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by Justin Stobb

What is that wind noise on my Subaru and how can I make it stop!

One of the typical things that will happen to your Subaru is over time you will hear an increased amount of wind type noise coming into the cabin area of the car especially at freeway speeds.

For certain Subaru models there is an updated part called the door gusset that will resolve this issue for you and bring back some of the piece and quiet you used to enjoy in your Subaru.

There is actually a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) number 12-82-04 pertaining to the updated gussets on certain model Subaru’s.  Other models in some cases can have the gussets adjusted to resolve the noise.

The updated gussets are part number 61158AE00B for the right, and 61158AE01B.  These updated parts fit the 2000 to 2004 Subaru Legacy and Outback platform.

There are some measurements that Subaru suggests making prior to replacing the gusset jut to insure replacing the gusset is necessary.  The first is between the gusset and the glass with the door closed and the window up, if it is more than 2mm the gusset should be done the next is with the window down if the clearance is more than 5mm the gusset needs to be replaced.

Below are some pictures of the replacement process.  The door panel and mirror have to come off to replace the gusset.  The clearance needs to be checked after the gusset is replaced and adjusted if needed.

The picture doesn’t do justice to the gap formed btetween the glass and the door gusset.

The gap is gone.

Fixing the gap in the Door Gusset will greatly diminish the wind noise coming into your Subaru from the window and will quit driving you crazy.

Thanks for reading

Justin

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12 Responses to “What Is That Wind Noise In My Subaru?”

1. Julio Says:
   April 25th, 2009 at 7:12 am

   Thank you Justin. I just bought a 2004 Forester and that’s the first thing I noticed. I really appreciate you taking the time to document and take the pictures.

   Best Regards,

2. lana Says:
   November 11th, 2009 at 10:44 pm

   Thanks you for the info… where could I buy a replacement door gusset?

3. Joe Says:
   January 8th, 2010 at 6:51 pm

   Great bit of info. Very pricey part for such a trivial item. $92 from the Subaru Stealer.

4. Joe Says:
   January 8th, 2010 at 6:59 pm

   Update: allsubaru.com has them in stock for $73 each.

5. Don Christensen Says:
   January 10th, 2010 at 10:09 pm

   Thanks for your information on 2003 wind noise. Ours is getting worse and driving us crazy. It is the only thing we don’t like about our Subie. I suspected this area, now I know what to do. Thank You!!
   Don, Salem, OR

6. Don Christensen Says:
   February 1st, 2010 at 6:26 pm

   Thank you soooo much for this information. I replaced both gussets and the noise is gone. It has put the pleasure back into driving my subie. It was the best $185 I have spent.

7. Rick Reber Says:
   February 14th, 2010 at 3:13 am

   If you want to try to fix yourself here is my solution (may be temporary??) Take a hair dryer and heat up the gusset and bend towards the glass. lo and behold it again sealed properly and took away the warpage that was causing the wind noise. so far so good

8. ZAZ Brown Says:
   February 19th, 2010 at 12:25 am

   Here’s another fix…sorry I don’t have pictures but after searching other forums, the solution was simple.

   If you roll down the window and remove the plastic trim where the tweeter should go (depending upon model) you should be able to squeeze the piece back into a more acute opening. If you get it to look like the new piece that Justin suggested, then the next trick is to attempt to roll up the window and check for clearance. I got it with a first time go on the passenger side. Since I roll the drivers side down more often, the window got jammed a couple of times until I “shaped” the wedge to a more suitable path for it. Now it works like new. I’ll be test driving it in a few on the highway to see if the noise is gone. Saved me some money and took less than 5 minutes (plus it’s cold out there!!!).

   Hope this helps folks. I love my Subaru.

9. Jim Says:
   February 21st, 2010 at 2:03 pm

   Okay, this is good, now how do I fix an 09 Forrester wind sound? Just got it and plan to ask the dealer about this, but I want to make sure I have some idea what they will do.

10. ZAZ Brown Says:
    February 22nd, 2010 at 3:04 pm

    Follow up:
    After test driving my car on the highway, the noise is gone. I can only hear the faint sound of the road and exhaust,but no wind noise. It’s worth a try before plunking down money for new parts. Good luck!

11. Mike Says:
    June 5th, 2010 at 5:14 pm

    My outback has this problem. My local shop often uses used parts to help save customers money. I will have to check this out with them. Thanks from Colorado.

12. Amy Says:
    August 28th, 2010 at 4:07 am

    My Subaru Stealer(I love that! Hate that it is so true) told me that adjusting the mirror gusset on my driver’s side door would fix the wind noise. I was quoted $25. I haven’t done it yet, will wait until I have the body repair from another car bumping into me (on the first day I drove my Subaru that was new to me!) and ask them to do that little service for me, hopefully complimentary.

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