So im going to assume this is a common problem, however after tearing apart the door panel 3 different times I still have no answer.

Suddenly my drivers side door wont unlock when you lock it, cant pull up the lock knob and the keys wont unlock it. The only way to get it to unlock is to turn the key as you pull up on the handle and hope 'n pray it works.

I cleaned out the lock mechanism as good as I could, even got the lock to work flawlessly, but soon as I put it back together, I close the door and lock it and back to square one of it not working.

Any ideas? Time for a new latch/lock setup? sagging door hinges possibly? any help would be appreciated

Thanks
Shaun

 

I got the same thing happening with my 91. Doing the exact same thing you posted above. It's got something to do with the linkage for the door lock knob thing (wtf do you call the lock thing you push down to lock the door???) Anyway, I had to take the door apart and unthread the plastic door lock plastic thing that goes on the end of the rod that you push down to lock the door. Pulled the rod all the way up, put the door back together and threaded it back on but left it 90 degrees to the hole so that it can't go down to lock the door. The bad news is I can't lock the door but the good news is I can open it (Well from the inside anyway, I broke the outside door handle trying to fix this stupid thing so I can't open the door from the outside...)

Anyone got a real fix?

 

Please help. I have a 2006 4Runner. Rear wiper, rear washer, rear defroster werent working. took it to the mechanic, they removed the rear inside tailgate panel. couldnt find problem, put it back together. i researched. found posts regarding rear window maybe slightly ajar, so to open and close that. that fixed the wiper, washer issue. but now my tailgate does not open! will not open with remote or with key.
any ideas? hope you can help me. thank you!!!

 

Its not the lock or linkage. Its the latch on the inside of the door. If the door is locked and you pull up the handle in the outside of the door it causes the handle mechanism to block the unlock mechanism. basically if this is a manual locks vehicle, you need a new latch