Driving down the road at speeds above 30 MPH with the windows open feels like you are walking on the outer edges of a tornado. The wind starts howling, and the airflow begins to become a bit uncomfortable.
In most cars, this isn’t a problem once you roll the windows up. Everything goes whisper quiet. In others, you can still hear the window noise filter through. This is common in budget cars, older vehicles, or just models where the designers did not put much thought into aerodynamics.
Before we look into the many aftermarket tricks, you can use to reduce wind noise when driving. We will first find out why it happens and what factors can exacerbate it.
The Size and Shape of Your Vehicle
The shape and size of the car will determine how noisy your vehicle gets. Off-roading vehicles, SUVs, minivans, pickup trucks, and other practical vehicles are rarely aerodynamic.
They’re built for strength and function at low speeds. This is why designers don’t worry that much about wind noise.
You will feel the big towing mirrors on your F150 start whistling at speed. The blocky shape of the car is less aerodynamic and will not cut through the air as smoothly as an aerodynamic sedan.
Worn out Seals and Weather Stripping
Regardless of how aerodynamic a car gets, it will still have to deal with some form of wind noise at speed.
Weatherstripping and sealing around windows and the doors create a perfect soundproof seal to keep the noise at the bare minimum.
Over time, the weatherstripping will degrade and start to crack. Moreover, it can flatten out, get torn, or dry rot. This will prevent it from creating a perfect air-tight seal around the door or glass.
The narrow openings it leaves will either create irritating whistling noise or gushing wind noises if they are big enough.
Deformation or Damage Around the Doors
Sometimes, your weather stripping can be just fine, but it won’t do a great job since the doors or panels around them are damaged and deformed.
A minor or significant fender bender affecting the door’s shape could lead to such a problem. Even something as simple as bending an open door by reversing against an obstacle or replacing a door could lead to more extensive than anticipated panel gaps.
Exterior Damage to the Car Body
The damage to the car’s body doesn’t have to be on the doors alone. Any damage that pokes a hole into the cabin will lead to wind noise.
A good example of easily ignored damage is the type that damages gromets or pokes tiny holes in the firewall. This will give air extra openings to seep into the cabin hence the noise.
Older vehicles can also get localized or extensive damage on the subframe that opens holes under the carpet. These will also make wind noise worse than before.
Non-Acoustic Windshield and Windows
Some manufacturers use acoustic glass for their windshields which give them better sound insulation against all that wind. Even if your vehicle doesn’t have one, chances are the OEM windshield was of better quality than any cheap replacement you would get if you crack your windshield.
Nonetheless, only luxury spec vehicles come with double glazed acoustic windshields and windows. The amount of wind noise filtering through the windows should be minimal, especially if you are still using stock glass.
Bad or No Sound Insulation At All
Sound insulation plays a critical role in keeping road noise and wind noise from the cabin. It also insulates you from the constant noise of the motor in the engine bay (assuming you are not driving an EV.)
Different manufacturers insulate their vehicles differently. Some will put the bare minimum to keep the motor’s heat out of the cabin, while others will go an extra mile to address engine noise, tire noise, and wind noise to the fullest.
Regardless of what type of insulation your vehicle has, chances are it will deteriorate over time. Spray-on insulation on the wheel wells and undercarriage will chip and drop over time.
Body panel insulation might last longer, but chances are it will lose its capabilities over time.
If your car is very noisy, chances are it has little to no insulation since body panels are excellent sound conductors and will bring in all the noise you don’t want.
You can go for aftermarket sound insulation solutions to fix the problem. You can DIY soundproof door panels or go further and strip down the car to the shell and soundproof each panel.
The result would be a very silent car and a surprisingly good-sounding stereo system.
How to Get Rid of or Reduce Wind Noise in Your Car
The first step to fixing the wind noise is finding out where it is coming from. You will need a couple of friends and an isolated road that is smooth and good enough to get up to speed.
Have people sit on all four seats in the car (or two seats if it’s a two sitter) and drive at highway speed.
Each person should be listening to wind noise spots close to them that indicate a hole or damaged weather stripping.
You can make the finding more accurate by switching positions and comparing notes afterward. This test will help you identify the true cause of noise in your car, giving you a chance to focus your resources, time, and effort on a solution that will yield the best results.
ProTip: If budget isn’t a problem, start by fixing apparent damage like bent doors, panels, and gashes in the body. After this, replace old or damaged weather stripping before applying sound insulation to door panels.
Some common issues to be on the lookout for when planning your course of action include:
Damaged Doors or Body Panels
If you were involved in an accident or someone ‘misused’ the door, there is the possibility that the door or its sealing panel is slightly warped.
