Replacing Exterior Door Handles

We all love to spend time maintaining and improving our 4Runners but sometimes aspects which are purely cosmetic get pushed down the priority list. My 2010 4Runner Limited is equipped with the infamous cracked chrome handles, which to me looked out of place on a well-maintained vehicle. In this section, I will detail the steps required to replace all four exterior door handles, including those with the smart key system.

Before and after:

You will need:

- Some plastic trim removal tools

- Ratchet or impact with extension

- Philips screwdriver

Depending on the door handle(s) being replaced:

- Toyota part 69210-35190-B0 (with smart key, front right and front left)

- Toyota part 69210-35220-B0 (rear right and rear left)

Rear Door Handles

The rear handles are by far the easiest to replace, if your front handles have the keyless smart key option. The steps below outline the process which is mirrored identical to both rear handles.

1. The rear interior door panel is held in by three bolts. The first is held behind the interior door handle. Using the plastic trim tool inserted between the plastic panel and the lock indicator, pry out the small panel to reveal the bolt.

2. Using a philips screwdriver, remove the bolt.

3. To the left of the silver trim, there is a small access door which hides the next bolt.

Carefully pry from the top of the flap until you can pull it with your fingers. The bottom

section is held captive by a thin plastic sheet, so take care not to bend the flap or

torque it.

4. Using the philips screwdriver, remove the bolt.

5. The last bolt can be found under an access door straight down from the previous

one. This flap is also captive and should be carefully disengaged.

6. Remove the last bolt.

As a good practice, refer back to this guide to ensure the correct bolt is returned to the correct location during re-assembly. In this case, the shorter stainless bolt is used behind the inside handle area. I highly recommend a magnetic tray to ensure no hardware is lost.

7. The most nerve racking step now involves tugging and prying to disengage the push

clips on the inside of the door panel. Take care to avoid applying shear force by

either pulling straight away from the door or prying with a longer trim removal tool.

I have found that grabbing the storage cubby area and pulling straight out has

worked well for me. You will hear a number of loud popping noises as the pins

disengage from the door itself.

Do NOT attempt to power yank the panel off a significant distance. As you can

imagine, there are connectors and cables connected under this panel and you

may damage these components if you forcefully remove or extend the parts.

8. Once all the pins are released, lift the interior door panel seal off the sheet metal. The

top rubber section which seals against the glass has geometry similar to an edge

guard that grips over a thin sheet metal section.

If you heard any pieces fall during this process, most likely it was one of the clips.

Make sure to double check for any missing/damaged clips and replace them before

reinstalling the door.

9. With the rear door panel off (but still connected) be prepared to remove the following:

- The locking cable

- The door actuation cable

- The connector for the amber handle light

- The connector for the door puddle light

DO NOT set the door panel down without disconnecting these components. Failure

to do so may damage the components and/or connections.

10. The amber handle light and puddle lights are typical Toyota connectors. Depress

the toggle and pull back on the plug (not wires).

11. The lock and handle cables are captured in the panel. First, release the rigid

section of the cable from the housing to loosen the cable and then carefully

thread the ball-end out of the recepticle. DO NOT bend either cable when

removing - it should take minimal force to remove the cables.

12. Now the door section is totally removed from the door, place somewhere it

will be dry and stable.

13. Peel back the plastic liner from the edge closest to the handle, to reveal the

plastic retention clip. Try not to rip the plastic liner as this serves to prevent

water damage within the door.

14. Disengage the retention clip by unlatching it from the inside, toward outside.

15. Locate the final connector, depress the clip, and remove it.

16. Locate the three bolts holding the lock mechanism into the door and remove

them. When removing the last bolt, put an allen key in the door mechanism to

prevent it from falling straight down into the door. Reach around the inside of

the door (same interior area as step 13 & 14) and slowly lower the door

mechanism until it rests inside the bottom of the door panel.

17. Behind the lock mechanism is the Torx bolt holding the handle trim in. This bolt is

captive, so you do not have to worry about the bolt falling inside the door. Using a

ratchet and extension, loosen the bolt.

18. Since it is a captive bolt, you may have to torque the handle trim to fully disengage

the bolt. Insert your trim tool at the leading edge, and the trim should be removed

without significant force. Typically this trim piece is in pretty good shape, but if yours

needs replacing, this is the time to do it.

19. Pull the handle towards the removed trim piece until it clicks, then pull out of the

door.

20. Insert your brand new handle and follow the reverse steps to reassemble. The

process for the other rear door is identical.

The front handles are slightly different than the rear due to the lock and smart key system on the Limited model. As a general precaution, remove the negative battery cable while you are completing these steps. If you do not have a Limited, then the steps are similar to the rear handle steps.

After removing the interior door panel, disconnecting the cables, and unlatching the retention clip, follow the following steps.

21. Remove the cap on the inside of the door panel by prying at the edges.

22. Remove the Torx bolt to release the handle garnish

23. Release the black cable clip with a small screwdriver in the two slots. Do not bend the

cable or pull on it.

24. Using the small screwdriver, push into clip to fully disconnect the cable.

25. Follow the same process as step 18, removing the driver’s side lock in the same process.

26. Follow the reverse steps to reassemble, keeping in mind the extra connector for the smart

key handles.