"I Can't Get Into My Car" - Car Door Frozen Shut

Updated Jan 30th, 2023

We’ve got some cold winter weather coming through, so I wanted to refresh this 9-year-old blog with a common cold weather issue for many vehicle owners.

My doors, locks, door handles, windows, wipers, etc are frozen and won’t move. How do I de-ice them?

Winter is tough on cars, and the cold-hearted weather always hits us when we least expect it.

Today, a lovely young lady who brings her car to Girls Auto Clinic called in distress.  Her driver's side car door was frozen shut!  She was at work and couldn't get her car door open.   "What can I do to open my door, and how did this happen?" she asked.

Can you feel her pain?  A long day of work and you can't wait to get home to your warm house, maybe a glass of wine, and Abbott Elementary...and nope!  Mother Nature and your car had other plans. Just your luck, right?

If you find your car door frozen shut, your electrical windows won’t go down, your wipers are frozen to the windshield, or your door handle is frozen closed, follow these few tips to help you "break in" without breaking anything.

1. Don’t panic if you can’t get into your car because your door is frozen shut. Try all entrances to your car, even the trunk or hatch door.

2. If the door is enclosed in ice, use a plastic ice scrapper to chip some of it off. Do NOT pull on the handle to try and pry the door open. You might break the door handle. Push into the door with the side of your hip gently to see if that breaks any ice loose.

3. Don’t put HOT or Boiling water on the frozen glass, as it may cause the glass to expand too fast and will cause it to shatter. Try room temperature or slightly warm water poured around the door handle or seal to break any ice loose.

4. Hand Sanitizer is a great home car solution for breaking free ice from your window, handles, and wipers. Grab some sanitizer from your house and rub it on the locks, wipers, and windows to melt the ice. Hand sanitizer will not harm your paint!

5. Is your car FOB dead, and your car lock frozen? Graphite grease from any home improvement store rubbed on the key can help get you into your car.

6. Amazon, Walmart, Targets, Home Depots and Lowes have de-icer sprays that can help de-ice your car surfaces without damaging the surface.

Good luck in the cold weather and don’t forget to stay warm with extra gloves, coats, or blankets in the car for emergencies.