Q: Car will not unlock driver side door on its own.

asked by on August 19, 2016

I have a 1997 Toyota Celica gt and my driver side door was not unlocking. I had to unlock it with a clothes hanger. I looked at it and ended up trying to rig something by putting a zip-tie around the place I pull up with a clothes hanger to make it easier. The zip-tie tightened something so now it unlocks on it's own sometimes but I still have to use the clothes hanger sometimes.
My car has a manual transmission.

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You will need to have the drivers door panel removed. From there you’ll be able to identify and replace the broken latch or lock actuator assembly as necessary. Since you have been pulling and yanking on the rods with the zip tie you may have bent or damaged parts. This would need to be inspected properly. Have a certified technician, like one from YourMechanic, diagnose the issue with your door and help you fix it accordingly. Good luck.

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