Fixing broken door handles on a Camry

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gumbo

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I have a 1998 Camry that has 4 broken door handles. This apparently is a big problem with Camrys. I tried to fix it myself, but it was beyond my abilities. One dealer wants $185 per handle, and another wants $285 per handle.

We bought the car new and it still runs well. My son uses it to go to school, about 100 miles a day, 3 days a week. I decided to just fix the drivers side door and need to get it done inexpensively. I have no idea where to go. Local Firestone does not do that type of repairs. Do I go to body shop? please give me some ideas. Any idea what it should cost? $185 per handle seems like way too much. Thanks
 
Yep this is a big problem on that vintage Camry. I replaced a handle for a girl 2 years ago...got the handle on ebay already painted to boot for like $30. This was a new but aftermarket part. So far, so good and the paint matched perfect. Took me only about 20 mins to do.

Here is a sample under $25 bucks
 
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Thanks for the video. I looked at a bunch of similar ones online before I attempted to do it myself. The problem I had was that once I got the door panel off, there is a large peice of metal welded on the door. In the video, this piece is not there and there is just a big hole to reach up into. I gave up after trying to get the welded piece off.

Part of my problem is that I recently had a knee replacement so I am limited in how much I can do. I decided this was just too much for me. Also, I live in an apartment complex so I don't have good working conditions. I think the best bet for me after trying to do it myself is to take it someplace. So, I need suggestions on where to get a good deal without getting ripped off. I just don't have any idea of what type of shop to go to.

I was able to find the parts online for about $15 each.

Thanks for the help.
 
Goto a body shop- there labor rates are less than most shops and all they do is body stuff- this repair would be easy for them.
 
I repaired the drivers door handle on my ex Camry ghetto style -with screws and 2 brackets...
My 99 CE was one cheaply made car(KY) with cheap rubber and plastics for the trim. The trim didn't age very well.
The previous generation was much better in this regard.
 
Originally Posted By: tdpark
Goto a body shop- there labor rates are less than most shops and all they do is body stuff- this repair would be easy for them.


You can do all four doors yourself for less than a bodyshop and its an easy repair. Labor at bodyshops are not that cheap either...average ranges from $50-85 bucks, screw that. You can get a new handle - already painted for under $30 aftermarket...you couldn't get the handle painted alone for that price.
 
Originally Posted By: gumbo
Thanks for the video. I looked at a bunch of similar ones online before I attempted to do it myself. The problem I had was that once I got the door panel off, there is a large peice of metal welded on the door. In the video, this piece is not there and there is just a big hole to reach up into. I gave up after trying to get the welded piece off.

Part of my problem is that I recently had a knee replacement so I am limited in how much I can do. I decided this was just too much for me. Also, I live in an apartment complex so I don't have good working conditions. I think the best bet for me after trying to do it myself is to take it someplace. So, I need suggestions on where to get a good deal without getting ripped off. I just don't have any idea of what type of shop to go to.

I was able to find the parts online for about $15 each.

Thanks for the help.



Well, given your situation - buy the parts and find a shop to do it. You'll pay probably $100-150 but you'll save on the price of the parts.
 
I do them all the time at work, we are an independent shop. We charge an hour per door to do this type of repair. In your area go to a regular auto parts store Car Quest, Napa, family owned etc. and ask them for the parts you need and also ask them who they deal with they could send you to. Most stores will send you to somebody they trust as a customer of theirs. Maybe the one shop doesn't do it but most independent shops do them all the time.
 
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Originally Posted By: vssjim
I do them all the time at work, we are an independent shop. We charge an hour per door to do this type of repair. In your area go to a regular auto parts store Car Quest, Napa, family owned etc. and ask them for the parts you need and also ask them who they deal with they could send you to. Most stores will send you to somebody they trust as a customer of theirs. Maybe the one shop doesn't do it but most independent shops do them all the time.


Wow an hour charged for no more than 20 minutes of work taking your time. But I understand that is the norm given overhead, employee to be paid, etc...but I like the money in my pocket as much as possible
smile.gif
 
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This is fairly reasonable i.e. to pay for 1-hour of body shop labor for 20min of job. One is really paying for the knowledge here. One could take it to a place which will let you watch them and then later you could replicate their work on the 3 other doors.
 
I asked for referrals and went to some places this morning. I got a local repair shop (not a body shop) to do three handles for $110 each and they will not charge for the fourth. So thats $330 plus the $60 I spent for door handles for a total of $390. Thats the best deal I could find. Toyota said $185 for each of the four handles for a total of $740. One other Toyota dealer wanted $285 for each handle.

Thanks for the input.
 
You may also want to get a good quality silicone spray for the weather strip for winter coming up. this helps avoid the water freezing the strip to door seal and causing people to break the new handles as they try to wrestle open a frozen door.I see them broken after the bad weather here all the time, kind of like damage windsheild wiper parts after a good freeze or snow.
 
Wow, things have changed since my '87 Cutlass was made. Every goddam thing is plastic now, W*T*F!!
Some guy clipped my mirror last week when it was parked, I'm sure his car has a nice deep scratch seeing as my mirror housing is metal!

I had an '88 Camry that was so well built compared to today's Camry... no offense to the OP.
 
I assume you really mean the exterior door handles?
I've done one. I bought a new aftermarket one off eBay that was already painted the right color, and it was easy enough to install. Only catch was I could not reuse the old screws. The OE one used wood screws. The aftermarket one used M6-1.0 machine screws. Fortunately, I happen to keep those around. The color match was perfect, and IMO, the quality of the aftermarket part was better then the OE one.
 
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