Door handles on 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse

It happened to me while I was driving cross country about 2 years ago. It was a pain getting into the car from the passenger side at each stop along the way. I bought a new handle in Houston (at the "discount" price of $80...yeah...right) and put it on that night. Thankfully, I had tools with me. I understand they break quite often. I now pull on the handle and open the door by grabbing the window. I guess I'll mess up the window next...

I called the dealer. They want:

$75 for the handle. $149 to install it

AND!!!!

If I want it painted another $80

$300 for a freaking DOOR HANDLE?????????????

tell them what you need, and in a couple days, you will have an e-mail as to how much, shipped to your door.

painted?? you can get a can of touch up paint, and do that yourself........ I did with the painted insert on a fancy wheelcover once.

Hah, the part is only 40 bucks if you order it at dealer price. You can get it cheaper than that. It comes in white, only. You can have that painted for

25 bucks at any body shop. Installation is also very easy, if you have little hands (I don't, a girlfriend can do it).

As to your question, "Do they break a lot?"; yes they do. They are plastic handles and suck. All cars these days have the same problem. Most of the damage occurs trying to open a locked door, however....

Strange. I bought mine in black while in Texas. Luckily, my GSX is black so I didn't have to paint it. I admit, tearing the door apart in the parking lot of a motel in Oklahoma City wasn't any fun, but crawling across the seats to open the driver's door was worse.

Thinking about it now, I believe someone tried to get into my car at the motel in Houston and they probably broke it. I parked the car right outside my room, but some asshole probably tried opening the door during the night....

You used to be able to order it in the color of your car. Not anymore.

The guy at the parts counter in Houston told me that they only came in black...go figure. Must be a "Texas" thing! LOL

In any event, I'm really careful now when I open the door. Now if I can only figure out how to replace the power antenna mast that crapped out 3 weeks ago....got the new mast...can't figure out how to get the rest of the old part of the antenna out. Grrr!

Looks like a full Saturday (or Sunday) tearing the trunk of my Eclipse apart...sigh! Gives me an excuse to clean the spare tire area out, I guess...

It happened to me on the drivers side. I replaced it.