[anb]

My F30 3 series had this issue and the door handles were replaced under warranty by BMW.

[Mtv]

The same door handle insert kit is available on Ali baba for cheaphttps://m.aliexpress.com/item/329134...40694c4dt3vPyc

Mine came in a month and I followed a YouTube video to replace them myself over a Sunday afternoon. It’s not nearly as hard as it looks

[thesidmania]

I had the exact same issue with our 2009 Skoda Superb TSI. It started around the 6th year.

Took it to JMD Skoda workshop and they said its a common thing seen in most cars of this age and it is due to the hot weather in Mumbai. This was an unacceptable reply for two reasons. First, why have a part which cannot work in our weather? Second, the car was kept in a closed garage with proper ventilation so its not like the car is kept in direct sunlight everyday. Is the plastic that sensitive or is it just supposed to do that after a certain number of years?

My argument fell on deaf ears with Skoda, as always and I was given a quote to replace all four door trims costing upwards of a lakh rupees. Said no and went to Orchis in Vikhroli and got all the handles wrapped in beige leather for 25,000. This lasted perfectly for another 5 years until we sold the car.

Are the German manufacturers not acclimatising the cars properly for Indian conditions?

[KKapadia]

My X3 is garage parked, with black trim, no issue while inside. No issue even on daily use. If driven on road trips out of town, continuous exposure to the sun and the drivers handle gets sticky. After returning home and lying unused in the garage for 2 days and its fine again.
( seriously wondering what kind of material it is. Its like living skin)
Thinking one day will just take a blade and remove the rubber grip. I am ok with the black plastic.

[lordtottuu]

Oh lord, I have the exact same issue with my F10 525 -- the same, exact level of stickiness in the handle and staining of the cup. I figured the driver had used some funky cleaning solution long back but I've heard from car accessory shops that it's an ongoing issue with other BMWs.

Local shops wanted 15-20k to fix it so I just shrugged, wrapped the handle in some leather and moved on. After 10+ years of ownership, the plastic has gotten so deteriorated that the driver side switches now have no support and rattle so I'm looking at options.

@androdev and @Mtv : Could you link me to some sources for these parts? Are Aliexpress products allowed through customs these days? Thanks in advance.

[redeff]

I have had this crop up on my X1. Apparently it occurs on almost all the BMWs according to the chap who got it replaced for me. I was quite appalled by this, the arm rest starts looking incredibly cheap and dirty.

[ariesonu]

I may sound NOOB but wouldn't water dipping paint method or Hydro painting can help providing a protective cover over the sticky plastic!!

Many car owners usually get them done for aesthetic reasons but here it may solve a real purpose. For one, you can retain original plastic & second that you can get any print or color (to match) as per your taste.

Just my two cents.

Regards.

[sangam_mm93]

Originally Posted by androdev

You can see the door handle (with window switches) that needs replacement:
Attachment 2132878

As a preventive measure, want to replace the door handles on other three doors also.

Hi Androdev, I was thinking to upgrade a 5er [a 2014 520D] from my Jetta but I had to hold my horses for a few personal reasons.

Guess what? I saw the same issue in the car I wanted to buy. Looks like it is a common issue.

[SuperSuri]

That’s not expected from a brand like BMW. I feel if the leather on top can be peeled off, then the handles can be hydro-dipped which will last a long time. Try checking with a good hydro-dipping in your city.

[ruchiragrawal]

Whoa! I never knew this was a common issue! I have this exact same issue on my F10 520D. All four handles.

We don't have shops around, so we just wrapped some nice white towels around it to bear with it lol. The dealer wouldn't do any goodwill cost reduction/replacement!

I am waiting as well for the solutions that you guys are going to post. I'll shortly follow suit. Do recommend places near Mumbai / Pune / Nashik / Indore if y'all can!

TIA

[clix22]

With the new recall policy proposed yesterday. If i understand correctly, a manufacturer will have to issue a recall if there are a minimum of 100 to 1000 complaints of a particular model ( depending on sales %). Maybe this can be raised as an issue under this? wishful thinking?

[German_clan]

Had the same issue with my bmw. I simply went to my garage guy told him to scrape the rubbery elements off and later got these panels leather wrapped(thin) with the help of a interior guy. It ended up costing me less than 6k for the entire work. It was cheap and it looked oem.

[Peaky_blinder]

I feel BMW interior quality is very poor when it comes to standing the test of time. My friend has the same problem on his 5 Series. Even last week I was at the local Auto shop where a BMW owner was picking these door handles for his car.
Another particular thing I have noticed with all BMWs which are more than 4 years old is that their buttons(climate control, fan speed etc) are always worn out. Paying through the nose and getting shoddy interior quality.. not impressive BMW!

[Neelanjan]

Originally Posted by androdev

Are there any BMW owners on the forum who faced the problem of their interior door handles getting sticky over a period of time? I need to take care of this problem in 520d F10 and these seem to be my options:

1. Official BMW replacement. It will cost around Rs 40K for all four doors. Apart from the price, I am concerned that I will be replacing with the same garbage that will start getting sticky in a couple of years again.

2. A bit of googling shows a shop called Car Craft India in Mumbai that is supplying after-market parts for around Rs 15K (I think). No idea about quality and fitment. I managed to convince the BMW dealer to do the fitment with the parts I provide them. They want to charge labour of 8-10K.

Attachment 2132868

I have the cinnamon brown interiors with matching brown colour interior door handles. I have seen some Youtube videos where people used black colour door handles during replacement and to be honest it looks fabulous and also avoids dirt showing on the door handles.

Attachment 2132869

I hate the quality of OEM material used, so I prefer to buy a very good quality non-OEM parts and preferably black instead of matching brown. Any suggestions from BMW owners who went through this issue?

Why don't you get the existing handles repaired. Melting of interior door handles is a common issue in all BMW cars sold in India. The handles can be repaired and covered in leather mimicking the originality. Each handle repair should cost you around 4.5k to 5.5k to repair. The repaired door handle has a comparatively longer/permanent shelf life because the rubber (which melts) is taken off and body filler is used to give it the required shape. I am attaching few picture for your reference.

There are 2 pictures which are clicked after the work was completed and 2 pictures of WIP.

[Neelanjan]

Originally Posted by ruchiragrawal

Whoa! I never knew this was a common issue! I have this exact same issue on my F10 520D. All four handles.

We don't have shops around, so we just wrapped some nice white towels around it to bear with it lol. The dealer wouldn't do any goodwill cost reduction/replacement!

I am waiting as well for the solutions that you guys are going to post. I'll shortly follow suit. Do recommend places near Mumbai / Pune / Nashik / Indore if y'all can!

TIA

In Mumbai you can visit Orchis. Mr Anil is the owner.Let me know if you need his phone number. They complete the work within a day. There is a thread on Orchis interior on our forum.