go in from the passenger side to open the driver side door from the inside. The second time I ran out to drop something off while the engine was on. All the car doors wouldn't open (key fob restricted from unlocking the doors) so I had to climb into the car from the trunk. Absolutely nuts...
Well this is a relief.. in a way... This just happened to me today! My 2020 PP has 2,700 miles on it and this morning I went out to warm my car up, it was 15F and the drivers door handle would not open the car. Had to go in from the passenger side. It opens fine from the inside handle. It is not frozen shut, the car was dry. The door would lock and unlock from the handle button but something in the latch mechanism would not allow the latch to open. Weird.
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241 Posts
Same thing happened to me on the first somewhat cold night. The handle pulls, but nothing happens. It was just the driver door for me. The fob would lock/unlock the doors, but the handle did nothing.
Super weird, glad I am not the only one. I felt so stupid.
Super weird, glad I am not the only one. I felt so stupid.
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13 Posts
My 2019 does the exact same thing when it is cold (somewhere in the 20's °F) but works fine once it warms up (30's °F). Why the passenger's side has no problem (nor the rear door) under the same circumstances is quite frustrating. I live in west TN had we had a cold snap this past week when I first experienced it on two consecutive days (where it pulled away from the door skin as is normal but did nothing to induce mechanical linkage movement inside the door). The LH side of the car was in the sun light and the RH side was in the shade which makes this even more perplexing.
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395 Posts
Shot in the dark but could it be related to the recall for drivers door latch assembly? Reason given for it was that it could release during an accident but possibly a side effect?
When my door wouldn't open it was the actual handle that was frozen in place, these other occurences seem more related to the latch mechanism.
When my door wouldn't open it was the actual handle that was frozen in place, these other occurences seem more related to the latch mechanism.
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241 Posts
It definitely seems like a latch assembly issue. Hard to reproduce for the dealer though for a warranty issue. I'll mention it at my next oil change and maybe they can take a look at the assembly and see if there is anything that jumps out as an issue.
Going on the record. It was 19F this morning. My doors unlocked, and the handle on my driver's side door pulled, but the door didn't open. I thought maybe the door was frozen shut and didn't want to pull too hard, so checked the passenger side. The passenger side opened without an issue, and from the inside the driver side door pushed open just fine. Strange. The driver side door gently closed, to a point the it just barely latched, but was still quite ajar. Again, from the outside the handle on the driver door didn't work.
Glad I'm not the only one, but sheesh what a pain the butt.
Glad I'm not the only one, but sheesh what a pain the butt.
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5,175 Posts
Had this happen on mine this morning as well. It was only 27 overnight and was already 31 when I went out to the car. All frosted over still though.
It's odd that even after pulling the interior handle to open the door the exterior handle still doesn't work. I opened it from the inside and it clicked shut a bit because I was parked on an incline and I had to walk all the way back around and climb over the console to get in because the door kept swinging back shut and the exterior handle just refused to open it. I drove two miles and parked for ten minutes and then it worked fine.
I'm going to pull my door panel and the latch and see what's going on. I don't want to go to the dealer and try to have them reproduce it. It's 27 out again right now and it's not doing it yet, so it seems intermittent. I'd rather go in there and be able to tell them exactly what is causing it, if it's something that doesn't simply need a different lubricant.
I suspect it's moisture and cold related and not just cold related, because it was colder this past week a few times and it didn't do it till the first time the car frosted over.
It's odd that even after pulling the interior handle to open the door the exterior handle still doesn't work. I opened it from the inside and it clicked shut a bit because I was parked on an incline and I had to walk all the way back around and climb over the console to get in because the door kept swinging back shut and the exterior handle just refused to open it. I drove two miles and parked for ten minutes and then it worked fine.
I'm going to pull my door panel and the latch and see what's going on. I don't want to go to the dealer and try to have them reproduce it. It's 27 out again right now and it's not doing it yet, so it seems intermittent. I'd rather go in there and be able to tell them exactly what is causing it, if it's something that doesn't simply need a different lubricant.
I suspect it's moisture and cold related and not just cold related, because it was colder this past week a few times and it didn't do it till the first time the car frosted over.
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5,175 Posts
The interior handle is not subject to colder conditions as the exterior mechanism. Each, has a separate latch that connects it to the locking mechanism. The grease is simply solidifying in colder temps and no longer acting a lubricant. The interior is better insulate than the exterior. It's not moisture it's the cold. If it's moisture, then you'd have a problem with internal corrosion which it's not.
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42 Posts
I would be tempted to agree with you but this issue is only happening on the drivers side door. Every issue I've read about on multiple forums has been the drivers side only and the immediate solution is climbing in the the passenger side door because the lock on that side is not affected.
I wonder if V's with right hand drive are having the same problem on their driver side?
Nope. 29F this morning here and car totally frosted over, all doors stuck. I had to crawl in through the hatch. All doors worked fine after a short drive in the sun.
I'm originally from Michigan, this stuff just happens sometimes when it's cold. Some cars are more susceptible. Not a whole lot you can do about it as a quick fix besides finding some way to keep the door warm - garaging the car, parking in an area that will be sunny in the morning, bringing a hot towel out (lol). I'm sure RedVN's graphite lube solution will work, but I don't care enough to take the door apart at this point.
Funny enough, after I crawled in through the hatch, the driver's side door then opened from the outside without issues -___-
Mine is doing the exact same thing. I live in Salt Lake City and ever since the temperature's dropped into the 20's, my driver side door will not open. I also have to crawl through the passenger side to open it from the interior. I just posted a thread about it haha, before I found this conversation. I believe this might turn out to be a manufacturing issue that will have to be looked into.
I've taken mine into the dealer. However by the time they got to trouble shoot the car, it was warm and they couldn't reproduce the issue.
They told me to call the toll free roadside assistance to document the issue so they could provide resolution.
The service rep had no idea what they were talking about too. They told me that metal expands when it gets cold outside... LOL
Zoom-N
They told me to call the toll free roadside assistance to document the issue so they could provide resolution.
The service rep had no idea what they were talking about too. They told me that metal expands when it gets cold outside... LOL
Zoom-N
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