What are exterior door handles and where are they located?

An exterior door handle, quite simply, allows you to open the outside door of your vehicle and get in. Every vehicle will at the very least have a driver side and passenger side exterior handle, and vehicles with rear doors will have exterior door handles for those as well. Also, if your vehicle has a liftgate, tailgate, or rear hatch, there will be another handle installed on the outside of the rear of the vehicle as well.

On most cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans, the outside door handle is bolted to the outer door skin. Inside the door, the handle is attached to a connecting rod/link that moves the door latch. Over time, the latch can become worn due to lack of lubrication or excessive contaminates (dirt, grime, rust) in the mechanism. This wear puts more stress on the door handle parts because it requires more force to move. If the stress is too much for the handle to take, it can cause the handle to snap, which is not ideal. On vehicles that have the lock cylinder built into the exterior door handle, the handle may get damaged when the cylinder is struck due to thieves attempting to break in.

How do I know my door handle needs to be replaced?

If you try to open your door and it will not budge, it may be due to a faulty exterior door handle. Door handles can also be suspectible to breaking after constant use whether its the physical piece itself or one of its integral parts.  If you're having a hard time trying to get your door to budge, it might have something to door with the handle.

Can I replace the door handle myself?

The door handle is possible to repair for the novice do-it-yourself. Tools you'll need can range to whatever is nessecary to remove the door panel, and the door handle itself might have a nut or bolt on it to remove. The process usually involves the removal of the door panel to access the door handle. From there you'll need to unclip the door handle rod and possibly the door lock rod. When the door handle it removed, if it has a lock cylinder, the retaining clip will need to be removed so you can switch the lock over to your new door handle. When the repair is complete you should be able to freely open and close your door once again.

As you may have guessed, your exterior door handles are used rather frequently - every time you get into your vehicle as a matter of fact. Thus, they are subject to and incur a great deal of general wear and tear over time, which may cause them to break. And let’s be honest - is there anything worse than a broken door handle on the outside of your vehicle? Don't you hate having to leave your window open in order to reach inside of your car or truck to pull the handle to get into it? Not only is this a big inconvenience, but it leaves your vehicle extremely vulnerable to the weather and to thieves.

If you need a new aftermarket replacement outside door handle, 1A Auto has the best car and truck door handle parts on the market. If you want a door handle to match the color of your vehicle, you can either paint the mirror yourself with supplies from a hardware or automotive store with a paint department, or you can pay a professional auto body shop to paint to match your vehicle's color. Every auto part we sell is built to the highest quality control standards and our outer auto door handle products are no exception!

1A Auto Outside Door Handle Features:

• Direct bolt-on replacements for the original. No modification necessary.
• With either a metal or heavy-duty plastic construction, an outdoor car door handle from 1A Auto is
   strengthened and redesigned in failure-prone areas.
• Looking to upgrade the outside appearance of your vehicle? We offer exterior handles in chrome,
  gloss black, or matte black. Our handles can be installed as-is or painted by the buyer to match the
  vehicle.
• Need more than one exterior door handle? Save money and purchase one of our handle kits!

Don't let a malfunctioning exterior door handle slow you down. Get in and get on with your day! Buy a new aftermarket car or truck door handle replacement from 1A Auto today! If you have any further questions regarding our outdoor handles, warranty, compatibility, or to purchase, please call us directly at 888-844-3393, or you can buy online right here at 1AAuto.com.