Worn Driver side door seal after 6 months

[Van Solo]

What has gone wrong here?
Duct tape is your solution? What has happened to your pride or common sense?
I can't believe what I am hearing and reading here, this is insane. Sorry but this isn't your grandpa's old ford bronco here it's a 2025 Toyota 4Runner.

If you're lacking the skill, go to a body shop and check out some universal door seals.
By goodness they sell it on amazon too.

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[127.0.0.1]

it's not poor design. stop rubbing against it

Dealership won’t cover under warranty?

no because this is user error not a defect in any way

no one really rubs or slides against door seals. except op

 

[Van Solo]

Perhaps you washed the vehicle in the winter and left it outside to freeze and the weather stripping froze and tore?

Seems way more likely then rubbing wear?

 

[elecfuyu]

Dealership won’t cover under warranty?

In no way that should ever be considered a warranty.
Obviously somthing rubbed on it other than the vehicle itself.
Outside influence is never ever considered warranty.

This is not even wear and tear, this is missuse.

 

[Nodak]

technically its not mis-use. the person could be big framed, heavy set, etc. they just tend to use the "B" pillar as a steadying point when getting out of a vehicle.

my dad in the his 70s did that when his hips went bad. he would lean on the "B" pillar getting out.

cant always understand what some people go thru to get into/out of a vehicle. my wife when we got her 23 tundra, never had any issues. now she has to get take her time getting in an out after have a complete knee replacement and she still needs the other one done still.

we usually take her tundra now and rarely take the 4runner anymore (even when we had the 14 limited)

its just easier for her to get into/out of a tundra than a smaller door opening 4Runner.

 

[elecfuyu]

technically its not mis-use. the person could be big framed, heavy set, etc. they just tend to use the "B" pillar as a steadying point when getting out of a vehicle.

my dad in the his 70s did that when his hips went bad. he would lean on the "B" pillar getting out.

cant always understand what some people go thru to get into/out of a vehicle. my wife when we got her 23 tundra, never had any issues. now she has to get take her time getting in an out after have a complete knee replacement and she still needs the other one done still.

we usually take her tundra now and rarely take the 4runner anymore (even when we had the 14 limited)

its just easier for her to get into/out of a tundra than a smaller door opening 4Runner.

I don't want to argue, but everything you are describing is "mis-use" under Warranty stand point.

B-Pillar is not intended for leaning and rubbing when getting in/out of the vehicle, therefore, a mis-use of the function of the vehicle.

From a dealer stand point, if this happened to our customer, we tend to understand customer needs, and under the situation you decribed with your father and wife, we would comensate for discount on replacement part and labour if things broke due to inconvenience of customer's health situation, but never covered under warranty.

 

[bird]

15k miles and 7+ months of ownership here. Zero wear as you have pictured in the OP. Try being more cognizant of your booty when entering.

 

[FlaFlaFloFly]

Perhaps you washed the vehicle in the winter and left it outside to freeze and the weather stripping froze and tore?

Seems way more likely then rubbing wear?

This is a good theory and something I never thought about with my own.

 

[127.0.0.1]

This is a good theory and something I never thought about with my own.

ice does not do that to door seals

 

[Gene S]

OK. Thanks everyone for the feedback. I have come to the conclusion that the power seat when it goes all the way back to exit the vehicle causes me to brush against the door seal specially when in a parking lot where I am trying to protect the door from hitting something.

I have patched the gasket with black tape for now until I can be sure I won’t destroy the replacement. Additionally I will turn off the power seat positioning that pulls the seat all the way back when car is in park.

 

[Dead Horse]

OK. Thanks everyone for the feedback. I have come to the conclusion that the power seat when it goes all the way back to exit the vehicle causes me to brush against the door seal specially when in a parking lot where I am trying to protect the door from hitting something.

I have patched the gasket with black tape for now until I can be sure I won’t destroy the replacement. Additionally I will turn off the power seat positioning that pulls the seat all the way back when car is in park.

I seem to recall there being a setting that adjusts how far back it goes when you shut the car off. Like a little/medium/all the way.

 

[Gene S]

I seem to recall there being a setting that adjusts how far back it goes when you shut the car off. Like a little/medium/all the way.

