New Alpha - door problem

New owner of an 06 Alpha. I open the door to step out of the vehicle for the first time the top hinge pulls away from the body of the vehicle. Looks like the two bolts that secure the hing to the vehicle just pulled out of the holes. Is this a commone occurence for any of the H1 owners out there? Two of the arm rests in the doors were also missing screws and I later found a missing bolt in the dash.

My dealer said he would order some bolts for the door and it is an easy self install but it looks like you tool with a special socket head. Just a little frustrating to have this type of vehicle falling apart the first few hours of ownership. Any other fit and finish problems out there?

Not a common occurance.

You should be able to swap those hinge bolts using a regular 12-point 1/4" socket.
Are the bolts themselves stripped? If so, then maybe it is only the bolts that are the problem.

If you take some pictures and email them to me I would be happy to take a look...

Thanks for the quick reply. I don't have a camera with me here now, but I'll try better to describe. Looks like there is a circular insert that goes into the side of the vehicle. The hinge bolt then threads into this insert thus securing the hinge to the side of the vehicle. The bolt stays securely attached to the insert, but the insert pulls out of the hole. I can push the whole assembly back in but it just pops out again when the door opens. Part will take a week or so to get from my dealer so a quicker fix would be great.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Thanks for the quick reply. I don't have a camera with me here now, but I'll try better to describe. Looks like there is a circular insert that goes into the side of the vehicle. The hinge bolt then threads into this insert thus securing the hinge to the side of the vehicle. The bolt stays securely attached to the insert, but the insert pulls out of the hole. I can push the whole assembly back in but it just pops out again when the door opens. Part will take a week or so to get from my dealer so a quicker fix would be great.

Thanks in advance for your help.

I have had my Alpha for over a year and I have had no problems. 13k miles so far and still the greatest purchase of my life.

Sounds like the "nut" that is tacked to inside of the body panel has pulled off, and through the hole?
Is the hole very large now?

Sounds like the fix will involve some kind of plate be inserted inside the body panel, which would need to be expoxies of tackwelded into place. As a temporary solution, a washer and nut could be used to at least hold the bolt from pulling out again in the meantime.

Thanks again for the reply.

I think you are right. It looks like both of the "nuts" inside the panel pulled off leaving a couple of large holes.

I made an appointment with the dealer later this week as there is unfortunately a growing list of fit/finish issues with the vehicle. The loud chirping out of the dash is almost as annoying as the door falling off the hinges.

These "nuts" sound like a rivnut type of device. They install by taking a bolt and threading a regular nut all the way down the bolt, then thread on this "anchor nut" and slip it into the hole. Then you unscrew the regular nut until in comes in contact with the anchor nut and continue to tighten until the anchor nut has collaped in the hole and wedged itself tight. Then you remove the bolt and install the door hinge.
What has probably happened is yours weren't full tighted, or the holes were drilled slightly too large and it pulled out of the sheet metal. If the former is the case, new anchor nuts should fix the problem. If the latter is the case, then you will need either bigger anchor nuts to fit the larger holes, or have some body work done to fill in the holes back to the proper size.

Yes! What he said. And MM don't be so polite. Were all just a bunch of Yahoo's around here. Congrats on the h1 brutha.

Update...service center ordered the parts but for some reason it did not correct the problem. The assembly plant is now going to special mfg a part and send to my local dealer. Frustrating to say the least. With all of the other fit and finish issues I'm hoping I didn't get a LEMON here.

Actually, the "nuts" in that location on my 95 are not rivnuts; they are round nuts (no hex shape on outside surface) that are surface tack-welded to the body panel.

I had one break loose on my truck (after 11 years and 140,000 miles of removing and reinstalling the doors twice a year!), and I just replaced it with a washer, lock-washer and standard hex nut. The only problem is you have to secure it with a wrench when tighting/loosening that bolt.

What I described was what we used when when changed from the cheesey 4X4 mirriors that were mounted on an arm in front of the windshiled to the west coast mirrors that are mounted on the windshild frame when I was in the Marine Corps. They do not have a hex body either and are completely round. They fit into the hole and then compress down around the hole like a rivit does. It is such a tight fit that the nut does not turn when you tighted the bolt you put in it. They are used all over the place on the vehicle because they are easy to repair in the field.

Yup... that's what rivnuts are.  I also converted to West Coast military mirrors on my truck, I know exactly what you mean - but the doors don't use 'em. 
 
http://www.serious4x4.com/mirrors.html
 
 

I'll give you a tip for the passenger mirror. Take the mirror brackets off that actually hold the mirror onto the loop that is mounted to the windshield frame and turn them over so they are on the front side of the loop. Then remount the mirror and push the loop forward so that you look through the passenger windshield to see the mirror. This way the mirror doesn't get whacked out of posititon by the door when it is opened, and you get to use more of the mirror. This trick also works with the deep water snorkle, and you will see the mirror between the windshiled frame and the snorkle.. I did this to all of my vehicles that I drove when I was active duty.

Yup... that is pretty much the only way to make the mirror on that side work, if you have doors on the truck.  I usually have the doors removed, so it is easier to look out the passenger side door opening at the mirror -- plus the passenger can easily adjust it for you as needed.   
 

quote:

ORIGINAL: Linus Gump

I'll give you a tip for the passenger mirror. Take the mirror brackets off that actually hold the mirror onto the loop that is mounted to the windshield frame and turn them over so they are on the front side of the loop. Then remount the mirror and push the loop forward so that you look through the passenger windshield to see the mirror. This way the mirror doesn't get whacked out of posititon by the door when it is opened, and you get to use more of the mirror. This trick also works with the deep water snorkle, and you will see the mirror between the windshiled frame and the snorkle.. I did this to all of my vehicles that I drove when I was active duty.