Passenger Side Mirror Whistles

[jrjoeyg12]

My passenger side mirror whistles very loudly. I've never had a vehicle do this. I took it in the the dealer (still under warranty) and they told me that is "normal" for the new explorer model. Ford says it is "part of the aerodynamics." I've never heard such a thing. I had my brother lean out while I was driving and he squeezed the mirror tight and the whistle goes away. In my opinion is the construction of the mirror. Does anyone else have this problem? If its part of the aerodynamics wouldn't every vehicle do it? Any thoughts on how to get rid of it?

 

[Muddydogs]

My 2021 ST doesn't whistle. I would be at the dealer calling bull shit. I've spent the better part of my life dealing with service managers and mechanics and what I've found is don't give an inch because they will make up any bull story to get out of solving a hard issue.

 

[Garda934]

My 2021 doesn't make hardly any wind noise until you get over 110 mph. So they are being lazy and full of shit!

 

[Autoworker]

My passenger side mirror whistles very loudly. I've never had a vehicle do this. I took it in the the dealer (still under warranty) and they told me that is "normal" for the new explorer model. Ford says it is "part of the aerodynamics." I've never heard such a thing. I had my brother lean out while I was driving and he squeezed the mirror tight and the whistle goes away. In my opinion is the construction of the mirror. Does anyone else have this problem? If its part of the aerodynamics wouldn't every vehicle do it? Any thoughts on how to get rid of it?

Does the whistle sound like the theme song from "The Andy Griffith Show"? Sorry couldn't help myself. You answered your own question. If you squeeze the mirror and it goes away, you've got a bad mirror. Our ST is dead quiet at all speeds.

 

[Eaglecb]

My '21 ST is in the dealership right now for whistling sound, only happens at highway speeds. Service manager said they don't hear it, then it was "part of the characteristic" of the explorer... Still no resolution. Not sure if it's Sideview mirror, windshield, or roof rails. Masking tape over the suspected area will help indicate where the issue is, dealer doesn't see interested in figuring out the issue as there isn't a technical bulletin issued for it.

 

[jrjoeyg12]

@Eaglecb it sounds like you have the same issue I have. I don't see how we can force the dealer to fix it. For me it happens at speeds as low as 25.

 

[Eaglecb]

The slow speed issues appears to be a different one. A few people over at another forum had the same issue and it seems it was the mirror assembly. https://www.explorerforum.com/forums/threads/wind-whistle-noise-from-front-door-mirror.482601/
On page 7, someone posted their work order with part #s to fix the issue. Hopefully that helps!

 

[A&J_2021_ST]

I had the same issue. At 45+ MPH the passenger mirror appeared to be whistling.

When I closed the power mirrors it would go away. My Ford dealer (Tommie Vaugh in Houston, Texas) replaced the mirror assembly under warranty. Unfortunately, there was no change in the whistle.

We then began taping all the seams and openings on the passenger mirror assembly with no change in the whistle loudness or pitch. The noise would still go away when we would motor the mirror closed.

We then expanded our search and began taping the upper door seams near the mirror. The sound then disappeared at all speeds. Attached is a picture of my Service Rep (Paula) when we were working thru the troubleshooting process.


Hats off to her for not settling for the “this is normal” diagnosis. As you can see in this picture, the tape is now only on the door seam. The service team was then able to narrow down to an 8" section on the seam (near Paula’s left hand) where the sound was coming in.

Upon inspection, there was no defect found in the gasket (no cuts, breaks, cracks). Its just not sealing as tight as it should.

We believe that closing of the mirror was giving us a false positive and pointing us to a mirror issue. When the mirror was closed, I imagine the airflow was changed just enough to not cause the whistling.

We then came up with a fix that was satisfactory to me. However, others might not like it.

A solution we arrived at was to install a small piece of black felt tape on the inside of the door jam to better seal the gasket. This works on my car (black felt tape on the inside door jamb of a back car).
Again, this might not be acceptable for anyone other than me. But wanted to share it.

 

[Myothercarisblue]

My 2020 ST does the same thing. I started playing around with the windows down trying to find where the airflow could be disturbed to stop the whistle, seems to be toward the front bottom. Will probably end up making a custom piece of small plastic trim and adhere it with some VHB.

 

[Jeppo]

It’s funny how some car makers deal with issues. I bought a couple Mini Coopers early in BMW’s production of the renewed brand. Soon after they appeared on the market, owners began complaining of a whining sound when steering wheels were turned. Mini officially announced this was completely normal and owners should not be concerned.

Jump forward 15 or more years and Mini publishes a recall. It says power steering systems may fail and should be inspected with the possibility that some parts could require replacement. The guy at my dealership said they’ve never inspected one that didn’t need replacement of the system.

YMMV.

 

[nzaf985]

I had the same issue. At 45+ MPH the passenger mirror appeared to be whistling.

When I closed the power mirrors it would go away. My Ford dealer (Tommie Vaugh in Houston, Texas) replaced the mirror assembly under warranty. Unfortunately, there was no change in the whistle.

We then began taping all the seams and openings on the passenger mirror assembly with no change in the whistle loudness or pitch. The noise would still go away when we would motor the mirror closed.

We then expanded our search and began taping the upper door seams near the mirror. The sound then disappeared at all speeds. Attached is a picture of my Service Rep (Paula) when we were working thru the troubleshooting process.
View attachment 8231

Hats off to her for not settling for the “this is normal” diagnosis. As you can see in this picture, the tape is now only on the door seam. The service team was then able to narrow down to an 8" section on the seam (near Paula’s left hand) where the sound was coming in.

Upon inspection, there was no defect found in the gasket (no cuts, breaks, cracks). Its just not sealing as tight as it should.

We believe that closing of the mirror was giving us a false positive and pointing us to a mirror issue. When the mirror was closed, I imagine the airflow was changed just enough to not cause the whistling.

We then came up with a fix that was satisfactory to me. However, others might not like it.

A solution we arrived at was to install a small piece of black felt tape on the inside of the door jam to better seal the gasket. This works on my car (black felt tape on the inside door jamb of a back car).
Again, this might not be acceptable for anyone other than me. But wanted to share it.

do you have a picture of the felt? I’d try it if it works.