Yes. Chooses were full, partial and off. Trying partial settings for now

 

[Nodak]

I don't want to argue, but everything you are describing is "mis-use" under Warranty stand point.

B-Pillar is not intended for leaning and rubbing when getting in/out of the vehicle, therefore, a mis-use of the function of the vehicle.

From a dealer stand point, if this happened to our customer, we tend to understand customer needs, and under the situation you decribed with your father and wife, we would comensate for discount on replacement part and labour if things broke due to inconvenience of customer's health situation, but never covered under warranty.

i dont see it as mis-use but it does fall under wear and tear items under the warranty.

rubber seals are wear and tear items regardless if used correctly or not.

Accessory Drive Belts; Batteries; Body Panels; Brake
Linings, Pads, and Shoes, Rotors and Drums; Bumpers;
Carpet; Chrome; Clutch Friction Disc and Pressure
Plate; Dash Cover and Pad; Door Fabric; Door Trim;
Filters; Fluids; Fuel Cell Air Compressor; Fuel Cell Boost
Converter; Fuel Cell Electronic Control Unit; Fuel Cell
Hydrogen Tanks; Fuel Cell Power Control Unit; Fuel Cell
Stack; Fuel Cell Vehicle Battery Pack; Glass (including
Windshields); Headliner; Heating Hoses, Lines, and Tubes;
Hoses; Hybrid Vehicle Battery Pack; Hybrid Vehicle Battery
Plug Assembly; Hybrid Vehicle Relay Assembly; Hybrid
Vehicle Supply Battery Assembly; Hydrogen Fueling
Electronic Control Unit; Interior and Exterior Trim and
Moldings (including but not limited to: Ashtrays, Covers,
Cup Holders, and Vents); Lamps, Light Assemblies/
Housings, and Light Bulbs; Nuts, Bolts, Clips, Retainers,
and Fasteners; Paint; Rust and Corrosion Damage; Seat
Covers; Sheet Metals; Shiny Metals; Spark Plugs; Structural
Framework and Welds; Tires; Vacuum Hoses, Lines, and
Tubes; Weather Stripping; Wheels and Rims; Windshield
Wiper Blades (rubber component); All interior and
exterior cloth, leather, and stitching including convertible
tops and/or vinyl tops including but not limited to: any
vibration, deterioration, discoloration, disfigurement,
warping, fading, staining, stretching, ripping, punctures,
tearing, and/or scratches

the rubber in question falls under weatherstripping per the exclusions

 

[elecfuyu]

i dont see it as mis-use but it does fall under wear and tear items under the warranty.

rubber seals are wear and tear items regardless if used correctly or not.



the rubber in question falls under weatherstripping per the exclusions

Wear and tear items can sometime be covered under New car warranty.

However, this case OP had, is not even wear and tear, it's mis-use that caused the seal to break.
There is a fine line between the two, and that is where dealers decide it being covered or not.

Wear and tear generally mean the part wear out, or disintegrate over time.
If it fell under wear and tear, and OP only had it for 6 months, this should be considered as warranty because chances are low for a weather seal to break like that in a 6 month period if it is used normally.
Would yourself satisfied that the weatherstrip break like that with-in a 6 month period if you never touch it/rub on it, and the dealer told you to pound sand because that is "wear and tear"? I wouldn't.

Brakes as an emample, it is 100% wear and tear item, but can be covered if it legit has a problem. Like the squealing brakes we have on our vehicles.

Halogen bulb as another expamble, is a wear and tear item, but can be covered with-in 6 month period of a new car delivery.

I base this on experience at my dealer anyways, this is how I would look at it as an warranty admin.
It is very easy for a lot of dealer to throw "wear and tear" to customer and decline warranty easily, but sometimes things are not that easy.

Of course every brand's policy is different, and I don't work for Toyota. Just my thoughts.

 

[BRunner]

Perhaps you washed the vehicle in the winter and left it outside to freeze and the weather stripping froze and tore?

Seems way more likely then rubbing wear?

If this was the case those of us that live in the North would be going through a lot of weather stripping!

I've lived in winter conditions my entire life and never have I had weather stripping fail. I'm thinking there must have been a defect in OP's product to get to this point so fast.

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