[bpd1276]

Cannot open any doors on my 2001 ford escape, not with key, or electrically, handles will not operate, can only climb out window or back hatch, cannot get at interior of doors because can';t open them to work on them, has anyone a solution, or had this problem? HELP... trapped in my car!:(

[jack dandy]

Are they frozen shut from weather or what need more information.

[bpd1276]

Are they frozen shut from weather or what need more information.

No not from weather, while at end of my drive , they just refuse to open, you can pull on handles inside and out to no avail, if you use key fob to click them open you hear actuation but they still will not open, if you you key to unlock you can hear and feel actuation but handles will not open doors, the rear hatch will lock and unlock and open but not the doors,

[Lowtax4eva]

Has the car been in an accident?

I think the obvious reply here is take it to a garage... but you know

[bpd1276]

Has the car been in an accident?

I think the obvious reply here is take it to a garage... but you know

Tried that $200 later after 3 hours they had no answer short of cutting doors off and replacing them!! suppose a junk yard door may be cheaper than parts,

[ab3000]

They aren't supposed to charge more than 1 hour labor for diagnostic fees unless taking apart a mtor etc. . You should complain about that. Take it to a ford dealer

[Lowtax4eva]

Ah, then there is your answer, even a small accident at the right angle can bend the frame enough to prevent the doors from opening again.

In this case they are right, the only solution is to cut the doors and remove them to prevent more damage to the frame, then bend the frame around the doors back in place and put new doors on.

[melltune]

Try using WD-40 as your key may be sticking just a little bit. We called FORD & received no help at all!! When we put the key in to ulock it manually, you could feel it trying to open, but wouldn't. We put some WD-40 in the keyhole as the pins will stick if you use your clicker all the time. We bought our Escape used, then let the car heat up with the doors locked, but then it wouldn't open, with the clicker or the key. We spayed WD-40 in the key hole, put the key in, turned it to the left a few times, & it opened.

[brown328]

I have a 2002 Mazda Tribute, and am having the same problem. It is the rear driver side ddor and the symptoms are exactly the same. I pulled off the inside door latch and tried to pull on the cable but it will not budge. Somewhere I read that they were able to partially pull off the inner door panel and stick their arm in and they found a catch right near the outside door handle that had rusted and they were able to move it to get the door open. I have not been able to do that yet. I also read in another post someone was able to get a crowbar inside the door and smash the plastic lock actuator to get the door open. It sounds drastic but not as drastic as cutting a perfectly good door off. Keep trying and if you figure it out post back. I will do the same.

[wayneburke]

I had the same problem with my 2001 Escape rear passenger door. The lock mechanism seized in the locked position and I couldn't get it opened from inside or out. I could hear the lock trying to unlock when using the key fob, but the latch would not release. The problem was with the cable from the interior door handle. When the handle was pulled, the cable wouldn't release the lock mechanism. It is possible to remove the door interior panel with the door closed. You need to remove the 2 screws in the door handles and then you need a thin hook of some sort to get under the bottom of the panel (there is a groove at the bottom that provides a gap). I used a tool for installing laminate flooring and it worked like a charm. The only thing holding the panel ar a series plastic plugs around sides and bottom. Once the interior panel is off there is very little of the latch mechanism visible due to the door design. You will be able to see the wiring harness that activates the lock. With a mirror and light you should be able to see the inner side of the latch mechanism close to where the wire harness attaches. You'll need to concentrate on the side closest to you (against the inside of the door frame, not the outer door skin). You will see the end of the locking latch. It's a steel piece about an 1/8" thick and about a 1/2" high. This latch shifts up and down and needs to be shifted to the top position to release the lock. This part is tricky because it's hard to see and you need a thin tool to move the latch. I ended up cutting the door frame back a bit with a mini grinder cutting wheel to get better access but I'd suggest this only as a last resort (the interior door panel hides the cuts I made) Once I had the door open I took apart the whole mechanism and sprayed it down with Rust Check lubricant. It now works like a charm. I took pictures of the whole job but don't know how to add them to this site (sorry). I hope that this helps.

[pappysul]

My front drivers side door on my 2001 Ford Escape would not open from the inside or outside, the lock indicator seemed to be stuck half way. I removed the interior handle bezel and the screw inside the armrest cup and lift the interior trim panel up out of the window channel. Once this was done, there was enough flex in the panel to pull the top away from the door. I put a block of wood between the door and the panel to have enough room to get my hand inside the door ( you have to peel the plastic liner away from the door to get your hand in. I could feel the linkage rod for the exterior handle in the upper rear corner of the door, slightly below the window opening. It felt very stiff but I pulled up on it and the door opened! Once opened, I removed the panel entirely, removed the latch assembly following instructions in my Haynes manual, sprayed the entire assembly with PB rust blaster and worked it 'til it moved freely. The door works fine now, nothing was broken, just dirty, slightly rusty and lacking lubrication.