A vehicle door structure includes inner and outer door panels, a door handle assembly and an impact pad. The inner door panel has an access opening that extends from an inboard surface to an outboard surface. The door handle assembly has a base portion overlaying an inboard surface of the outer door panel within a door cavity and a lever portion extending along an outboard surface of the outer door panel. The impact pad has a block portion and a projecting portion that extends from the block portion. The block portion overlays and contacts a portion of the outboard surface of the inner door panel adjacent to the access opening. The block portion is in vertical alignment with a portion of the base portion of the door handle. The projecting portion spans a horizontally measured width of the access opening.