Review on Depo Nissan Sentra Front Driver Side Exterior Door Handle Replacement - Part 315-50008-122 by Polo Acri

Positive first: I managed to install this, so now in lieu of a broken handle I had to pull on one side (sometimes my fingers hurt in the process ) now I have a good, working doorknob. I am completely satisfied with the pen itself once I have it installed. Cons: First, and it's not entirely the fault of the product itself, it's really not easy to make this replacement. There are videos on YouTube showing how to do it and I have a Haynes repair guide which is also somewhat helpful but even with these props it was really difficult to get the job done. The main problem is that after removing the inner door panel and plastic protector (both fairly easy) the next step is to loosen the screws holding the handle, but these screws must be accessed from inside the car. Screwdrivers through various plates/bars/etc. It's hard to see what you're aiming for, let alone hit the target. It's also very easy to reset the latches in the door (I've done this more than once, which required removing some extra pieces of the door so I could get the stray latches). A mother holding the lock by the handle is very difficult to get hold of. I ended up doing this by inserting pliers around the nut on the outside of the car. I was afraid that I would turn the nut and get stuck. After literally over an hour of struggle I finally removed the old grip and it took about the same amount of time to put the replacement back on. Why does Nissan make grips out of such a brittle plastic *and* so hard to get replacement fasteners? Do yourself a favor, watch a YouTube video and think twice about doing this job yourself. I'm very good with cars (not a mechanic but did some work) and this job took about 3 hours. If the fasteners were more accessible it wouldn't take more than 30 minutes. Second, a rather minor objection, but for some reason this replacement handle has a magnet that clicks when you pull the handle up to open the door. It creates a really weird feeling; It's like the handle is taped over and you break the tape every time you lift the handle. I'm not sure why that magnet is there, and it's really no big deal, but it just seems weird. All in all, yes this product works great and of course it's a lot cheaper than an equivalent part from Nissan, but just make sure you understand what you're getting into if you do it.