Paying for Features

[koraks]

If you want them to last, you have to pay extra for the LX super deluxe trim package

No, if you want them to last, you'll have to pay a monthly fee, and then the car's software will periodically actuate a solenoid releasing a quantity of a chemical over each door handle that turns out to be a plasticizer that makes the polymer the handle is made of less brittle and more durable.

 

[VinceInMT]

The driver’s door handle, the one on the outside, of my ‘83 Volvo 240 broke a few years ago. This was after the car had over 200K miles on it. I went to the local auto recycler (junk yard) and found the same model car and took the handle from the same side but took the passenger one since I figured it had fewer cycles on it. While I had it apart I could see what caused the problem. The pawl (cam) on the lever that pushes against the mechanism was a casting and the surface was not machined smooth. I took a file to the replacement handle and gave it a near mirror finish, applied lots of grease, and after several years, it still lifts better than new.

I suppose that Volvo could have specified a better finish on this part but that would have been an extra step in manufacturing. But, heck, 200K is pretty good considering that the rest of the car has held up well and runs like new. Maybe door handle repair is considered routine maintenance.