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Broken door handles

76K views 36 replies 21 participants last post by  PDXZTW 
#1 ·
I have searched the forums and found all these ways to keep the doors lubricated to keep them working properly, but nobody seems to mention what to do if they are already broke.
Both exterior handles on the drivers side of my wife's 2002 ZTS are completely useless. They slide in and out with no resistance at all and do not even attempt to open the door. Something is obviously completely broke inside but I don't understand if it is something that would be included if I ordered new door handles.
Also, if I do need 2 new handles anyway, are those sets of already painted handles still available? I think they were from the Escape. Are they available in Liquid Grey?

Well, anyway, thanks in advance for any help.
 
#2 ·
Your best bet is to take off the door panel and see if the rods are still attached to the exterior handle.
 
#3 ·
You most likely need the inside backing plate and spring latch piece that the exterior handles attach to. I had to replace both on my last Focus. Your actual exterior handles are probably fine.

They are called exterior handle reinforcements or something like that, and they're about $35 a piece. Call or PM Steve (FORDSVTPARTS) at Tousley and tell him your problem. He'll know exactly what you're talking about, because he's had to do the same job IIRC. He'll get you the parts for 10% over his cost.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I had to replace my passenger side. It's an easy fix, I didn't know how to do it, but just from delocking my passenger side it gave me an easy idea of how to do it.

Basically:
- remove the interior door panel (http://www.fordfocushawaii.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=14)
- remove the exterior keyhole cover
- pull the handle part towards the back of the car to disengage and remove
- disengage the white plastic part that grabs onto the rod that comes from the lock assembly (in my case it was so fragile already that it just broke right off from the backing plate assembly) being careful of the spring below it
- you'll see a white plastic plug coming through the door on the outside, behind it is a screw that sandwiches the door between that and the backing plate. Remove the screw from the inside and you can pull the plastic plug from the outside
- the whole assembly will pull out
- put the new one in, reassemble the plastic plug and screw and put the rod from the lock assembly in the new white part inside and press to engage it onto the rod

A few tips:
- Don't play with the white thing that goes on the lock rod unless it's good and positioned on the rod that connects it to the lock assembly. It's a bitch to open back up once it's snapped together.
- If you're having trouble getting the white thing off from the rod coming from the lock assembly inside the door, remove the 3 bolts from the door latch and the whole assembly will come out of the door for easier dissasembly. Just watch out for the power lock plug on the bottom of the lock assembly and remember to plug it back in after or you'll have to dissasemble the while door again like me :p
 
#36 ·
I had to replace my passenger side. It's an easy fix, I didn't know how to do it, but just from delocking my passenger side it gave me an easy idea of how to do it.

Basically:
- remove the interior door panel (http://www.fordfocushawaii.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=14)
- remove the exterior keyhole cover
- pull the handle part towards the back of the car to disengage and remove
- disengage the white plastic part that grabs onto the rod that comes from the lock assembly (in my case it was so fragile already that it just broke right off from the backing plate assembly) being careful of the spring below it
- you'll see a white plastic plug coming through the door on the outside, behind it is a screw that sandwiches the door between that and the backing plate. Remove the screw from the inside and you can pull the plastic plug from the outside
- the whole assembly will pull out

- put the new one in, reassemble the plastic plug and screw and put the rod from the lock assembly in the new white part inside and press to engage it onto the rod

A few tips:
- Don't play with the white thing that goes on the lock rod unless it's good and positioned on the rod that connects it to the lock assembly. It's a bitch to open back up once it's snapped together.
- If you're having trouble getting the white thing off from the rod coming from the lock assembly inside the door, remove the 3 bolts from the door latch and the whole assembly will come out of the door for easier dissasembly. Just watch out for the power lock plug on the bottom of the lock assembly and remember to plug it back in after or you'll have to dissasemble the while door again like me :p
Reference:


So the quoted directions seem to be missing a step?

There's a second rod(#6) that at the top connects to a rotating black plastic tab snapped onto the back of the reinforcement plate(#17) (lock cylinder pokes through middle of this black tab), and this rod also connects to the latch mechanism (#7) - has a strange looking little metal clip that keeps the rod attached to the latch mechanism metal tab.
The rod on the black plastic tab side is bent into a 'Z' shape where the tail of the 'Z' runs down to the latch, and the latch side of the same rod is bent 90 degrees and inserts into a metal tab from the latch mechanism and is held in place by that "strange looking little metal clip".

I assume the regular method of detaching this second rod is that the "strange looking little metal clip" has to be removed, then the rod at the latch mechanism end will slide out of the smooth round hole of the latch mechanism's metal tab.

