Bought this truck used 2+ years ago, the passenger door handle was broken when I got it, the driver side handle broke soon afterwards, and I replaced them both with cheap reproductions from eBay. The driver side handle broke today, and I'm wondering if there's any real difference between the reproductions and the much more pricey OEM part from the dealer. It's the pot metal handle that snaps, and I'm pretty sure that the OEM handles are pot metal as well, since I believe that the broken ones that I took out two years ago were OEM and they broke because they were pot metal. I've seen chromed handles online for Escalades, does anyone know if these are chrome plated steel, or just fancier pot metal?

 

Pot metal is pretty weak. Kind of glad my 20 year old Chevy pickup has never broken a door handle. Probably some cheap junk made in China these days on your
C-3500.

 

I had a 1999 Silverado 1500 for 14 years and never broke any door handle. Opened the drivers door extensively.

 

Yeah, I have owned several Chevy pickups and the only thing that ever happened was the door-hinge spring breaking on the drivers side door on one. Never had any door handles break at all.

 

From what I can tell, GM started using that door handle in 1995, and it's been in pickups, Tahoes, Suburbans, Escalades, etc. The snapping handle is apparently a common problem, so those of you who've never had it happen have lucked out!