Door problems of the 1999 BMW 528

The driver's interior door handle, which is plastic, broke completely off as I tried to exit. I contacted the local BMW customer service rep and was told that this was a common problem on these vehicles, however, I recall has not been issued. He suggested I pay to get it fixed and retain the receipt in the event of a recall. I requested the number for the BMW customer care in order to document the failure. BMW customer care stated that the problem was unknown to them and they did not anticipate a recall. Although this incident occurred under normal usage, in the event of an accident it could have fatal consequences, furthermore, I am forced to drive my car without a interior latch until I can get in for a scheduled appointment, ie. 3 weeks.