Update : One year ago, I did this door handle fix and I am happy to report that the door handle is holding up well. It has held up so well, I had forgotten it was ever broken. I cannot tell you how many times the door has been opened and closed but I can tell you the car has been driven nearly everyday since the repair. The handle still looks and feels like as it was when I bought the car.

I had an independent Mercedes technician change the fluids for me, one day and as he stepped out of the car, after driving it out from the service bay, he made a comment about how solid the crossfire felt compared to its slk cousin. I didn't tell him about the formerly broken door handle but it made me smile nonetheless.