1999 Ford Explorer: doors won't lock, open or latch

Filed Dec 31, 2020 · Electrical, Lights · 210,000 miles · IN

I need to know what causes the electric to go haywire. The overhead lamp clicks on and off the driver door lock doesn't work completely. The driver window does not work correctly. Some of my gauges will decide not to work sometimes and then other times we'll be fine. My radio clock does not work. All happens the same whether I'm driving or not whether I'm parked with the engine running or not. I can't figure out anything it's causing this

Filed Mar 26, 2012 · Locks · AK

The passenger door will not unlock, you hear the clicking as the other doors unlock, but it will not unlock. As with the other complaints I have seen regarding this issue, I too am concerned if there was an accident and the person in the passenger side is unable to get out of the car.

Filed Nov 23, 2009 · Locks · 160,000 miles · HI

1999 ford explorer - the doors lock become stuck - neither opening with the key manually, key code, or remote from the inside or the outside. The drivers side door and the door in the back on the drivers side just stopped working the door in the rear on the passenger side opens from the outside; the drivers side door does not open at all. In attempt to free myself from the car I broke the internal door handle. This is a common complaint and it is unsafe and expensive for the owners to fix. Please reference this website to see the numerous other ford consumers that are effected by this problem just on this one forum there are more forums than this for almost all the ford models: http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/1998/accessories-interior/drivers_door_wont_unlock.shtml.

Filed Jan 6, 2009 · Locks · 141,474 miles · SC

1999 ford explorer drivers door lock/latch will not open. Broken spring found inside door, not fixed, expensive to fix. Deathtrap for trapped drivers in accident, very inconvenient feeling trapped inside due to faulty door latch/lock. Not safe, especially with already recall of instant fire at anytime due to recall of cruise control.

Filed May 28, 2008 · Locks · 109,000 miles · NJ

The driver side door lock has stopped working. The door will not lock at all at this point. I hope to god that no one steals my car! One occasion it decided to work and if I didn't have keyless entry, my kids would have been locked in the car with the car running. I have not attempted to have it fix. This is a huge problem, along with all the other problems that I am having.

Filed Apr 29, 2008 · Locks · 78,000 miles · MA

I have a ford explorer sport 1999, the door locks won't unlock with the keys (both side doors, the hatch works fine) or the keypad, when they lock after starting, the drivers door won't unlock with the handle or the unlock button. It does however if you hit the unlock button, pushing the unlock button several times while pulling up on the lock - which is hard to get a hold of, or the handle (for now) I believe this is a safety issue. If I happened to get in an accident, the door would not open if needed.

Filed Aug 28, 2007 · Locks · 100,000 miles · AL

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear passenger doors will not open. When the failure began, she was able to open the door from the inside or from the outside by rolling down the window. The dealer has not diagnosed the failure. There were no warning indicator lights present. The contact will follow up with the manufacturer on the federal safety agency campaign notice number 03v280000 (vehicle speed control:cables) she received. The failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 170,000.

Filed May 18, 2007 · Locks · 100,000 miles · PA

The passenger door lock stopped popping up on the first press of the unlock button on the door. This began almost 2 years ago. It required multiple presses on the unlock button to get the door to unlock. The problem has now occurred on the driver' s side door. Only this time it required many more depresses to unlock. I have to physically pull the handle and pull up on the door lock knob to force it to open if it will open. My fear now is if I am in an accident or the truck catches on fire I may not be able to unlock either door.

Filed May 1, 2007 · Body, Fuel system · 190,000 miles · CA

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. While driving 50 MPH the vehicle stalled. There was a recall for the fuel system. However, the dealer stated that this vehicle was not included due to the VIN. Also, the hood on the vehicle will not open. The failure has not been diagnosed. The driver's door will not open with the key. The failure and current mileage was 190,000.

Filed Jan 10, 2007 · Electrical · 13,000 miles · IL · fire

On january 31, 2006 after arriving home from work which is approximately 6 blocks from my home I noticed an electrical smell I thought that it was possibly my christmas lights on my home that I had not taken down then I felt the siding and insulation of my home to make sure that an outlet wasn't overloaded or hot I even came in and move my furniture to check the outlet closest to the driveway and didn't find any source of the smell. My boyfriend went out and removed the christmas lights and said he thought the smell was coming from the vehicle, at that time I just assumed that possibly it was a brake pad smell or something of that nature. This vehicle contained no after market stereo equipment it only had a professionally installed alarm system. After that incident the vehicle was driven approximately 35 miles round trip twice to a local town with no vehicle problems or smells. On the morning of january 1, 2007 I got in the vehicle and drove approximately 6 blocks to work I turned off the vehicle, gathered my belongings exited the vehicle, used the door locks to secure the vehicle clocked in at 5:55 a.m. And at approximately 6:15 I was called out of my work by a correctional officer telling me that my vehicle was on fire, it was noticed in a security camera by dispatch, a fellow worker used 3 fire extinguishers on this vehicle before the fire department arrived once they arrived they had to use several burst of water to bring the fire under control, the hood latch failed to work so they had to remove the hood with an axe because the tire well was still glowing from the fire, the fire was put out and it was a total loss.

Filed Oct 16, 2006 · Locks · 149,000 miles · MO

1) 1999 ford explorer 2 door (mine) and 2000 ford explorer 4 door (my brother's). Both vehicles are operated as normal daily driver vehicles. There was no known event leading to the failure in either vehicle (not operated under harsh conditions/gravel roads, etc.). 2) both vehicles within a few month period began experiencing problems with the door latch mechanism -- passenger door on my explorer, and both driver's side doors on my brothers. When locked, the door would not unlock. The power lock cylinder was actuating, but not disengaging the lock. The door could not be unlocked with the key from the outside nor the fob/key chain. Also, the real concern - the door could not be opened from the inside by pulling the door handle (which normally would unlock and open the door). In each of the three doors, a small retracting spring inside the door latch was broken. Had the vehicle been in an accident or some other situation requiring an emergency exit from the vehicle, the occupant sitting by the affected door possibly could not exit the vehicle without moving to another door of the vehicle. 3) I repaired these latches myself, using springs purchased from a local hardware store, as the latches are not available aftermarket in stores such as auto zone or napa (ford dealer may have them but have not checked). The small spring appears to keep the lock mechanism pulled off unless the lock is engaged, without the spring, the lock would not disengage under normal operation. The only way the door would unlock was to push the unlock button numerous times (sometimes 30 + times) and it would eventually unlock. Removal of the door panel and latch assembly was required to fix the broken spring. We do have at least one of the broken springs (about 1 1/2 inches long).

Filed Oct 20, 2005 · Airbags, Brakes · CA

Dt: noticed problems with vehicle on september 1, 2002. There was an electrical problem because the light for the air bags was always on. The windshield wipers turned on and off by themselves. This happened so often that it could cause an accident. Took vehicle to the mechanic for the brakes because they were making noise, and had to pump the brakes in order to get the vehicle to stop. *ak the driver's side power door lock does not lock. The rear passenger side door cannot be opened from the inside.