I open & close my driver door 20-30 times a day for the last 4 years. How come my handle is just fine still? Is it luck? or do I just close the door properly? With the grip right there why would anyone want to go out of their way to pull on the handle, seems un natural and more work to me. It just has never even occurred to me to grab it, or was it Dad's "training" in his Imperial.

 

My mom broke the door handle on my car.. I called the dealer and he quoted me $100.00. I told him I don't want to buy the door, just the handle.. He said that price is for an aftermarket handle.. If I went with GM it would cost $300.00.. You would think that they could make the part out of metal, or a stronger plastic at least.. Why do they feel the need to charge so much for the part?

 

If installed, it would be a reasonable charge at dealer labor rates for a Dorman kit. Dorman came up with an aftermarket solution for the broken handle. Chevrolet only sells it as a part of the entire door panel.

 

The $100.00 part was without them installing it.. Just sayin'

 

You can get the aftermarket part online for less. A dealer charging a major markup of a non-GM part, without offering to install it, is utter nonsense.

 

Well, I got the door panel off and epoxied the handle back together. I just made sure to build up the epoxy in the areas that I could to help strengthen where it broke.. I think it is a very poor design. I was able to take the door apart without any special tools, with the exception of the torx driver to get the two screws out and the one bolt out. One tip I can give, when you pop the door panel off, one or more of the plastic "pins" that hold the panel in place may not come out with the panel. I am sure this has been discussed before.. What I used to get the remaining "pins' out, was an ordinary claw hammer.. You hook the claw in the gap on the pin, put some pressure on the hammer, then BINK! the pin comes out.. It went together a lot easier then it came apart i think..

 

Nice article Pimphand, just broke the driver ten minutes ago, you'd think chevy would have fix that downer after a couple of years. Maybe there's a better handle out now?

Well door panel off, repaired handle, but I tried something different. Looking for JB weld on bench and around couldn't find any soooo I mixed a little bondo together and filled in all the voids and modified the thickness. well waiting for a good cure and clean it up and will let you know. go no go. At least I'll be the one who snaps the bone.

 

I have had two handles break in less than 6 months...BOTH BEING OPENED FROM THE INSIDE!!!!! Very poor design and/or materials. I also reinforced my replacement from Doorman. I will do the same to this one. Only two more to go?????

I also have learned to open the doors with extreme caution. Should I have to do that? Should I have to teach my passengers to do it? What about an honest "face the music" from GM? There are obviously more than enough examples of this to go around.

I have been a Chevy fan all of my life (Thanks to my Dad also.), but I am begining to regret buying this one. Thanks for letting me vent.

 

You broke two handles? Both on the same door? Were the chrome handles used to close the door(s)?

 

FYI: Go to GM Parts Superstore.com
Go to, Body hardware/Front door/Interior trim.
Door handle , item #9. $62.70

Havesed them, great service.