Can slamming car doors cause rattling in the doors?

While most people seem to believe that car doors require a loud push, pop and pop, the reality is that all you have to do is gently close the door to activate the latch. That's the way the doors are. The problem is the slam-bang mentality.

How Modern Car Door Locks Work

Today, a car door lock consists of two parts: the locking mechanism and the door latch.

When the lock is opened, the plunger-like rod is activated and pushes the switch down, opening the jaws of the lock. The opened jaws release the reciprocal bar, and the door swings open. The jaws remain open until the door closes again.

When closing the recess at the base of the jaws of the door lock, they react to the impact of the blow, closing the jaws of the lock.

For proper operation, the door lock mechanism and striker must match exactly. If the door has been repeatedly slammed shut, the lock and latch may become dislodged over time. After that, the door lock may “float” inside the latch and rattle.

It is better to close the car door carefully, as a rattling sound will be heard when slamming the door. In addition, many door lock mechanisms that move indoors are made of plastic. Plastic parts can also easily move and cause doors to rattle.