door handle assembly coming loose

[sixleggedinsect]

the door handle assembly on my driver's door 97 wagon is coming loose. i left the car parked for 2 months, and got back to it today. the handle is attached to an oval metal piece, which is in turn attached in some way to the door (with a gasket in between). the handle/oval piece is loose, and i can pull it 1/4" or more away from the door and rattle it around.

i cant see how it is attached right now. is there any way to fix this problem without tearing the door apart?

thanks,
anthony

[mightymoose_22]

No.

[Davescort97]

Just remove the trim panel and watershield, then there are 2 nuts on the back of the handle.