In January 2026, over a million Holden passenger vehicles remained on the roads in Australia. According to figures released by the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics, 1,000,292 Holdens had been registered. That was the fourth-highest total by the manufacturer of the vehicle. That is quite a figure for a brand which no longer sells new cars. Each and every one of those Holden vehicles uses old door rubber. So when the doors start whistling or dripping, what is the first thing the owner needs to do?
Why Do So Many Australian Doors Require Rubber Replacement?
Car door rubber seals work hard, getting compressed every time a door closes. With sun and heat slowly making the rubber hard, it will stop springing back. Popular Australian cars such as the Commodore, Falcon and ute range can be affected as they age. Owners of older cars from the 1960s and 1970s are likely to encounter this issue in its extreme version.
Signs That Suggest Door Seals Are at Fault, and Those Which Don’t
Door seals often take the blame for problems which are not their fault. Identifying likely causes first will help to save money on replacing unnecessary parts.
- Possible Door Seal Problems: Whistling while driving at high speed, damp door trims, wet front footwells and rattles.
- Common Issues: Leakage through windscreen seals, missing firewall grommets and clogged drain holes.
- Secret Cause: A damaged plastic liner behind the door panel, which allows water to enter the interior.
If the door has water entering at the top, then this moisture can trickle down to the inside of the sill and collect there. Once the sill becomes overloaded, the water will start dripping into the footwell, giving the impression of a floor leak. The car manufacturer also recommends checking door fitment and alignment first before changing any seals.
Three Super Quick Driveway Checks to Help You Troubleshoot
These little checks can help you narrow down the problem, but they’re no substitute for a proper workshop diagnosis.
- The Paper Test: Take a sheet of paper and run it along the door frame at a few different points. If it slides out easily, chances are the seal has lost its compression at that spot.
- The Hose Test: Get one person to gently spray the door edges while the other sits inside with a flashlight (torch). Avoid using high pressure; it can force water past the seal even if it’s in good nick.
- The Chalk Check: Rub some chalk along the seal, then close the door gently and take a look at the body. Any breaks in the chalk line indicate where the rubber is not meeting the metal properly.
You’d be surprised how often a sagging hinge or misplaced striker can stop any seal from working properly. Sometimes sorting out the door’s alignment first can cure the leak without you needing to replace the rubber at all.
Getting Your New Seal On the Right Way
When it comes to replacing your door seals, you’ve usually got three different fixing styles to choose from, depending on the seal. There’s clip-on, glue-in and push-pin, and each one needs a slightly different approach. Street Machine recommends replacing one door at a time, so the other doors can act as a reference.
You’d be amazed at how often people get the orientation wrong on older cars. It’s a simple mistake to make, but getting it right or wrong can make all the difference. If you get it right, the rubber gets compressed and water gets directed outwards. But if you get it the wrong way round, it can channel water straight into the cabin. Clip-on seals can be a pain to put in if the rubber is stretched out at the clips; a bit of gentle persuasion usually helps to get them to go on properly.
Glue-in seals are a bit trickier to get right. You need to make sure the channel underneath is clean and rust-free before you apply the new rubber. Any old adhesive needs to be removed, and you need to use the right sort of adhesive for the job; follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter. Let the doors sit closed for a few days afterwards, too; it gives the new rubber a chance to settle into shape.
Making Your New Seals Last
New rubber’s got to contend with all the same harsh conditions that wore out the old set. But there are a few simple things you can do to make it last a bit longer.
- Use a rubber care product that’s approved by the seal or vehicle manufacturer.
- Park in the shade or under a cover when you can; UV light can harden rubber over time.
- Give the seals and channels a regular wipe to keep them clean; dirt can grind into the rubber as the door closes.
- Make sure the door drain holes are clear, so water can escape instead of building up.
- Check the seals each spring, before the storm season starts and you’re getting hit with heavy rain.
A door that closes with a nice solid thud usually means the rubber is in good nick. But if it’s whistling, rattling or leaking, it’s probably giving you an early warning that you need to do something about it, and it’s usually not going to cost you an arm and a leg to sort it out.
