I know many have had the opportunity to open a door only to find out that it will not. I recently had 2 doors
do this. Here's my simple $1.50 fix and what I used. Yeah you could go to the junkyard and find some working
handles but how long before they break?
machine screws, nuts and washers, a 1/8" drill bit, 10MM wrench (if you want to pull the handle-not necessary),
door panel thingy (to remove door panel or the big flat head screw driver), a small flathead screw driver, phillips
head screw driver, and some tape to put the moisture barrier back together if yours was torn like mine,
scissors to cut tape.
First, remove arm rest with phillip head screw driver. Then start removing the door panel. Along the edge
you will feel some tension, these are plastic retainers. Gently pry along to ease them out.
Next, remove the window crank. You will need to use the small flathead screw driver in and push the metal tab out.
Next you'll remove the handle bezel. I used the flathead screw driver again to gently raise the tabs on the
bezel away from the mechanism on the door. Here's a pic of how the tabs look. It was difficult to shoot and
show how to do it.
Once you get the panel off, you'll have a plastic moisture barrier to peel away. Just peel the end were the
work will be done, at the locking mechanism.
Alright, now the fun stuff. 9 times out of time, when you get to the handle, it will look like this.
If you look down at the bottom of the door, you'll find this little jewel.
This is what it's supposed to look like.
I believe it's just a piss poor design because the plastic barrel is taking on the stresses of someone popping
the latch and pulling the door at the same time.
Now, get that trusty screwdriver and 1/8" drill bit and stick it in the
plastic barrel hole. Drill all the way until it pops out the exterior side.
Then go on the outside and drill inwards to wallow it out a bit.
Not too much because you will want the screw to have a little bite to hold it in place.
Washers, nuts and bolts
!st stick the screw in from the inside out. This will give you threads in the plastic. Now stick the screw from the outside in, like so.
If you didn't wallow the hole too much, it should be pretty snug fitting. Now remove the OEM screw from
the plastic barrel.
And put the assembly back together.
Notice I used the existing broken pieces. This is a good guide as to how far to tighten the nut and since the pieces aren't really stressed anymore, it doesn't matter that it's broken. I thought about cutting the plastic barrel off and using a metal sleeve of some sorts but I thought this would do the trick.
And this is the view from a 5'7" guy. Hardly noticeable. I was going to paint the screw head black but thought....the heck with it. I'm just glad I can open my doors again.
Enjoy.
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) The little wheel was worn out and was just a little to small to make the latch pop, so i took a ziptie and put it in the loop the wheel was in so when the handle was pulled up the ziptie gave it that extra distance to make the latch pop. 
At least I know I'm not alone...numerous times I've gone to open the car (passenger side first, crawl through and push open the other door) I've had people remark about how they have/had to do the same with THEIR metro! Well, off to the hardware store I go. 