Arm Indentations on Top of Door Panel

MrLeadFoot · November 14, 2023

I'm not a big guy, I am 5'9" and 180 lbs. Sometimes I drive with my left elbow resting on the door panel and my left hand on the steering wheel. I noticed that this is leaving indentations if the foam on the top of the door panel. Over the summer, these indentations became worse, and took weeks to come back up, but now some of these indentations are not coming back up. I can't believe I am actually having such an issue, as I've never seen this on any other vehicle I have ever owned. Questions:

1) Is anyone else experiencing this?

2) If I take this in to have them replace the door panel under warranty, will they swap the wood on my door panel to the new door panel so the wood still matches the rest of the vehicle? I ask this because I've noticed that all Denalis have different colored and grained wood, even when they have the same color interior as mine, understandably because since it's real wood it can't possibly the same in every vehicle.

3) Am I guaranteed to have rattles after a door panel swap?

4) What would you do, if you were in my shoes?

Thanks in advance.

silveradosid · November 15, 2023

they haven't changed how they make that part, so you will eventually had the same problem

newdude · November 15, 2023

14 hours ago, MrLeadFoot said:

I'm not a big guy, I am 5'9" and 180 lbs. Sometimes I drive with my left elbow resting on the door panel and my left hand on the steering wheel. I noticed that this is leaving indentations if the foam on the top of the door panel. Over the summer, these indentations became worse, and took weeks to come back up, but now some of these indentations are not coming back up. I can't believe I am actually having such an issue, as I've never seen this on any other vehicle I have ever owned. Questions:

1) Is anyone else experiencing this?

2) If I take this in to have them replace the door panel under warranty, will they swap the wood on my door panel to the new door panel so the wood still matches the rest of the vehicle? I ask this because I've noticed that all Denalis have different colored and grained wood, even when they have the same color interior as mine, understandably because since it's real wood it can't possibly the same in every vehicle.

3) Am I guaranteed to have rattles after a door panel swap?

4) What would you do, if you were in my shoes?

Thanks in advance.

1 - Not me.

2 - 50/50 on it being warrantied. The dealer has to submit photos to GM for warranty pre-approval, so GM will determine an ok or a no go for it.

3 - Unlikely. Door panels are straight forward. I've had mine off on my 2022.5 to replace a broken outside mirror, no rattles.

4 - Stop resting your elbow there lol.

asilverblazer · November 15, 2023

I don't put my elbow there as much as I would like to... I've had a slightly different issue.

On my 2015 Sierra that I bought new, my wifes 2016 Yukon Denali we bought used and on my used 2018 Silverado, they all have had the finish on the top of the door panel where my elbow would go become compromised. It stays kind of sticky all the time, just in the one little area. I would have thought I got something on the door panel, but it has happened to three different trucks. I also don't wear any products or lotions on my arm either that would cause it.

Also have the water spotting issue on them too.

In addition to sticky gummy steering wheel control buttons...

redwngr · November 15, 2023

I've had the deformation issue on multiple GM vehicles.

Not just trucks.

Guess we need to go back to having a painted steel panel in that location -- like in the 'good old days'--- LOL

Then we just get to ****** about the common issue of the paint wearing off.

MrLeadFoot · November 17, 2023

I never had that happen on my 2000 Suburban over 235,000 miles, or on my 2001 Vette, which is at 145k miles now. I think the foam they starting using at some point sucks. It's crazy that an $80K vehicle has such an issue.

Jus Cruisin · November 18, 2023

Isn't just the arm pad/rest replaceable?

newdude · November 18, 2023

16 hours ago, MrLeadFoot said:

I never had that happen on my 2000 Suburban over 235,000 miles, or on my 2001 Vette, which is at 145k miles now. I think the foam they starting using at some point sucks. It's crazy that an $80K vehicle has such an issue.

Those 00-06 Suburbans had hard ass panels too though. Over the years the auto magazines griped and griped about door panel feel and quality, which in turn led to the OEMs making softer touch components so they "feel" better and "look" better but they don't wear anything like the old stuff did.

And they all do it now. Not really any avoiding it.

MrLeadFoot · November 18, 2023

5 hours ago, Jus Cruisin said:

Isn't just the arm pad/rest replaceable?

You must've misread the original post. It's not the armrest, it's the top of the door panel itself. They used some pretty crappy foam that collapses and doesn't come back. At first it does come back, after a few days, but if you rest your arm on it in hot weather, it can take weeks to come back. If you rest your arm often enough over time (a few weeks) it will collapse and never come back. Just so hard to believe that, based on the reply from @newdude, the would make them out of non-resilient foam. Begs the question, "What were they thinking?" On the other hand, since it's apparently been going on for so long, they must not really care. Or, they do it on purpose to try and get us to start thinking these $80K vehicles are disposable. (Conspiracy theorists, rejoice!)

MrLeadFoot · November 18, 2023

Just now, MrLeadFoot said:

You must've misread the original post. It's not the armrest, it's the top of the door panel itself. They used some pretty crappy foam that collapses and doesn't come back. At first it does come back, after a few days, but if you rest your arm on it in hot weather, it can take weeks to come back. If you rest your arm often enough over time (a few weeks) it will collapse and never come back. Just so hard to believe that, based on the reply from @newdude, they would make them out of non-resilient foam. Begs the question, "What were they thinking?" On the other hand, since it's apparently been going on for so long, they must not really care. Or, they do it on purpose to try and get us to start thinking these $80K vehicles are disposable. (Conspiracy theorists, rejoice!)

MrMagloo · November 20, 2023

Fwiw, I have always rested my left elbow on the top of the door panel near the window on all my vehicles going back to the beginning of time. This Silverado is a different animal and there is something about the contour and padding. Shortly after I bought this '23 RST, I moved my daughter from Chicago to GA over a weekend, and it was pretty uncomfortable with my normal driving style with my elbow on the door panel, as the stock elbow rest is far too low. I would put the elbow up there and after a while my arm would go numb, so I would move it for a bit. I'd get my feeling back and do it again. After 1,800 miles round trip over that weekend, I got back and my arm was numb for months. The doctor said I pinched the nerve. I'm just now starting to get my feeling back on my finger tips. Something about the lack of decent padding and the sharper radius seems to be the cause. No fun. I ended up getting one of these things that solved the problem, but it's a little awkward as there is no solid mount. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B1J81WZK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

MrLeadFoot · November 20, 2023

Thanks for the link, but how is your door panel? Does it have indentations from your elbow?

MrMagloo · November 22, 2023

Whatever dent that might have been there is gone now. I didn't notice anything and I certainly don't rest my elbow there anymore. I just think it's crappy that these designers don't spend more time on the drivers ergo's, as resting both elbows is mission critical for longer hauls.

MrLeadFoot · November 22, 2023

Are the rest of you guys saying you don't ever rest your elbows on your door sills while driving, or are you saying you do periodically, but don't see indentations? Mine show clear depressions when I rest my arm up there, like resting on a cushion might, which makes me wonder if mine wasn't made right. That's what I'm trying to determine.

KARNUT · November 22, 2023

It’s part of the wearing out process. I rest my arm there and the arm rest. They all get the indentation, every brand. I’ve even seen the steering wheel get stained or indents from holding it in one spot. As far as the arm rest and door panel. I use a pillow because my elbow gets sore. That also cures the indentation.