My driver side mirror is busted and I've been told I need to buy the whole thing and not just the part that holds it to my 97 dodge intrepid. Does anyone know if this is an easy job to do on your own or it is better to take it to a dealer or a mechanic?

easy job. Remove door trim (and some window). Remove bolts, unplug, feed wire through hole, reinstall is reverse of this, done!