Driver Door Won't Latch

[rgaus]

Here's a weird one. We have a 2008 smart with about 18,000 miles. My wife had driven it about 20 miles to a meeting the other day and locked it. After about an hour she came out to open the car. It opened fine, but when she shut the door it didn't latch. Nothing in the way. No obvious reason (seat belt caught). I arrived to help and tried unlocking and locking with both the key as well as the manual system inside the car. Nothing worked. Eventually, I sent her home in the other car and drove the smart myself with my arm outside the open window to hold the door shut on the highway. At the normal self locking speed I heard a click, but the wrong door. I could still push my door open. At higher highway speeds I pressed the "lock" button on the dash again. I didn't try pushing the door at that point on the highway, but when I arrived back home, the door had locked. It has locked and unlocked perfectly since then. Anyone else experienced this? If not, try my method in an emergency if it does.

Ron Gaus, St. Louis

[Turbo42]

Actually this is not weird its a common problem you need to have a new latch put in

[SLIVERS]

My friend has an 08. Had problems most of the winter with the door not latching shut. If the door didn't latch shut he would operate the inside handle and then shut it. Worked that way but kind of a pain. It took yelling and almost screaming and talk to local rep to get the latch assembly replaced under warranty. We live 500 miles from dealer and they could not replicate the problem at dealership. It's been 4 months without problem.

[rgaus]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll get it to the dealership and reference this thread if they doubt the problem. Would seem that a door latch that doesn't always work would represent a bit of a liability to them if they said there was no problem after it was reported. Thanks again.

Ron

[SLIVERS]

My friend wanted it in writing before he left on the 500 mile trip home that there was nothing wrong with latch. The dealer would not. Kept saying they could not replicate problem....so there was no problem hence there was no warranty issue. They kept saying that it must be a cold weather issue. The problem is we live in Montana, it gets cold here in the winter (sometimes in the summer). The dealer was in Seattle and it doesn't get that cold in Seattle. It is a small car but they didn't have a big enough refrigerator to put it in. That's one of the problems of being 500 miles from dealer!

[Turbo42]

its not during a cold issue believe me they do it here in 90 degree weather

[Macaw]

Just tell them it does it when it gets hot...as that IS a know issue....had our '08 done last year....