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Both of the front door handles on my 96 Pontiac Trans Sport keep breaking.  All that's happening is a rod is slipping out of a socket in the interior of the door.  I've had it repaired by "pros" several times, and have recently started fixing it myself, but the rod always gets knocked back out of the socket somehow.  I suspect the power window mechanism, but it also seems to happen when the door's frozen shut and I pull too hard on the handle (not that I pull very hard; it's well within what a car door shoud be able to take).  I'm looking for a permanent fix -- has anyone had this problem and figured out a way to solve it for good?  Any input would be appreciated; thanks.  

just curious.... are you and they installing new retainers every time you have a failure???

on some cars i have had to adjust the rods so the handle cannot move the rod far enough to max out the amount of movement on the latch assy...   this prevents the rod from bending do to it being bowed and popping out..

i have not had the pleasure of reinstalling one of these on this model... i did have a problem on another car that i could not fix as there was no adjustment...   i went to the hardware store with the rod...    got some push on retainers...  (think of the little caps on the ends of toy axles... )   there are several different kinds... little flanged caps...  tinnerman nuts.. i cannot even think of their names right now...  but when i put them on...  they stayed.. no rod popping off again...    you will need to measure the wire diameter with a dial caliper.. it could be metric or decimal.. easily converted to wire gage, fractional or metric for proper selection.. ..

oh... you also might get a can of silicone spray... or kitchen cooking spray..   spray some on a folded disposable towel.. wipe the door frames where the rubber weatherstrip contacts...   less chance of it getting stuck when it freezes...    be sure if you use silicone spray...  that you are not about to get any body work done... it will prevent the paint from sticking and make weird little fisheyes in the wet paint..   (the reason i am mentioning this.. is i told the silicone spray trick to someone.. they did it..  they were so happy they decided to get their car painted...  oops...  they got overspray everywhere..  


grainger.com         put in this part number 5CU85 for
External Retaining Ring, Self Locking, Stainless Steel, Plain Finish, For Shaft Dia 3/16" rod or wire

see if you can copy and paste this link for a picture of it

http://images.grainger.com/B275_15/images/products/5CU55.JPG

try 5CU83 for 1/8 inch rod

mcmaster.com

OSH hardware stores...    (orchard hardware ... i don't think they are nation wide... but there are a bunch in california)

auveco.com     their catalog is not as easy to look through.  

If you put some heat shrink tubing on the push rod to lengthen it,  it will not pop out of the hole again.   I have four of these vans they all had problems with the door handles til I tried this.