How to Fix A Saab 9-3 Rattling Door/Door Panel Removal

Do you get an annoying door rattle when you drive over bumps on the road? It could be a loose, misaligned or broken door panel clip. While driving my 2004 Saab 9-3 over bumps I was hearing a bad rattle coming from the lower corner of the passenger side door.

Fortunately I was able to reach over and press on the panel while driving over bumps which eliminated the rattle to confirm its location. I suspected it had something to do with the door panel clips. Ready to remove the door panel to investigate?

Parts needed:

• T30 Torx bit with a ratchet + extension bar
• Door panel removal tool, plastic shims and/or flat head screwdrivers
• Work light
• Some creativity if needed (in my case: some pipe thread seal tape)

Panel removal:

Start by prying off the door handle cover using your fingers. It may be tough as it required quite a bit of effort to get it off. I started with the bottom edge on lower end and slowly worked my finger around the edges to eventually get it to pop off. Here’s how I got it started:

Once you eventually “negotiate” the cover off you’ll need to take a T30 Torx bit, ratchet + extension bar to remove 2 screws securing the handle to the door:

The door panel needs to be detached from the painted metal door frame. I prefer to use plastic tools on painted metal wherever possible to avoid scraping it off. In this case I happened to have plastic shims which helped but I ended up using additional tools such as a panel trim removal tool and a flat head screwdriver:

The door panel actually pops off when enough separation is made. I started with the plastic shims to create a small gap, then I used a work light to help locate the white plastic door clips. I used the door panel trim removal tool which did the best in popping it off as it was thick enough to add pressure on both sides of the clip to encourage detachment. A panel clip is basically 2 mated pieces which snap together. I started with the “rattling” corner and eventually worked my way around the door panel edges by just using my fingers to pull+”pop” the panel away from the door frame:

Once all the edges have been “popped” off, you need to lift the door panel straight up to release it from the door frame. Upward movement is needed to detach the panel catching the window edge while also separating it from the door lock knob:

While supporting the detached door panel with one hand, check each plastic clip to see if any were loose, misaligned or broken. I found 2 loose clips on the door panel side in the “rattling” corner I previously identified. Even though these 2 clips were properly seated in their positions they simply felt too loose when my fingers ran over them:

Use a flat head screwdriver to gently work the loose clips out:

Consider what could help reduce the looseness of the 2 clips as they may seem fine but just need to be “stiffened” when put back into their locations. I came up with the idea of using pipe thread seal tape that I had in my toolbox! I figured it should be able to keep the clips snug by reducing the space in their notches:

Wrap enough of the inside notch for each clip. I used about 3-4 inches for each one and made it as snug as possible:

Reinstall the wrapped clips back into their positions. This may be harder to get back in so take your time and “encourage” it along. The point here is that the clip is intentionally made more snug to reduce/eliminate looseness which can create rattle noises.

Put everything back together

Installation is the reverse of removal. Make sure each panel clip is lined up so they each snap back together. I suggest keeping the door handle cover off and going for a test drive first to confirm the rattle is eliminated when going over bumps, that way you can easily remove the door panel again if you need to make adjustments.

If you’ve fixed annoying door rattles in the past let me know how it went and what you’ve found!

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Written by :

Alex Fiehl