Reference has been made to the flimsy feel of the interior door handles on the Fabia 11 both on here and in some independant reports too. I have to agree they feel very light weight but then again the door mechanism is so responsive it does not invite one to actually start tugging at the handle. I was just wondering if this is at all an issue and if anyone has actually broken an interior handle? The car has been around since 2007 so if the handles are indeed inferior it should be starting to show up by now?

I thought they were fine... at least, compared to the seat hight adjuster that creaks when you pump to either end of the adjustment or the cheapo rear window winders and plastic stalks for the wipers/indicators! I think it is a weight/cost exersize and also serves to offer "Break away" fitings, in the event of an accident

They do seem quite light to touch and a bit cheap compared to the previous Fabia but have not had a problem with them as yet!

I'd just be worried that some people who don't realise you've to pull them twice(assuming they're the same as the MkI) if locked could break one

I'd just be worried that some people who don't realise you've to pull them twice(assuming they're the same as the MkI) if locked could break one

Yes thats true and is my thoughts when I ask has anyone broken one yet? But generally they do seem very well screwed together in other areas.

I thought they were fine... at least, compared to the seat hight adjuster that creaks when you pump to either end of the adjustment or the cheapo rear window winders and plastic stalks for the wipers/indicators! I think it is a weight/cost exersize and also serves to offer "Break away" fitings, in the event of an accident

My adjuster don't creak but then I'm not exactly a heavyweight I like the idea of "breakaway fittings" though. Safety is so important these days

True forgotten about the locked option where you have to pull the handle twice as that has caught out a few people in the Fabia.

Compared to the Mark 1 Fabia I've got to admit the quality is not of the same car in the inside ie plastics wise.

True forgotten about the locked option where you have to pull the handle twice as that has caught out a few people in the Fabia.

Compared to the Mark 1 Fabia I've got to admit the quality is not of the same car in the inside ie plastics wise.

I suppose in reality they are made so that you can pull them twice but as a driver letting a passenger out it's only a case of pressing the unlock button on the centre console to have the door open in the normal manner. Not too sure about any lack of quality on the rest of the car. It's true the older model had fittings that felt more solid and were made of heavier material but modern materials can be very light yet strong. I suppose we can only say they are inferior fittings if they start failing and so far I haven't heard of it.

Go try an interior door handle on an early BMW Mini, then see how well made your Skoda ones are

Go try an interior door handle on an early BMW Mini, then see how well made your Skoda ones are

And you'll need to be able to work the doors on the mini because if you do a decent shop you'll need to use the back seat for your bags

Well my drivers seat height adjuster has broken already! Mind you, at least the seat has got stuck in the position that I use anyway!

They are black on the vRS and cant be seen at in the dark

How easy is it to change them to silver ones I wonder!!

I tend to remember where my door handles are so their visibility isnt an issue

If i have passengers in the cars they are always hunting around for the door handles now they are black :S cant believe they couldn't paint them chrome or out line them. Have been considering painting them candy white to match the outside break up the black on black door cards and make them visible.

... cant believe they couldn't paint them chrome or out line them.

... because they are so flexible, the paint would crack off.

They were silver on our Fabia Sport.

Bad decision not to paint them on the vRS ....Get a grip Skoda

Had the silver on the pre-facelift never cracked off they could at least have done them body coloured or something?

Just seen this thread and I can say with confidence that the handles on the Mk2 are brilliantly strong. My next door but one neighbour spilled acetone down the inside of his passenger door in his Fabia estate. It caused a lot of damage to the finish of the fabric and marked the interior door handle. He didn't see it when it actually happened and it remained active on the door over night. To help out I fitted a new door handle, the genuine article and he sorted out a new panel from the dealer which I also fitted for him. Like most things on the Fabia, it was a doddle. However, I have just been experimenting with the handle and no-one should be concerned about it's strength. It's very lightweight and hi tech and very very strong. I think to break it you'd have to be an idiot with the body of the Hulk! Funny that when manufacturers give us lighter more advanced cars we always assume the quality is inferior. If you want inferior handles, look at the new Fiat Punto. It's renowned for breaking it's door handles time after time after time. I think the reason many of you think it is flimsy is the fact it operates a cable mechanism which gives the impression the handle is flexing due to the ultra smooth pull action. It isn't. Pull with confidence guys!

