A Comprehensive Toyota Door Handle Buyer’s Guide

When it’s time to replace a broken door handle on your Toyota, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the choices out there. That’s why we took the time to put together an easily digestible guide with all the information you need in one place.

To Repair or to Replace?

When one of your Toyota’s door handles breaks, you have two options:

  1. Take apart the door handle assembly and then replace the broken component(s)
  2. Replace the door handle assembly or sub-assembly

This guide explores both options thoroughly. It’s a good read if you want to learn more about one of the options or both.

The first option, which is taking apart the door handle assembly and then replacing the broken component(s), is not for everybody. You would need specialized knowledge in how a Toyota door handle assembly works. However, even if you did have that type of knowledge, you would have a hard time finding a replacement part.

Replacing the door handle assembly is much easier to do. We highly recommend doing this instead of repairing the assembly.

OEM or Aftermarket?

White handle

If you decide to replace the door handle assembly or sub-assembly, the next decision you have to make is whether to get an OEM or aftermarket replacement part. We highly recommend getting an OEM door handle because:

  • Aftermarket door handles don’t always fit or function well
  • OEM door handles are made with better quality materials
  • OEM door handles have a warranty

To read more about why OEM is the superior option, check out this article.

How to Replace an Exterior Door Handle

To replace an exterior door handle, you will need to remove the interior door panel and the door handle before installing the new handle. This comprehensive tutorial has all the steps you need to follow to pull off this project successfully.

Got any questions that weren’t answered in this guide? Please contact us for answers.

Written by Jason Lancaster