door handle broken
 

Hi my name is Bruce I have a 2007 LT wich I love but the drivers inside "plastic" door handle broke in side the door now it will not open. I called the dealer and the said that you can't buy just the door handle you have to buy the whole assembly for $450. Canadian dollars,I hope some one out there can help.I checked the wreckers with no luck. Thanks Bruce.

Hello Bruce.

You can try this:


https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-tutorial-library-21/fixing-broken-door-handles-hhr-22784/

This seems to be a common problem. Perhaps we can get someone to make a mold of the handle, then find a foundry that can cast a few hundred of them out of aluminum. Shouldn't cost all that much per piece if we all get together in a group situation.

That would make some interesting news for CNN to cover. Owners of GM cars resort to making their own replacement parts.

I seem to recall a class action lawsuit against a car company (Volkswagen, I think) regarding the cost of their MAF sensors. The company lost or settled the suit. The complaint was that their MAFs were overpriced based on their cost to manufacture, and that they were a frequent failure item. Volkswagen ended up dropping the price from $450ish to around $100 for replacement sensors.

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/problems-service-repairs-42/inside-door-handle-busted-again-31963/

See my thread

My drivers side broke twice, and last week my passenger side just broke.

Some people commented on my thread that I was one of the only ones this happens to, and perhaps I or someone using my car was being rough on the door handles. I am 54 years old and have been working on cars since I was 14 years old. Never, never, NEVER have I had a door handle brake before. Never have I seen one brake before. It is, quite simply, a cheaply made piece compounded by the fact that it is incorporated into a very expensive door panel. Poor engineering at it's worst.

If someone's willing to send me their broken one, I'll take it over to a friend of mine that has a CNC machine shop and get him to quote manufacturing them out of aluminum.

I will see if I can get mine from the dealer when he repairs it, but keep in mind that it is part of the door panel, and I am not sure how easily it comes off.

From what I've been reading, there's a pin with a spring clip that needs to be removed, and it comes right off.

All warranty parts have to be held by the dealer until the claim pays. Once it pays the dealer must hold the part another 15 days, in case GM wants the part returned. If GM does not request the part be returned they are thrown out, so ask them to contact you before it gets tossed, if GM doesn't want it back.

Wouldn't this be a safety issue? Maybe contacting the NTSB would get some results.