... many of you think it is flimsy

Quality is not just about strength. I have no idea how strong the handles are. To my mind they are too flexible and neither feel good nor inspire confidence. I know Skoda can do better because they did better on the Mk1.

I just cant believe how anal people are these days, its a bloody door handle for petes sake so please get a grip on reality :yes:

Its a cheap car, theres a global financial crisis, we dont want to pay much for cars and manufacturers dont want to spend loads making them... hence some things maybe cheap. If you want a nice door handle et al, go and buy an Audi....... yeah thought not.

All this talk about how good the Mk1 was, well does the Mk2 leak like a sieve, no... do the HTP engines valves fall out now, no and does the interior look like its been carved out of a block of charcoal, a no. Ill happily keep my lightweight door handles ta.

I just cant believe how anal people are these days, its a bloody door handle for petes sake so please get a grip on reality :yes:

Its a cheap car, theres a global financial crisis, we dont want to pay much for cars and manufacturers dont want to spend loads making them... hence some things maybe cheap. If you want a nice door handle et al, go and buy an Audi....... yeah thought not.

All this talk about how good the Mk1 was, well does the Mk2 leak like a sieve, no... do the HTP engines valves fall out now, no and does the interior look like its been carved out of a block of charcoal, a no. Ill happily keep my lightweight door handles ta.

Oh dear! This thread was about pulling handles - not about pressing buttons!

I just cant believe how anal people are these days, its a bloody door handle for petes sake so please get a grip on reality :yes:

Its a cheap car, theres a global financial crisis, we dont want to pay much for cars and manufacturers dont want to spend loads making them... hence some things maybe cheap. If you want a nice door handle et al, go and buy an Audi....... yeah thought not.

All this talk about how good the Mk1 was, well does the Mk2 leak like a sieve, no... do the HTP engines valves fall out now, no and does the interior look like its been carved out of a block of charcoal, a no. Ill happily keep my lightweight door handles ta.

Lemon...I admire your straight talking and I must admit, I do agree with you. People are entitled to moan (and frequently do about seemingly daft things) but sometimes I think reality gets lost!

But, back to the handles. Mike, I wonder if you may have different handles to mine. Mine are not flexible at all and neither are my neighbours. The one I took off his car does not flex at all. It's lightweight yes, but is solid and strong as steel. We both have the same model Fabia Mk2 estates '08' and '09' plates. Just maybe we are talking different handles here...or...I will repeat that it may feel as though the handle is flexing, mine actually does feel like it is, but in reality it doesn't flex at all. It's an illusion due to the way the handle is hinged and the very smooth pull on the cable it operates. Mine could be painted any colour and it would not crack due to flexing.

I just cant believe how anal people are these days, its a bloody door handle for petes sake so please get a grip on reality :yes:

Its a cheap car, theres a global financial crisis, we dont want to pay much for cars and manufacturers dont want to spend loads making them... hence some things maybe cheap. If you want a nice door handle et al, go and buy an Audi....... yeah thought not.

All this talk about how good the Mk1 was, well does the Mk2 leak like a sieve, no... do the HTP engines valves fall out now, no and does the interior look like its been carved out of a block of charcoal, a no. Ill happily keep my lightweight door handles ta.

Great post mate I asked the question becuse it has cropped up both in other posts on here and in independant reviews. The responses on here point to the fact those who 'rubbish' the quality of the handles are wrong to do so as it seems obvious they are more than adequate for the job. One might say, another feather in Skoda's cap that they can produce parts which are both light AND robust. Having had the Mk1 and now Mk2 models I agree the problems of the older model do seem to have been addressed, not least those leaking doors. However..."anal" ?? I don't think so. The door handles are surely a very important part on any car and as close to "reality" as it can get

but the fact is some of the interior fittings are quite poor and squeaky. It's not a cheap car compared to the mark 1 and the interior build quality is worse (or it feels like it anyway).

Mike, I wonder if you may have different handles to mine. Mine are not flexible at all and neither are my neighbours. The one I took off his car does not flex at all. It's lightweight yes, but is solid and strong as steel. We both have the same model Fabia Mk2 estates '08' and '09' plates.

I don't have a Mk2 - I am on my second Mk1 2.0i Elegance (which is identical to the first one). I have driven two Mk2s - one pre- and one post- facelift and I have sat in a few others. I guess we just have different perceptions.