Door drips water?

Tiny
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  • 2025 KIA FORTE
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Brand new car had it 2 weeks. Noticed when opening the door water dripped out. It has been raining every day and since it last rained this was the first time I had opened my car door and water dripped out. Interior dry just droplets dripped on sill and ground. Only noticed this after the car has sat after a heavy rain. Is this normal?
Sunday, July 6th, 2025 AT 7:55 PM

43 Replies

Tiny
STEVE W.
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Those would be the door drains, and they should actually drain out faster. Normally they would be more open. If you get down and look up under the door you will see the drain slots in the panel. I would take a small nylon brush and clean them out to improve how it drains.
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Sunday, July 6th, 2025 AT 8:04 PM
Tiny
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Here’s a better close up. Also, the car is brand new so I’m not sure if it’s a design thing. I haven’t been in my car for a few days, so it was sitting and when I went out, I opened the door, and a few droplets came out and that was it wasn’t continuous.
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Sunday, July 6th, 2025 AT 8:07 PM
Tiny
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Also I’d like to add that Friday I did grocery shopping and had the doors open a little while unloading so idk if that leads to some rainwater build up there.
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Sunday, July 6th, 2025 AT 8:09 PM
Tiny
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Here’sa picture of one of the weeping holes.
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Sunday, July 6th, 2025 AT 8:28 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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The outer door seals around the glass on the doors leak a bit by design, if they were very tight it would scratch the glass so they use a felt type material that does let some water through. When it rains some water can get into the door shell and then it drips out the lower door drains. Completely normal. Really nothing to worry about, but if you take it back to the dealer they will likely run a brush through the drains and send you home. As long as the water drains to the outside like that it's fine and after a few months of you using the car and the seals and doors getting better seated and all the build chemicals and sealers getting settled it will likely stop. Now if you were in heavy rain or wind whipped rain that can make it worse because it forces the water in. Then it might take a couple days for it all to get out. When you would worry would be if it rained hard and when you moved the door you heard water slosh in it, then the drains are completely blocked. Have seen a couple cars that way. The one had 4" of water inside it! Cleared the drains and it never had an issue after that.
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Sunday, July 6th, 2025 AT 8:36 PM
Tiny
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Thank you I appreciate the advice! So then there’s no faulty seal or anything then? I noticed only a few drops that roll down and sometimes create a tiny puddle but wasn’t sure if it was normal because I don’t recall my other car (2022 forte) doing that unless I had a car wash or something.
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Sunday, July 6th, 2025 AT 8:40 PM
Tiny
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And regarding rustproofing not too sure.
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Sunday, July 6th, 2025 AT 8:41 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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If you live in a place where they use salt on the roads, I would take it in ASAP, a place that does Krown, Fluid Film, or NH Oil type oil sprays. Avoid the rubberized tar like crap (Like Ziebart, Line-X, as it will trap moisture and cause rot faster than if it was left bare. The oil types get into the tiny gaps and work much better.
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Sunday, July 6th, 2025 AT 8:58 PM
Tiny
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To my knowledge they don’t salt the roads here. Also, if I park on a little of an incline slope would that retain more water in the weeping holes? Also is what I showed you fairly normal or indicate a defect of some sort.
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Sunday, July 6th, 2025 AT 9:12 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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That is great, no salt slows the rust to a crawl even then I would probably coat it if you tend to keep cars for a long time. Where I am they use the most salt of any state in the US and more than many other countries as well. You can practically hear the metal rusting away. The average life of a vehicle is about 12 years before they are rotted so bad they are unsafe. I've watched vehicles get crushed from rust that the owners were still paying off!
Really discourages you to buy new. As for yours, totally normal for them to leak after a rain, even a heavy dew can make them drip. When you get a big rain and they don't leak, then worry. Where you might see that is if you drive a lot of dirt roads or have a lot of trees that have the fuzzy pollen that blows around and sticks, but normally if you wash it at least once a year or so it will clean out the drains.
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Sunday, July 6th, 2025 AT 9:48 PM
Tiny
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Okay great that gives me peace of mind! I just didn’t know if that little puddle was an excessive amount of water or not. I live in southwest Florida so I’m not sure if salt is used but we lease so we only have vehicles for 4 years max.
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Monday, July 7th, 2025 AT 7:54 AM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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In that case you shouldn't have a problem. Florida doesn't use salt.
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Monday, July 7th, 2025 AT 11:12 AM
Tiny
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Okay Great! So the amount of water that dripped out is normal then? It has been nonstop thunderstorms for the past week.
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Monday, July 7th, 2025 AT 11:48 AM
Tiny
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Also another question, is it normal To sometimes to have a little water drip out on one side of the door than another? For example a tad more water dripped from passenger front door than driver side and the rear passenger door didn't have any drip out.
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Monday, July 7th, 2025 AT 12:10 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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Totally normal. If you were to cut the door open and look at the bottom you would see it has the different panels joined at the bottom. The inner door and the outer skin that covers the edge. The drains are in the inner tub. If the car is setting perfectly level and the doors were made identical so that everything lined up, if the same amount of water falls on both sides you could get identical water release. Since this is the real world, that doesn't happen. What you are seeing is normal.
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Monday, July 7th, 2025 AT 4:56 PM
Tiny
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Okay great! Thanks for the info. Also, in the beginning of the chat you mentioned about over time it won’t do that so is there such a thing as a new car door seal being too snug and capturing water until the door gets “broken in” more and adjusts so water doesn’t get trapped and drip out after rain.
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Monday, July 7th, 2025 AT 5:38 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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As they break in the door seals and hinges will shift around. However in 4 years you likely won't see any changes.
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Monday, July 7th, 2025 AT 7:04 PM
Tiny
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Okay so if the hinges and door seals break In Does that mean it won’t have water drip out after heavy rain? Or will they always have water drip from weep hole?
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Tuesday, July 8th, 2025 AT 9:14 AM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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There will always be water dripping out. That is how all cars are built. The window felts will always leak some, plus you get condensation in there as well and it drains out, if it didn't drain out it would cause major problems with mold growth and rot inside the doors. So they put a way for it to drain out. 100 percent normal. Heavy rains you will see more water, no rain no water. The seals and hinges will not even start to be worn until the car hits 6-7 years old and they don't let water into the doors if they fail, it would be leaking into the interior of the car. Sort of like those movies of the folks going through a car wash and getting sprayed inside the car. That usually is a sign the seals got damaged, like something drug across them and tore a chunk out of the rubber. The common cause for that is the folks who put roof top carriers on and don't look at where they put the straps.
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Tuesday, July 8th, 2025 AT 9:41 AM
Tiny
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Thank you so much for all your help! Question what is this? I saw it on top of my windshield.
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Wednesday, July 9th, 2025 AT 11:34 AM

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