Driver door stuck closed!

Hi all,

My 2000 tundra access cab's driver door is stuck closed and I am completely out of ideas to open it up. At first, it wouldn't easily open and you had to give it a good pull. Now it's just completely stuck, though I'm not sure if it's actually the door latch itself. Neither the inside or outside door handle will open it. The locks appear to be operational, but I'm wondering if the actuator isn't actually unlocking the door when when it's supposed to? I was able to open the door panel enough to reach in and feel the levers/rods but I can't figure out what precisely is wrong. Sprayed some silicone spray in there to lubricate and no success.

Has anyone experienced this? Is there a way to manually unlock and manually engage the door latch? I am seriously stuck and do not want to bring it to a dealer to have them charge me hundreds to do something simple I haven't thought of yet.

 

When you pull up on the door lock does it give solid resistance and feel like something thunks as it finishes moving up?

 

As far as I can tell, the when using the key to unlock the door itself, I do feel appropriate resistance (as I feel on the passenger side, which works) and the power locks engage throughout the vehicle as they should. I also feel the same resistance on both exterior door handles. Except the one that doesn't work isn't getting that last little "pop out" when the door actually opens.

 

It sounds like maybe the mechanism behind the handle lock may have let go. Does it give any resistance when you try and unlock it from the inside?

 

It's the same for the interior locks/handles. The lock seems to have resistance, the handle doesn't have the resistance that the passenger side has when the door is actually popping open. Starting to think it's not a lock problem, and a problem with the latch not getting the force it needs to spring open. I can see/reach the actuator rod and the handle rod, but it seems like the door latch itself is inside the metal door frame. I've seen videos where it was just a missing spring, but I even opened the door panel on the passenger side and didn't see any obvious differences...

 

Yeah, sounds like the door card needs to come off. You might be able to get it through the top, but I'm betting the front seats will need to be removed to get to it.

 

I can't get the door panel completely off without breaking it. There is a screw currently hidden between the door and the dash area. I have the panel open enough to do work, but I can't figure out what actually is preventing it from opening. If it's the locks, is there a way to forcibly unlock it without using the power lock mechanism? And if it's the latch, is there a way to manually unlatch it from within the door? Really trying to avoid going to the dealership on this one....

 

I had an issue on the back drivers door on mine, my fault. I ended up going to a locksmith to get it open. Hurt my feelings, but hey, sometimes you just have to go to an expert

 

I had my driver side door stuck closed. couldnt open from inside or outside. had to take the seats out and pry the door panel back (damaged it because you cant get to 1 screw since its covered by the dash). Mine was stuck closed because the window track was pressing against the door lock. (door was bent)

 

I would try to loosen the window track in yours (theres a bolt towards the top that ultimately let me get mine to unlock finally)

 

I installed new speakers in my '12 and switched the cables by mistake. Lock cables should be were door and door is were lock should be. No play on either handle nothing,... tried to take panel with door close but no luck any help with this situation preciate,..

 

Climb in from the passenger side
Take The Interior door handle off and see if you can use pliers to pull the cable and open the door

 

which locksmith should I go to? My drivers side door is now stuck shut and it’s really bugging me.

 

Any locksmith who says they're capable of jimmying a locked, closed door?

 

This is the riggt answer. But if you're in my area, I used Murray Kroll in Norfolk.

On a 2nd gen you can't remove the door panels with the door closed. Don't know about 1st gen. If you can you should be able to fix it without a locksmith.

 

This guy was able to pull back the door card and pull on the cables. Appears he did some damage to the door so keep that in mind

https://youtu.be/cawCVQXREdE?si=Pe2gFjGVfnrqA71e