In a local DS Facebook group in Turkiye, a member shared a DIY fix for the sticky door handle issue instead of replacing the entire unit. He disassembled the handle and found that water ingress had caused corrosion inside the mechanism.
There is a white plastic cover on the unit held by retention tabs (clips). He recommends using a heat gun (or a powerful hair dryer) along with a flathead screwdriver to carefully pry it open; the heat is advised to prevent the plastic tabs from snapping.
After opening it, he cleaned the entire mechanism and the PCB using IPA or contact cleaner i think. Once cleaned and reassembled, he tested it on the car, and it’s working fine again. This might be a great way to avoid the high cost of a full replacement after warranty ends.
