How to fix dramatically increased noise after a window replacement?
My car recently got broken into (twice). Both times it was the driver-side rear window. I had to replace both the roll-down window and the vent window. After going for a drive (post-replacing the vent window), I noticed that the road noise is dramatically louder than it used to be. It sounds similar to as if one of the windows wasn’t rolled up all the way to the end. I checked and made sure that all the windows and doors are properly closed. But the issue still persists. It’s more prominent at higher speeds on a highway, above 50 miles an hour or so.
I suspect that maybe the seal around the vent window is somehow not in the same state as it was before the break-in. I tried jiggling it around and it does have a bit of a give when I try to shift it up or down or sideways. It moves around by a couple of millimeters on each side. So that’s maybe the cause?
How do I fix it, however? The part was ordered from a reputable seller and it is the part number that the manufacturer recommends. When I installed it, the fit seemed correct. It was quite a tight fit to put it back in and it didn’t feel like there was much room for any gap to remain.
Do you have any recommendations on how to confirm what the issue is and how to approach fixing it?
Posted Feb 11, 2026, 10:21 PM UTC