Restore original door closing feel
 

I'd like to know what would be the way to restore the original feel when you close a door - you know that smooth, hushed, solid feel and sound when you close a new car's door. My Camry '08 is in perfect shape but the driver's door, as the most used one, has lost this feel. The other doors are perfect in that regard. I have also noticed that this particular door has lost the ability to open in a "stepped" (for lack of better word) fashion - it would swing all the way without resistance. Horrible in strong winds. Please, note that the door is not sagging, rattling or misaligned in any way and it closes perfectly. I can do most repairs/fixes myself so if there's anything I can do I'd like to hear it. Thank you!

The hinge arm action is limited by a couple of rubber wedges called door checks. These wedges ride on the arm and can wear out, be damaged, etc.

Check with a Toyota dealer for replacement checks.

Remove the inner door panel to access. Remove roll pin from where bar pivots on the jamb. Push bar through the frame opening. Remove bar and then door checks which are bolted on. Then reassemble.

The door checks don't seem to hold up very well in most of the Toyota's - it's a very common problem.

Although I've not attempted it yet, I've read of someone cutting a slim slot in the side(s) of the black wedge part and inserting a small washer (or perhaps a dime) to restore the "indent" feature of the door opening.