Review on Dorman 77096 Driver Replacement Exterior by James Naylor

This is the first time I have had a disappointing experience with a Dorman part. I even double-checked the parts info because I couldn't believe it actually Dorman Party. I installed this item on my 1997 Chevrolet K1500 Truck thinking it was a regular parts replacement. Overall, the fit of the handle on the door was good enough, but not perfect. The first time I tried it, I immediately noticed that the body part of the handle isn't aluminum, and because of that design, I've had issues - both good and bad. I will explain. The day after I installed the grip I was driving to work and when I got off the truck. the door didn't open. I was so surprised and thought that one of the door hinges came loose due to my installation. not so. I looked into the permanently closed door and saw that all the bars were indeed intact. I took it to a locksmith who was kind enough to work on it for 30 minutes and he couldn't open the door. It should also be noted that the key lock does not engage due to the design. Long story short, since the Dorman pin was plastic, I was able to drill and cut the pin in record time! I could then play around with the latch and try to figure out what went wrong. I couldn't figure it out and ended up buying a new door latch and door handle directly from my GM dealer. Once I had a new door latch, I figured out how to unbolt the latch to open the door. The door handle purchased from the dealer corresponds exactly to the factory original in terms of design and appearance. I will continue to trust Dorman for most things, but not doorknobs. I would like to assure the readers of this review that I do not believe that the Dorman doorknob in any way caused the door latch to fail. I was just lucky to overcome this obstacle. Dorman, if you want this pen to be perfect, make it aluminum.