
The replacement metal latch handle fit perfectly and works fine.
That skinny protruding arm shouldn’t break off, but now it has a metal-to-metal sliding joint that will eventually gall. With any luck, though, it’ll outlast the van… which, admittedly, that kludged repair probably would have, too.
“With any luck, though, it’ll outlast the van… which, admittedly, that kludged repair probably would have, too.”
Maybe. I tried a somewhat-similar kludge repair on our Sienna’s hatch latch handle a while ago. Used a 2-56 bolt that I sort of force-tapped into the broken plastic finger, with epoxy to hold the pieces and to bind the threads. Lasted a year and change…but then your kludge looks a lot better than mine did :-)
In other news from the World O’ Toyotas, I was shopping for valve cover gaskets last week (don’t ask) and discovered that free market pricing is alive and well. List price for a VC gasket: $15.58. First local dealer’s price: $37.61. Second local dealer’s price: $20.61. Actual price paid to discount dealer on web: $11.69. Caveat emptor, I guess.