Woman Gets In Her Lexus. Then She Realizes Her Door Is Completely Full Of Water—Now What?

You open your car door and hear a strange splashing sound. “It’s not supposed to make that noise,” you think to yourself. But it is and you’re left confused and wondering how water could have possibly accumulated in such a strange place.

Well, turns out it's not as strange as you’d think. Here’s how it happens and what to do about it to avoid further issues.

In a trending video with more than 159,000 views, content creator and dad John (@batroc_the_leaper) said that his daughter heard something strange inside her car door.

"My daughter claims there is water inside the door of her 2020 Lexus RX 350. Let's check it out," he says as he heads to the car.

He opens the door of the Lexus and rocks it back and forth, and you can clearly hear water sloshing around inside.

"I'm not a car guy by any means. I did some quick Google research,” he says. “I can't find anything. I know I've seen videos of like Jeeps having those plugs under the doors. I looked, I couldn't find anything. So if you guys can give me any help, that'd be great.”

In the caption he adds a bit of context, implying he was confused about the situation because his daughter "hasn't been off-roading in years.”

Why Does Water Get Trapped Inside Car Doors?

Car doors are built with a "wet side" and a "dry side" separated by a plastic vapor barrier, and that wet side is designed to channel water down to a series of drain holes along the bottom edge of the door, according to SlashGear. Water gets into that wet side more easily than people expect.

Cars.com notes water can enter through window seals during rain, at a car wash, or even from regular condensation. The problem starts when those drain holes get blocked, which can happen a few different ways:

• Dirt, gravel, and general road debris building up over time
• Aftermarket rustproofing treatments applied too thickly, accidentally sealing the holes shut
• Deteriorated window or door seals that let in more water than the drains were designed to handle

Once the holes are clogged, water has nowhere to go, so it just builds up inside the door.

How Do You Drain A Car Door?

Fixing a car door that’s filled with water is usually simpler than it sounds. Most doors have one or two small drain holes at the bottom, sometimes covered with a rubber plug. Clearing them often just means poking through the hole with something like a bamboo skewer, a wire hanger, or a screwdriver to knock it loose, CarParts explains.

SlashGear also suggests first parking on an incline so the water pools near the drain plug, making it easier to clear out in one go.

Leaving the water in place can cause real damage over time, such as:

• Corrosion: Trapped moisture rusts the door's steel frame from the inside out
• Mold and mildew: Standing water and soaked carpet can grow mold, which can trigger allergy-type symptoms like sneezing, watery eyes, and coughing
• Electrical damage: Doors house switches and wiring for power windows and locks, and water exposure can cause these components to short out.

People Offer Advice

The comments were full of people saying it shouldn’t have been so hard for the dad to figure out a solution.

“There should be drain holes at the bottom of the door. They are probably plugged up. Unplug them,” a top comment read.

“Took me a grand total of 10 seconds to find the drain location on Google,” a person said.

“I’m a tech for Lexus. On the bottom of the door on the outside there is a black trim piece. From the top behind it push the tabs that hold it on and pull it outward. It will fold out, under the door on the bottom side towards the front and rear there are rubber plugs. Pull them out and leave them out. Push the trim back on. You’re welcome,” another recommended.

Motor1 reached out to John via TikTok direct message and comment and to Lexus via email. We'll be sure to update this if either responds.