This morning freezing cold, had to work on removing ice from windows and the doors were frozen to the chassis. When I tried to open the driver door, the plastic handle simply broke off!!!! I couldn't believe it, standing there with the handle in my hand. Does anyone here - I checked all the threads- know how to replace this handle? I assume it can be done without taking the lock out? It is the plastic handle next to the lock that broke. Cheers!

I had exactly the same problem 2 weeks ago, took it garage - £53 inc labour.........

Well, I ordered a new doorhandle at the Fiat dealer, but they never could deliver! Said there were supply problems in Italy. I ended up buying one of Ebay in the wrong colour (only red available, my car is blue), I had to put a new one in before the MOT, this more than half a year after it broke. I replaced the broken one myself: you have to remove the door card, then with an allen key you can loosen the handle from the inside and from the side of the door (you have to remove a plastic or rubber cap). All in all a nightmare, if only the handles were steel.

Sorry to hear about your problem re door handle. How much of a job was it removing the door card? I recently had a problem whereby you couldnt open the rear door from the outside and thought I would have to take the card off to fix it, but then I remembered I had a similar problem on my Punto 75SX which I fixed by removing the interior door handle. The cable had simply fallen free of its' location. Did the same on the Idea and found the it identical to the Punto, so easily fixed. Am not looking forward to the day I have to remove a door card, so hence my question.

I removed the drivers door 'card'..............strange name for a modern car inner door cover!!!............it comes off easily to start with then gets a pain, as there is a metal cover in between the trim and the outer door skin.
This is hemetically sealed, and there is all sorts of stuff fitted to it like the side airbag control/contact box(do NOT drop it, if you take it off!!), and then there is the electric window lifter motor etc.............but if you have to get in there.........carry on, I did not HAVE to get in there, as I was investigating the idea of fitting some door deadning pads, to make the doors less of a clang, and more of a thud...........so to speak.

Ian