Treble Hook

I had been aware of the issue since reading forums and had been using caution, but it broke on me while opening door. It seemed I pushed a little harder than intended and did not want the door to swing out and I kind of drug it back to slow it down. The prices appear to be down to a complete kit for a price of around $33. Better than some of the first prices I saw come up. For less you can buy just the handle with a new pin and spring for around $20. May of seen one for less. I'm opting for the complete kit. May be a little more procedure but either way you have to remove the door panel.

mark40

Wondering if maybe reinforcing the handle with JB or other epoxy before it actually breaks will be a good idea.

PDice

I went the route of the handle, spring and pin from GM. Cost me $45 dollars.

The packages where you grind off the posts holding the complete assembly to the door panel seems to me to be radical. What if it happens again and you have screwed and glued the assembly to the door panel ? Hope you can get it off and then do it again.

Back to the handle, spring and pin... easy to install and works great! Thought I would try gluing the two pieces of the old handle back to gather to see if I could make a good spare. Used LocTite SuperGlue Ultra Gel. Like new!!! Had my 15 year old try to break it. I have a good spare.

Next time I know how to remove the pin intact and i'm good to go!!:two thumbs:

donbrew

It finally happened today! 204,000 miles 54000as a rental.

There is now a $23 dollar solution it is the handle and pin and spring only. Strange thing is the interchange number,80369, is for both items. Ordered today, marked as shipped today.

I will try to remember pics.

donbrew

Well I replaced the handle in 30 minutes (including the search for my torx bits).

The instructions that come with the kit are very good, so I did not take pics. The only problem was getting the new handle through the hole in the housing, a little more force was needed than I wanted.

But, for you folks that swear that GM doesn't sell the identical parts that are available from other retailers:

PattiS

After having to roll down my window to get out of my HHR (or climb out the passenger side when the window froze), I changed the handle. It still won't open! I checked the connections and everything looks good. The only possible problem I can see Is that the tension cable seems loose. It doesn't retract on its own. Is there anyway to tighten it?

Oldblue

Check both ends of the cable. Ensure it is seated correctly and engaged at the handle and the latch assembly.
for the exterior handle , make sure the rod is engaged.

MrCatPC

I'll have my '06 HHR door panels popped open "soon" to replace all 4 of the handles with metal ones since the chrome coating on the plastic original/replacement handles is getting sharp along the edges where it's peeling up off the plastic handles, just to prevent cutting anyone's fingers, hopefully. I'll take a look at the latch cable then. As I recall it was a very taught and rigid cable of braided/twisted wire that met the latch at one end and held to the arm lever at the back of the door handle with a plastic collar that had a pin to fasten it. I don't remember it being able to be tightened, but I wonder if it could take a couple extra twists to shorten it slightly like tightening the hanging wire on a canvas painting? Or maybe that collar piece at one end is not so snug on your cable at the handle end?

I'll post back anything I find, but we're barely out of winter here & I still don't have garage space to work on car fixes with any shelter. Tuned up a bunch of things on the interior door trim for my wife's Silverado while replacing a rear window regulator, took me a while outside without shade in the late summer. Not looking to rush this handle replacement on the HHR though. But I will immediately be swapping out the floppy sun visors with a new pair this weekend, so maybe I'll get ambitious and keep going. (:K

MrCatPC

You beat me to it, I type too much (:K

...@Oldblue: Am I thinking of a very long lock pin rod inside the HHR driver door panel, instead of the handle release, with the memory of "the rigid wire" actually being a manual push/pull rod for the door lock?

Oldblue

Ah, the old school method of operation, a metal rod instead of a cable and flimsy plastic