Gaining Access To Repair Power Windows,
Door Locks, Side Mirrors and More.
(Covers Model Years 2005 to Current)
In This Article:
Various screws are removed and then the door panel is pried away.
Cables and electrical connectors are disconnected to separate the panel from the door.
Removing the door panel
on this 2007 Subaru Outback involved three hidden
screws that had to be removed, and a complicated
latch assembly that had to disconnected.
I used a flat
screwdriver to pry off the cover behind the inside
door latch handle.
This exposed a hidden Phillips screw (red
arrow), which I removed.
I used a
small tack puller tool to pry off the inside cover
for the mirror.
I
I put a piece of masking tape above the door pull handle to prevent damage.
Then I used a small flat screwdriver to
start prying the handle apart.
View of back
of pull handle cover.
There are 3 push clips
that hold this cover to the main part of the
pull handle.
One of the push clips stayed in the handle...
I just left the metal clip in place and it went
back together later with no problem.
I used a Phillips screwdriver to remove the
screw in the upper part of the handle.
Then I
removed the lower Phillips screw.
I used a rigid putty knife to pry out the snap
clips that held the plastic door panel to
the metal door shell.
Then I pulled
the panel slightly outward and pushed it up over
the metal lip at the top of the door.
BUT...
the door panel was still attached by the cables
that connect the door release handle to the
internal latch mechanism.
The back of the door release handle and lock had
two
cables attached.
I removed the
lower plastic cable end sleeve from its mount.
Then I pulled the inner wire cable end ball (red
arrow) from the latch
handle.
I used the
same method on the upper cable, which is for the
door lock.
I then pressed the tab on the wire connector and pulled
the wire harness out of the power window and door lock switch.
At the lower
door panel light I pressed in on the tab of the
wire connector and pulled the connector out of
the lamp.
At this point the door panel was
completely separated from the car.
View of back of plastic door panel.
View of metal
door shell and dust cover.
Removal of Side View Mirror:
First I disconnected the side view mirror wire
harness by pressing in on the tab and pulling
the connector apart (yellow arrow).
Then I used a 10mm socket and ratchet to
remove the three bolts fastening mirror to the
door (red arrow).
One of the
mounting bolts was hidden behind a little black cover
(red arrow).
Caution: Have someone hold the mirror... if it
falls it will cause damage.
