LTZ arm rest broken-replacement ideas?

oldmann · June 2, 2016

So, the arm rest/interior door handle in tan, on my 2013 LTZ is broken in half. The hard plastic is actually snapped in half. Also, some cheap white plastic parts from inside are broken and falling out. Anyone address this issue before? Thinking about fastening a piece of wood inside the armrest and covering with resin. I don't think this part is sold individually. Just as an entire door panel.

grogman45459 · June 3, 2016

I'm in the same exact boat. The "grab bar" on my drivers door on my 2013 suburban is like a piece of Jell-O. I can feel the crack in the hard plastic on the backside of it, but the plastic feels smooth, like it was manufactured this way?

Pretty pathetic design, considering my 2001 suburban had 180,000 miles on it, and I never had a problem with it like this.

grogman45459 · January 26, 2018

So now, almost 2 years later, my passenger side interior arm rest/grab handle has now broken so I decided I had to do something.

Not wanting to to spend $1,000.00 at the dealership to have both interior door panels replaced with the same inferior design panel had me looking elsewhere. I found a POST under a more extensive repair video on YouTube where a guy said to use paracord to repair it.

So I went to Walmart and picked up 2 packs of 16 ft. black paracord at $1.97 each in the arts & crafts aisle. I tucked one end of the cord in the seam under the door handle and then wrapped it tauntly the length of the handle and then tucked the end in the seam on the other end.

It fits and works perfect!! The cord gives added strength to the handle and minimizes then flex in the handle. Here’s what it looks like.

jatkinson8755 · August 15, 2018

Thats not even that bad looking !

If anyone could spare a broken door skin, I will fabricate steel or aluminum brackets to permanently fix this stupid problem.

If you can spare a door skin with a broken interior handle, please pm me. I will make a fix for you and send it back.

If you cant spare the door skin, then let me know the part number and I will just buy 1 and get in our shop and design a fix for it.

jatkinson8755 · September 11, 2018

I guess nobody cares about a permanent fix ? sheesh. I was thinking about that rope idea, that would be pretty uncomfortable on your arm. I really like the factory inner door handle as its soft and comfortable, but looks like it just doesnt hold up very well...

Kyle Agha · October 27, 2018

So this same break happened to my Tahoe, did you figure out a way to fix permanently?

Wesrkirby · November 4, 2018

From what I have read, the best route is to replace the entire door panel. Very bad design by GM.

jatkinson8755 · December 13, 2018

Yeah but why the heck would you buy a new GM panel and replace it ? Thats like $400, and you already know how it will end up...just like this. Seems like a huge waste of $400 and a bunch of labor.

Mikebtte · December 13, 2018

Sounds like a good repair is called for, wonder if the folks over at gruven parts would be willing to manufacturer something given enough demand.

http://www.gruvenparts.com/

Knucklz · March 13, 2019

Same Deal, I even bought it this way, and my front passenger side door handle is doing the same and is about to break. The paracord idea looks nice, I'll give it a try. Hopefully, in the meantime, someone who cares enough would fashion a permanent replacement.

Mikebtte · March 13, 2019

But how can you resist a new panel with savings like this? I guess maybe had they sold more trucks it would have been justifiable to make a permanent fix, but at $45K for a truck they don't leave much room for profit. After all they have to fix the cracking dash and AFM issue as it is priority. O wait! they never resolved that issue.

Freaking highway robbery

Edited March 13, 2019 by Mikebtte
photo upgrade

Shelby Malaterre · June 24, 2019

BUMP!

Glad to find this thread.

My driver grab bar has broken too, and I have a partial fix and the paracord idea is going to get Incorporated.

So far, I have put a small dowel in between the rubber skin and the broken plastic, I then filled that cavity with high temp hot glue and wrapped the inner part only with black ducktape.

NEXT, thanks to this thread, will wrap with paracord, then put a finishing layer of wrapped leather.

Hopefully when all said and done, it will look good and be comfortable, and I’ll do the passenger side to match.

DeeH · September 2, 2019

https://youtu.be/vPAR3ZYZtMM

3 year old thread but maybe this will help. Looks like a good permanent fix.

Mikebtte · September 3, 2019

21 hours ago, DeeH said:

https://youtu.be/vPAR3ZYZtMM

3 year old thread but maybe this will help. Looks like a good permanent fix.

Very nice, good way to really beef it up.

CAG · November 2, 2019

This has happened in our Tahoe and GMC truck. We’ve replaced in both the new panels but our Tahoe on both front doors need fixed again! It’s a very costly repair, especially knowing that this will be the second time paying for the same repair! I wish General Motors would do a recall and with a solid fix.