I've got an XF Fairmont Ghia I've been playing with & the other day not only the out side passengers door handle f#c*ed up but the inside wouldn't work either (that's a problem when the doors shut!). I had noticed that the doors needed a little lube in the locking mechanisms but hadn't got around to it (my bad).

Anyhow, after alot of stuffing around I managed to free up the catch and open the door from the inside with a screwdriver.

The inside door handle operates a steel rod that goes to a plastic piece/cam that then attaches to another steel rod. The plastic piece/cam turns on a plasic shaft that is attached to another plastic piece which holds it all in the door (confused yet?). The shaft had broken off the plastic piece that holds it all in the door.

I understand that both the outside door handle and the internal linkage broke as a direct reaction from the poorly lubed mechanism (which won't happen again).

Does anyone know if there is a more robust version of the internal linkage on the market?

its a crappy system from the day they designed it...
gonna have to learn to deal with it.

if your really that worried about it, try putting some E-series handles on it, but thats a lot of work for a start.

just keep the whole door aligned corrected, and lubed and all that sorta s**t, and you *shouldnt* run into breaking door handles again..
in theory at least!

Plastic cam? Mine broke - solution = put a self tapper or bolt in it...not too tight and that should solve your problem. Give it a good clean too!