Arm Indentations on Top of Door Panel

Jus Cruisin · November 22, 2023

I've really never used the door sill as an armrest or considered it as one for years, especially with a/c (leaving windows up). I have used the "Detroit lean" for years. Driving with the left hand on the wheel and leaning to the right resting my arm on the center armrest or console.

For years the Big 3 were bashed for not having soft touch interior panels. They had been either metal or injected plastic. Now all the brands have a lot of soft touch panels. Soft means there needs to be cushioning (foam of some sort). I don't know of any type of cushioning that won't take a set after being subjected to the same pressure all the time. Even the center console cushion will show where I constantly lean after a while.

MrMagloo · November 22, 2023

Detroit lean - Nice.

Steve-2019 · November 22, 2023

Detroit lean? Never knew that was a thing. I've been doing that for the past 50+ years on the West Side of the USA!

Silverado4x4 · November 22, 2023

19 minutes ago, Steve-2019 said:

Detroit lean? Never knew that was a thing. I've been doing that for the past 50+ years on the West Side of the USA!

It's called the westside lean on the western side of the country.

MrLeadFoot · November 22, 2023

10 hours ago, KARNUT said:

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.

Wearing out over time is one thing, but happening on a brand-new vehicle as soon as you put your arm on it, then the foam not coming back up when you remove your arm? Doesn't sound like a wearing out thing, it sounds like shoddy materials to me.

MrLeadFoot · November 22, 2023

8 hours ago, Jus Cruisin said:

Even the center console cushion will show where I constantly lean after a while.

My console does not indent, but I imagine you would see SOME impressions over 100k miles. But, my door panel has divots in it, starting from 100 miles. I've never seen any vehicle from any make, of any year do this. I going to try to massage the foam, for now, and see what happens.

Edited November 22, 2023 by MrLeadFoot

MrMagloo · November 22, 2023

I did a short test today and did see the 'divot'. It did seem to go away in a few minutes, but I can see what you are talking about. Imho, this is not something GM is going to deal with, not unless you start seeing a crack or something significantly worse. They will probably just blame you for not using the existing door arm rest which as we all know is mounted about 3 inches too low. Again, bad ergos. The solution I shared is many times more comfortable and very inexpensive. I just wish I know how to remove some of the door panel trim, without removing the entire panel, so I could anchor it a little better.

All I can say is good luck.

MrLeadFoot · November 22, 2023

1 hour ago, MrMagloo said:

I did a short test today and did see the 'divot'. It did seem to go away in a few minutes, but I can see what you are talking about. Imho, this is not something GM is going to deal with, not unless you start seeing a crack or something significantly worse. They will probably just blame you for not using the existing door arm rest which as we all know is mounted about 3 inches too low. Again, bad ergos. The solution I shared is many times more comfortable and very inexpensive. I just wish I know how to remove some of the door panel trim, without removing the entire panel, so I could anchor it a little better.

All I can say is good luck.

So, imagine the divot NOT coming back up for days, weeks and months! I think there's something wrong with the foam in mine, because no one else has come out and said, "Yep, my door panel has impressions in it that haven't come back up." That means no one else is experiencing it, even if they don't often rest their arm up there. In fact, I don't do it often at all, and I have the issue. I bought my truck in the beginning of winter last year. Didn't notice anything. But, when summer hit, the impressions stayed down. They stayed down all through summer. So, I stopped putting my arm up there, as much as I can, but seriously, no components should be that fragile that you can't rest your arm up there at all! And, I bet everyone actually does rest there arm up there for a bit, but they just don't realize they do. Heck, whenever anyone rolls the window down, they typically rest their arm up there, even if it's only for a bit, like when you go through a drive-through and order food. Regardless, it's a truck for Gosh sake, so it shouldn't be that fragile. No other vehicle, car or truck, that I've ever been in, and I've been in a LOT because I actually used to manage car dealerships, has that issue. I started wondering if it was the heat, but thought, "Nah, it CAN'T be." But, now that I'm discovering all the little low-quality issues with my truck, I'm starting to think it CAN be! I have been testing, too, and it seems that when it's cooler, it doesn't do it as much, so I can't help but wonder if it's the quality of foam they put in there. Or, maybe mine is missing foam, or has less there because they were short of it, so they tried stretching it, or something. In fact, on the top of the doorpanel, I can actually see a line running down the length of the panel, under the "skin", like a seam in the foam. The line is on the very top before the panel curves downward. I am beginning to wonder if it's not a seam at all, and is where they ran out of foam, and it's the edge of the foam. In fact, maybe there isn't even any foam there, or only a stretched bit of it because the divots are all below that line, just above the curve.

Edited November 23, 2023 by MrLeadFoot

Grumpy Bear · November 23, 2023

17 hours ago, MrLeadFoot said:

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.

Years ago, OEMs raised the belt line of vehicles making it harder to rest your elbow on the lower windowsill. Near shoulder high on some. I find it uncomfortable. My truck is about perfect but only with the window down. Which isn't often. My armrest gets a dent but goes away overnight.

KARNUT · November 23, 2023

I’ve been driving over 50 years and owned countless vehicles. You get tired of the old working as designed. So I look for solutions as long as my vehicles are going down the road under their own power. I haven’t had many that are perfect for the left or right lean. All on the door side the way I lean mostly after while make my elbow sore. So I use a pillow. Not many flip down arm rest or center consoles are perfect. My Odyssey and 02 avalanche are too low. My travel lunch box fits perfect on top of the center console for my arm to rest. The fold down arm rest is useless. About the same with the avalanche. The Genesis center is perfect the door side bothers the old elbow after awhile. So the pillow takes care of it. I did check with Amazon they have all kinds of trick stuff for making the lean work perfect. The dealer will probably say the door sill isn’t designed for the old elbow. Sure the older stuff lasted longer that goes for anything. I never had a lawn mower seat crack after 6 years like the one I have now. My last 3 were the same brand. I never had to replace a mower belt before. Did 2 so far on this one. At my almost 68 years I'm seeing that with everything.

Edited November 23, 2023 by KARNUT