(Found that Lock cylinder can be removed by disengaging the thin black plastic clip at the 3 o'clock position with a small screwdriver on back of reinforcement plate and using your key to unlock the lock normally at which time pulling the key back will also pull out the lock cylinder. Lock cylinder can only be removed when the reinforcement plate has been removed from the door entirely. Also found that the black plastic tab can only be snapped into the reinforcement plate when the lock cylinder has already been removed, and requires force - could not do by hand.)

I've seen pictures of this second rod(#6) detached from the black plastic tab end, but I can't figure out HOW short of breaking either the black plastic tab or the rod.

Both rods that run from the reinforcement plate to the latch mechanism(#7) are covered by a large black plastic security shield(#4) held in place with a plastic clip and two screws. The second rod(#6) is fully covered by this security shield(#4), the first rod(#5) that ends in "white plastic part that grabs onto the rod" (and is attached to a hole in the often-breaking spring loaded pot metal piece of the reinforcement plate(#17)) actually goes through a hole in the middle of this security shield(#4) which is why the "white plastic part that grabs onto the rod" has to be removed first (detaching the first rod(#5)), followed by the security shield(#4) itself.

So once you're already gotten into the door, removed the external door handle, and now you're working inside the door: reinforcement plate(#17) is unscrewed (2 screws - not identical), then black plastic security shield(#4) unscrewed (2 screws - not identical, small one is 9mm hex), then black plastic security shield(#4) unclipped from latch mechanism's(#7) top, then the weird "white plastic part that grabs onto the rod" has to be disengaged from the rod(#5) (make sure to count how many threads show at the top of the rod, and don't lose the spring on the rod below the "white plastic part that grabs onto the rod") - then the black plastic security shield(#4) can be removed and slides off this rod(#5) (rod inserted through hole), THEN the "strange looking little metal clip" has to be disengaged from the metal tab on the latch mechanism(#7) to free the second rod(#6) (unless someone has a better method?), then can slide the reinforcement plate with the second rod attached out of the door.

No need to unscrew/remove the latch mechanism(#7) from the door. No need to remove Window Regulator(not on image), but window needs to be rolled up in order to access all the screws. No need to remove speaker(not on image), unless you really hate that butyl weather stripping and just want to remove the entire protective foam sheet(not on image) from the door while working.

So the questions are:
  1. What's the trick to removing the second metal rod(#6) from the black plastic tab that rotates on the back of the reinforcement plate(#17)?
  2. What is the trick to removing the "white plastic part that grabs onto the rod"(rod=#5) without breaking it? (It looks like a single white plastic piece shoved into the yellow piece, and that white piece has four small tabs that would need to all be pried open?)
 
#5 ·
Inside the door there is a gray cast metal piece the flips up and down which is connected to a rod with a pastic piece screwed onto the end of a vertical rod with a spring under it. Anyone know what it's called so I can get a replacement. The cast metal piece broke. The car has manual locks not power btw.

I believe it's part of 5 or 6 in this picture:

 
#8 · (Edited)
You have to replace the entire "inner door handle crap". I believe it's actually called an exterior door handle reinforcement. You can't just get that cast pot-metal piece by itself

Contact FORDSVTPARTS (Steve @ Tousley Ford) either through PM here on [FJ] or by phone @ 1-800-328-9552. The last time I had to buy one (a year or two ago) it was $32.76 from him, which is @ 10% over cost.
 
#9 ·
Yup. It's not too hard to replace. Took me 20 min the first time. Just take your time and don't loose the screws in the door.

If you have trouble getting the screw in at the weird angle, push the screw through the corner of a sandwich bag and put the screwdriver inside the bag and once you have the screw almost in, pull the bag and it will just rip off and you have your screw safely in the hole.
 
#10 ·
OK, so our Vista Blue '08 SES will be in tomorrow and our '02 should be home long enough for me to do projects on it now. First, I have to get these damn door handles fixed though. I figured I wouldn't bother calling Tousley as they have the website up now but I am not sure which piece I need. I have the door panel off and can see that the exterior piece (piece 1 in above view) seems to be fine. The plastic L-shaped piece sticks through the door and attaches to nothing, what should be there? Even after looking at the exploded view I still don't understand which piece it attaches to or even what is broke.
 
#11 ·
You need piece number 5. It's called the exterior door handle reinforcement or something like that...

Piece number 1 isn't what breaks...it's the spring-loaded pot-metal piece that is part of piece number 5 (the spring-loaded piece attaches to the vertical rod that actuates the latch) that breaks. You have to buy the entire piece #5 in order to fix it.
 
