Door check strap... fragile?

[Rexlion]

Hi, have any of you Gen2 Highlander owners had trouble with your door check straps? My driver's door check has broken twice in 100K miles. When it breaks, it gets into the way of the window... so when I put the window down it hits with a horrible crunch! noise. This last time I told them to take it out and leave it out.

I'm wondering if the door check is poorly designed and too weak. Or is it just me? I don't think I'm abusing it. But I do get in and out of the car about 20 times per day, so it sees a lot of use.

[TrailDust]

Door check straps?

[jgayman]

Originally Posted by TrailDust

Door check straps?

I was going to ask the same thing.

[matt0420]

Originally Posted by jgayman

I was going to ask the same thing.

I too would like to know what these are! lol.

Seems that EVERYONE who gets into my Highlander is hard on the poor doors. I'm so gentle, and I feel like everyone else is trying to smash them in on me. My family ALL slams their car doors, I hate it so much, but it's become so routine to them they don't even notice they are doing it.

Even with all the abuse my doors are subject too, nothing has broken yet

[PhotonDreams]

I suspect that Rexlion is referring to that small metal bar that prevents the door from swinging all the way open. Now why would I know this? Because I had my Highlander for about two weeks when I decided to back up once with my door partially opened, forgetting that I was near the corner of the garage, thus I jammed the door and bent the restraining bar. Luckily the garage was not made of brick so only the bar needed replacement. It would scrape the lower edge of the window if not replaced. Had no problems with it since it was repaired three years ago.

[9volt]

Originally Posted by Rexlion

My driver's door check has broken twice in 100K miles. .

You have 100k on your gen 2 Highlander? What other problems have you had?

[Rexlion]

Yup, they are the things that keep the door from swinging too far open. And they have a detent that can help hold the door open... right now any breeze at all will swing it shut. The service guy called it a door check strap, but since then I've looked for one online and they seem to be referred to simply as a "door check" by other places.

Only other thing I've needed, beyond routine maintenance, was some sort of airbag-control wiring harness in the steering column. It had to be replaced just 3 months ago.

Matt0420, be glad they are only slamming your doors, and not getting behind the wheel while slammed. That does get irritating, I know.

[jgayman]

Originally Posted by Rexlion

Yup, they are the things that keep the door from swinging too far open. And they have a detent that can help hold the door open... right now any breeze at all will swing it shut.

That is only true if you want the door to stay open. When you WANT the door to close on it's own it stays firmly open even in a breeze.