The 2012 hatchback that eats its own door handles every 18 months

I bought a used 2012 hatchback three years ago for $6,800. Last week the driver side door handle snapped off in my hand at a gas station in Tulsa. That's the third one in three years, and the passenger side is starting to feel soft too. The dealership wants $140 each plus labor, so I just keep a screwdriver in the cupholder to pry the latch from inside. Has anyone else dealt with a car where the same cheap part fails on a timer like this?

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phoenixb6611d ago

Door handles are like the car's way of telling me I need to work on my grip strength, apparently. I had a similar issue with a 2009 sedan where the trunk latch gave out twice in one winter, so I feel your pain. The screwdriver trick is solid, but I learned the hard way that keeping it in the cupholder means it launches at your face during a hard stop. My mechanic buddy swears by buying the cheap replacement parts online and swapping them yourself, but he also says that about brake pads and I've seen his knuckles. At this point I'd just name the car "Houdini" since it keeps making me break in from the outside.