#12 ·
Nliiitend1 said:
You need piece number 5. It's called the exterior door handle reinforcement or something like that...

Piece number 1 isn't what breaks...it's the spring-loaded pot-metal piece that is part of piece number 5 (the spring-loaded piece attaches to the vertical rod that actuates the latch) that breaks. You have to buy the entire piece #5 in order to fix it.
Feel like a broken record yet?:lol:
 
#14 ·
BrockGrimes said:
Inside the door there is a gray cast metal piece the flips up and down which is connected to a rod with a pastic piece screwed onto the end of a vertical rod with a spring under it. Anyone know what it's called so I can get a replacement. The cast metal piece broke. The car has manual locks not power btw.

I believe it's part of 5 or 6 in this picture:

You know what's funny, I was looking at this closely and parts 4, 1 and 3 are the wrong way. The lock cover goes toward the back of the car not the front. :lol:
 
#16 ·
I just wanted to let you know that all the info in this topic really is terrific. I went to a junkyard and paid $20 for the whole outside-inside-latch assembly. Took me an hour to take apart my door; twenty minutes to take the part out of the junker (which was frighteningly exactly like my 2001 Focus LX only smashed to smithereens); an hour to change the lock cylinder to my original one, install the handle and latch and reassemble the door in my Focus.

You guys saved me a bundle, AND it was kinda fun to get away from computers and back into nuts and bolts. Thanks!
 
#18 ·
My girlfriends Focus appears to be having the same problems. I'm not handy with cars (I'm a computer guy) so I took it to a body shop to have them tell me what was wrong. They said "The plastic part on the lever is broke" and that it would be $110. When I stifled a laugh the guy suggested that I check with junkyards although it looks like I could probably get it just as cheap on here.

I just called the 1800 number listed a couple of posts above, I got (a) guy who said it sells for $65 but would give it to me for $40. All this being said without ever actually seeing the part and only going off the description the guy at the body shop gave I'm not sure if I need part 5 or 6.

Also, its the driver's side handle. Is that considered right or left? I would imagine its right...but it never hurts to double check. Thanks for any help! I linked to the 1800 guy's site below for the part I'm talking about.

http://www.tousleyfordparts.com/par...0535&callout=5&catalogid=2&displayCatalogid=0
 
#20 ·
Ah, thanks for the clarification on that. I suppose I meant left >.>

I think I'm going to check with some junkyards around here and see if I can find it any cheaper but either way $40 is much better than $110. Thanks for the help!

Part of me is still paranoid I'll need a different part...but most everyone has said that is it.
 
#21 ·
First off I apologize if asking a question here is considered hijacking a thread, I'm not inclined to think so but if so let me know and I will promptly delete my post and migrate elsewhere.

Second, my question is, I noticed that someone mentioned that an 03 Exterior Handle Reinforcement would fit on an 01 Focus and it also was manufactured with this defect in mind, so perhaps it will last a bit longer, I have 3 doors affected by this issue and I can tell the fourth door is beginning to show signs of the issue.

Before I go out and order 4 replacements I wanted to verify if an 03' Exterior Door Handle Reinforcement does indeed fit my 01' because I believe I have found them at 25.00 apiece rather than 45.00, big savings there, and also was wondering if someone had found a better place to order from.

Thanks for your time.

Saiber77
2001 Ford Focus SE 2.0L
Manual Transmission
Power-Windows/Brakes(ABS)/Locks/Steering.
 
#23 ·
I can confirm that the '03 part will work for the '01, '02 and '03 also Tousley Ford is the best place to get parts for your Focus the local dealership wouldn't even match his price when I showed him the quote from Tousley. It's cheaper to buy it from him and have it shipped than buy it local. Also I call BS on whoever said he changed this part in 20 minutes...
 
#24 ·
hi gang, just had my run in with the broken door handle thing- drivers side 07 focus ses...
got the door panel off and found this piece of white metal laying in the bottom of the door...
was gonna try to duct tape it hahahahaha
thanks for all your info - going to make the call for the part in the morning

jerkeesvt wasn't kiddin - focaljet is the sh*t!

thanks again,
calzone
 
#25 ·
Hey, just a tip. On the 07 focus this is true. To get the actuator rod out of the white plastic bushing on the door latch mechanism rotate the bushing 90 degrees so the flats in the bushing line up with the flat in the actuator rod. This might save you a couple of days waiting on a replacement for an expensive piece of plastic. Trust me on this one, I speak from experience. :(
 
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