Tired of car doors that don't work for you? If you're not average height with average arms, car doors can easily open too far or not far enough, making getting in or out or even just closing the door tougher than it needs to be. Hyundai has a plan to fix that.Perhaps it addresses a problem that doesn't exist, or maybe it's one of those game-changing why didn't someone think of this sooner moments. In either case, car doors are definitely an everyday item that's taken for granted. CarBuzz found this recent patent from Hyundai showing the automaker wants to do something about that. Forget Everything You Know About Door Hinges Hyundai Hyundai describes in the patent the limitations of modern car door hinges. They're normally set up with a part that limits how far the door can open, but also generally limits how far the door will open. Some doors have stops in the middle of their travel, but they're more like suggestions than hard stops – especially if it's windy or you're on a hill.The Korean automaker points out that, if the maximum door opening is small, larger passengers can't get in or out. If it's too wide, it might be hard to reach for smaller passengers. The invention is meant to solve both problems.To accomplish it, Hyundai's engineers have largely reinvented the door hinge. Instead of a traditional link, there is an inner shaft and sleeve. The shaft has a groove cut into it in a shape that lets it interface with a pin that goes through the sleeve.The shaft is shown with multiple position stops, eight, in the case of the patent drawings. The door would then be able to open to the length set by the position limiting pin. Drop it into the first slot, and the door opens the smallest amount. Move it to the last slot, and the door opens much wider.You wouldn't need to go to a mechanic to change the opening, either. The patent describes pressing on the end of the shaft in the door hinge, which would overcome a spring and move it to the next position for a wider opening. Push the other end, and the mechanism will slot into a narrower opening position. It certainly sounds easy, though it might be a bit greasy to use. Hyundai Is All About Innovative Door Design Genesis We're not sure that making a basic door hinge more complicated is something automakers want to do in 2026, but that's just our institutional memories left by the popping and notchy multiple-indent hinges of the 1980s and 1990s. Still, this hinge does add moving parts, and requires spring tension to work. That could be a maintenance issue down the road, especially for customers living in the rust belt.We also struggle with the notion that drivers would adjust the door hinges after they buy the car. It feels like a one-and-done kind of thing, even if it is easy to use. If a car has multiple drivers of varying sizes, maybe that's the end game. But ask yourself this: how often do you adjust your car's headrests or seat belt mounting points? Still, it's nice to see innovation in an area that doesn't get much attention. The last big door hinge news might have been the introduction of power open/close or soft-close doors on luxury vehicles.Speaking of, Hyundai's other recent door hinge invention covers one of those luxury applications. The company is also working on a coach door hinge and mechanism for its upcoming Genesis GV90 SUV, which could put that door feature on more vehicles than any single car or SUV model in the last 100 years. Pickups, of course, excluded.Patent filings do not guarantee the use of such technology in future vehicles and are often used exclusively as a means of protecting intellectual property. Such a filing cannot be construed as confirmation of production intent.Source: US Patent & Trademark Office