Broken interior door handle fix

[jinthadell]

So about 3 days ago the passenger front door handle pulled off the door card. Of course the wife says it’s not her fault. That’s her seat! Nobody else w/ an amazingly strong pimp hand sits there. Anyways, back to the fix. I pulled the door card and saw that the brass threaded inserts had broken off clean with the back of the door handle. I found screws about an inch long with a Phillips pan head and pre-drilled the existing holes out with a 7/32 drill bit. The door handle feels just as solid as the driver side, which surprisingly is still holding strong after 118k miles. And I’m in and out my door 15-20 times a day. Hopefully the pics help w anyone who needs to repair their door.

 

[Aero_Tech]

The "repair" screws that came in the Kia kit I ordered don't appear to be close an inch long. I doubt they're much longer than what is in there now. I haven't had a chance to deal with this yet. It's been too damn hot. Ideally, the screws should be as long as possible for maximum grip. I'll have to see how mine broke off before I decide on what to do. What thread size pan head screws did you use?

 

[jinthadell]

The screws I used were coarse thread from my front license plate that the dealership installed. The head is 5/8” and the threaded section is 3/4”. I used a 7/32 bit to predrill. I never throw screws away. Lol. Sorry thats the mechanic in me.

 

[jinthadell]

Forgot to mention I watched the YouTube video on how to remove door card. Three screws and it’s off. Super easy.

 

[Snicklefritz]

Now, going forward, don't pull the handle, use the cup to pull your door shut. The stretching will be good for you too. Train your wife in the new drill. Ha hah.