I'm the passenger prince in the Defender and every time I put my arm on the arm rest - or rest my knee against the armrest (I'm tall) it makes this really annoying sound that I recorded:
Like I ask in the video - am I being nitpicky on sound? It really strikes a nerve for some reason.

I've tried to pull the arm rest off like in the PowefulUK video starting at the rear of the arm rest and pulling up - but no matter how hard I pull it will not come off. I even tried using a trim tool to pry it up. No dice. I actually lifted the truck on the suspension trying to pull it off. Any tips?

 

That’s insane I would go nuts. You’re good to be annoyed by that. All is fair. Mine make no such noise. I’d drive the car off a cliff.

The armrest pries OUT from the door panel. (not in half and apart where you are prising it apart)

1) Would a 2022 not be under warranty (maybe not because of mileage) -- if not, dealer this.

2) Please see this photo from the official LR workshop manual that will show you how to remove that. Note. There is a really tricky hook that goes from the top downward, by the inner pull handle. Do not break it. Basically -- you pull it towards the inside of the car -- not like you're doing.

 

If your car is still under warranty, take it to the dealership and let them fix it. It would drive me insane to hear that every time one lays their arm on it. This should not be happening.

 

The car is under warranty for another few months. I can take it in but I was going to wait until closer to the warranty expiration and have them go over a bunch of things like sensor recalibrations and such all at once. This armrest thing is bugging the hell out of me.

Thank you for the diagram on the armrest. It'll have to wait until next weekend for me to take another look at - but I have a 16 hour drive coming up in two weeks and I'll be damned if I have to listen to that damned armrest the whole time.

The noise seems to actually be coming from where the "hook" is near the vertical handle.

 

I had a similar issue and I fixed it by stuffing a bunch of microfiber cloth I cut to size underneath the trim. It’s quiet now.

 

My OCTA with under 2k miles on it been doing it on the drivers door around the grab handle area for the last 1k miles. Squeaks when you go to close or open the door and it makes me insane. The sound on mine is coming from the top of the arm rest (which incudes the "handle") where it interfaces at the black plastic window switch surround.

 

Take it to the dealer ASAP.

 

So I couldn't get it in to the dealer in time for our trip to NC coming up on Friday when we'll be driving for 16+ hours in the Defender. So I took another stab at it.

Got the panel off the correct way this time. Thanks again for pointing out my idiocy previously.


I lined the contact areas with interior Tesa (non-flammable!!!!) tape. Its not very sticky stuff but then it doesn't need to be. The contact point I think that was causing the squeaking was right under the handle. I had a little scrap of (new) shop rag on the top surface but I ended up not needing that - replaced it with another piece of Tesa tape. None of the tape is visible with the armrest reinstalled.

No more squeaky squeaky.

 

Nicely done. Probably a much better result than you'd have gotten had you brought it in.

 

I took mine to the dealer on Friday and they have ordered a replacement door panel.