How to Replace Rear Exterior Door Handle 2007-12 GMC Acadia

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In this video, we're going to be working with our 2012 GMC Acadia. We're going to show you how to remove and replace your rear exterior door handle. We happen to be working on the driver's side. If you like this video, please click Subscribe. We have a ton more information on this vehicle, as well as many other makes and models, and if you need this part for your vehicle, you can follow the link down in the description over to 1AAuto.com.

Here are the items you'll need for this repair: T-15-T-30 Torx bit, ratchet, socket extension, flat head screwdriver, box cutter, pick tools

Behind the door handle, on the interior, you'll find a small notch where you can get a pick in to remove this cover, which will expose a T30 Torx screw. Then using either a flat blade screwdriver or these non-marring pry tools which are available from 1A Auto, pry underneath the wood trim and pop the panel out, giving us access to the remaining two T30 Torx screws. We'll remove all three. You should be able to access these screws with the T30 Torx socket, but ours is too big for the top one, here, so we're going to use a T30 Torx screwdriver.

On our front door, this locks release tab was on the front side, and in the rear, it's facing this way, so yours may be facing one way or the other. For us, we'll have to roll down the window and remove it from the back side. We'll use a small flat blade screwdriver to get in between the lock and this release tab. Pop it out, and lift the lock off of the lock rail.

On the bottom side of the door panel, right about in the center, you'll find this notch, which allows us to use another one of our non-marring pry tools to reach up behind the clip for the door panel. You want to get the fork on either side. Pry out.

As you pop these out, you'll want to either wedge another one of the pry tools in there to keep it from going back together. The more of these you pop out, the easier they get. There are also a few clips behind this upper piece, here. You'll have to make sure you get those out, as well, and along the other side. Once all your tabs have been popped out, lift up and remove your door panel. Push down on the tabs that anchor the latch cable into its slot. We're going to use a small flat blade to get a little more leverage on them. Once it's through, pull the bare wire through the opening, line it up with the slot, and pull the ball out of the interior door latch. Lay the panel out. Pull down on the safety tab for the window switch connector, and then remove it.

We'll use a non-marring pry tool, here, to remove the plastic clips for this foam pad. You could also do this with a pair of side cutters or screwdrivers, but these are usually a pretty good way of getting the clips up. Once the clips are out, remove the foam from this insulator. The adhesive used on these particular weather shields are pretty strong, so we're going to use a razor blade to cut through the middle of the adhesive. As long as you keep this stuff clean and get a nice clean cut on it, it'll re-adhere nicely without us having to change it all out. Make sure you keep tension away from it. Otherwise, it'll stick back together and you'll have to start over.

Once you've cut through all the adhesive, make sure to lay the panel down this way, so the adhesive is facing up, in a clean dry place, so we can reuse it rather than have to peel all this off and reapply. Remove this cover on the outside so we can access the Torx screw on the back of our door handle.

Behind the rear window track, you'll see a yellow clip that secures the bottom of your door latch rod. Lift that clip up. Through the access hole you'll find a Torx screw. We'll loosen that out about half way, but you don't have to remove it fully. We're going to use a T25 Torx screwdriver. Once you've loosened the screw enough that this rear portion of the handle is free, open the door handle and remove the rear half. Open the door handle partway, and slide it back. You can then remove it from the rest of the assembly. Hold onto this gasket, and be sure not to lose it. If you have to remove the rear part of the assembly, loosen up this T25 Torx screw at the front, reach in through the back of the door, slide the assembly forward, and remove it from the vehicle.

Reinstall the rear portion of the handle into the vehicle. Be sure not to catch the latch rod anywhere on the way in. Slide the screw back into the keyhole, and pull the back portion in until the tabs lock back into place. Tighten down that T25 Torx screw. Reinstall the gasket. There are alignment holes for it, here. Slide the front portion of handle in on an angle, and then push it forward until it locks into place. Open the handle. Lay in the rear portion of the trim. Then tighten down the T25 Torx screw.

Reinstall the plug for the access hole. Reinstall the latch rod into the plastic retainer, and close the latch back into place. Reinstall the weather shielding. Make sure the holes for the Styrofoam's clips line up. Then you should just be able to put a little pressure on the adhesive and get it to seal back up as long as you cut it nice and keep it clean. Line up the clips, and reinstall the foam insulator.

Reinstall the electrical connector for the power window switch, and lock the safety back into place. Reinstall the ball on the end of the cable into the door handle. Lay it into the groove, and then snap the anchor back in. Line up the door lock rod into its slot. Snap the top tabs in, and lay the top of the door into its channel. You can then begin snapping in the plastic clips on the back. Using your T30 Torx screwdriver, reinstall the three screws. Reinstall the screw covers behind the door handle and over this door pull. With the wooden trim, you'll want to set the top into place first, and then line up the rest until it snaps in. Reinstall the door lock cover as far down as it'll go. Be sure the lock rod is all the way up when you do this. Then snap the cover in, and make sure it moves up and down smoothly.

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