We know the plastic interior handles aren't the strongest but if you're careful they should last decades. Recently, I had one break on my 323i...I already had a spare so I swapped it out. In doing so, I discovered the grommet was missing on the new handle. The old one remained on the rod but disintegrated when I tried to move it. Just to get it back together I installed the handle without the grommet and as you can imagine there was noticeable play, meaning that the handle was loose and needed to be pulled farther to open the door. Anyway, I ordered a new grommet and handle to keep as a spare. When I installed the new grommet the play decreased but there was still a little left. That's when I noticed the other end of the rod that attaches to the door latch also had a grommet that was completely gone. Without these grommets the rod slides within the eyelets before it catches. This is the play in the door handle that will cause you overextend it and put more stress on the housing where the handle pivots. Installing the grommets back where they belong tightens everything up and hopefully keeps you from breaking the handle.
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The top/left one attaches to the door handle.
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The top/left one attaches to the door handle.