Scrutinize the doors for any deformities. You can compare different doors to find out what tolerances and panel gaps are normal. Should you find any defects on the door, let an expert handle the repairs. A DIY attempt could cause more damage than good.
Similarly, any visible bents or gashes on your vehicle’s body panels must be fixed. Replace the entire body panel or consider professional restoration if a replacement is not an option.
Gashes or bends not only make the vehicle look bad but can also affect the structural integrity or expose bare metal, making your car more susceptible to rusting.
Rust damage in old vehicles can itself open up large enough holes to cause wind noise. If your vehicle seems rusted through, have a professional inspect it and advise accordingly. Sometimes, you might have to write off the car or have a professional renovate it to code to keep it roadworthy and safe.
Replacing Damaged or Worn out Door Seals
If you have confirmed no damage to door panels (or have repaired any damage), it is time to replace or renew your door seals.
- If there are visible holes, gaps, and tears, replace them
- If it looks loose and retainer clips are missing, get the clips and tuck them back into space( avoid using glue unless necessary)
- If it is missing, replace it
- If it looks compressed and old but still intact, clean it and apply silicone grease to see if it regains its tenacity. If it doesn’t replace it
ProTip: Most modern manufacturers use clips to hold door seals in place. If the clips are missing or the door seals torn, replace them instead of glue to tuck them in place. Only use glue when replacing window seals or door seals in vintage cars that used glue to start with.
Install Wind Deflectors
Wind deflectors are curved pieces of plastic attached to the top of door windows to channel flowing air away from your windows and their weather-stripping. You don’t have to worry about wind noise through the door seals or the window glass by pushing wind away from your windows.
Look for wind deflectors specifically designed to match your car. If you are buying something new, you can opt for the windbreakers as an option (if they are not installed as standard.)
Add Sound Absorbing Mats to Your Body Panels
The last thing you can do to make your car dead silent is installing sound-absorbing mats.
You will have to strip down your car to bare metal before installing them for the best results.
The most common place to install sound deadening mats is on the door panels. After all, they’re often the biggest continuous sheets of metal most manufacturers leave uninsulated.
Remove the door panels and use the provided roller to install the sound-absorbing mats. Remember to cut openings for hardware and ventilation holes and don’t block window controls.
ProTip: You don’t have to cover the entire panel. Some coverage will have good results, but covering more will be better.
Are Wind Deflectors Worth It?
Wind deflectors are a simple construct that alters your vehicle’s aerodynamics to steer airflow away from your windows. They are designed to redirect air and liquid around the sides of the vehicle while letting you retain ventilation by cracking the windows just a bit.
Even though you won’t get water droplets, sleet, and dust into the car with the windows cracked to just above the deflectors, slightly more window and road noise will filter into the car as you drive.
Apart from protecting you from rain droplets and making your car less noisy, they also block some direct sun glare as they are often made of tinted acrylic or clear plastic. This is an additional plus.
Note: Wind deflectors won’t make your car dead silent, but they will reduce how much wind noise you get, especially with cracked windows.
How Do You Reduce the Wind Noise in a Convertible?
Wind noise is a common trade-off (or quirk) of convertibles. After all, the whole idea behind having an open top is to let the wind in, enjoy the breeze as you cruise down the road.
While well-designed convertibles use aerodynamics and the windshield to deflect most of the wind off your face, they do little to reduce wind noise – especially with the top down.
Hardtop convertibles are more silent than soft-top models. It is easier to insulate the solid panels in the hardtop than insulating the fabric in soft tops.
Nonetheless, you can reduce the window noise by following the procedures we listed for a regular car. After that, look into these extras.
Ensure that the Roof Is Latched Firmly
When putting up the top, ensure that it sits snugly and creates perfect seals with the windshield and windows. Over time, the tight tolerances in the convertible top frame might go out of alignment. This will make the roof leave some gaps even when fully closed.
A fault could also be keeping the top from extending fully. If you notice any gaps, have a professional look into it and make adjustments to ensure a tight fit.
A Damaged or Torn Cover
A tear or hole in your retractable cover can lead to more wind noise if you drive a soft-top convertible. Have it patched up as soon as possible, even if it is at a spot where water can’t come in.
The less wind you have flowing into the car through unintended spots, the more wind noise you will have.
Shop for Hard Top Convertibles
Hardtops will always be more silent than soft tops. The easiest way to upgrade (if you drive a soft top) is to ensure that you buy a hardtop convertible next time you are shopping for a vehicle.