2000 Ford Explorer Latches & Locks Problems

While driving at 40 mph, your hood started shuddering and wouldn't close or latch properly, even after you manually pushed it down several times. You had to slow down and drive carefully to get the vehicle to a dealer for diagnosis. The hood latch may need adjustment or replacement to secure properly.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH REAR INTERIOR CHILD LOCKS FAILED IN THE LOCKED POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE DEALER STATED THIS WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

I HAVE A 2000 FORD EXPLORER, 4-DOOR. THE RIGHT FRONT DOOR ACTUATOR MECHANISM HAS FAILED. THE LEFT FRONT DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM HAS FAILED. ALSO, LEFT REAR PASSENGER DOOR CAN NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. 1) CAN NOT OPEN RIGHT FRONT DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE WITH KEY-FOB OR WITH THE KEY! I REPLACED A RIVOT THAT HOLDS THE LOCKING ACTUATOR WITH A BOLT (RIGHT SIDE FRONT DOOR). 2)I CAN NOT OPEN LEFT FRONT DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE WITH KEY-FOB OR WITH THE KEY! . I REPLACED THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE OPENING LEVER. THIS WORKED UNTIL THE LATCHING MECHANISM INSIDE THE DOOR FAILED. I CURRENTLY HAVE TO TAKE THE DOOR APART AND TRY TO FIX THIS BECAUSE MY WIFE AND KIDS USE THIS VEHICLE. 3) ON THE LEFT REAR DOOR, THE DOOR CAN NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. I CURRENTLY HAVE TO TAKE THE DOOR APART AND TRY TO FIX THIS BECAUSE MY WIFE AND KIDS USE THIS VEHICLE. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT ON THE RIGHT SIDE, ANYONE IN THE LEFT REAR SEAT CAN NOT EXIT THE VEHICLE FROM THE LEFT REAR DOOR. WE LEASED THIS VEHICLE IN 2000 THEN BOUGHT IT IN 2003. AS OF THIS WRITING, THIS VEHICLE HAS JUST OVER 80000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. FORD REFUSES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEMS. MANY MESSAGE BOARDS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH 2000 FORD EXPLORERS. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO RESORT TO USING THE REMEDIES ON VARIOUS MESSAGE BOARDS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER. SHE STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER, AND REAR DOORS FAILED TO UNLOCK SHE HAD TO CLIMB THROUGH THE REAR WINDOW TO ENTER THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. UPDATED 3/4/2010 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT AND REAR DOORS CONTINUE TO JAM. UPDATED 06/17/10*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DOORS CANNOT BE OPENED FROM WITHIN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. HE ASSUMED THAT THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS WERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. HE FOUND SEVERAL CONSUMERS ONLINE WHO WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS FAILURE AND COULD NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 108,000. UPDATED 06/23/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO GET THE DOORS TO WORK. UPDATED 06/23/09.*JB

MY DRIVER'S DOOR WAS CONSTANTLY GETTING JAMMED. THE LOCK WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN I HIT THE POWER LOCK BUTTON. SO NOW MY DOOR OPENS WHEN IT FEELS LIKE. *TR

MY DRIVER'S DOOR KEEPS GETTING JAMMED. I HAVE TO SOMETIMES CRAWL OVER THE SEAT TO GET OUT OF THE TRUCK. THE LOCK ARE CONSTANTLY GETTING STUCK TO THE POINT I CAN'T MANUALLY EVEN PULL THEM UP ANYMORE. *TR

MY DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LOCK GETS STUCK IN THE LOCKED POSITION RANDOMLY. THIS OCCURS BOTH WHILE DRIVING AND PARKED. IT ALSO EFFECTS THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW. IT IS DRIVING ME CRAZY. I HAVE TO CRAWL OVER THE PASSENGER SEAT AND WIGGLE THE HANDLE WHILE TRYING TO PULL UP THE LOCK MANUALLY. I WILL EVENTUALLY BREAK THE HANDLE. AFTER A LITTLE RESEARCH I FOUND 100'S IF NOT 1,000'S OR MORE PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET THAT HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE. MANY ARE CALLING FOR A RECALL. JUST GOOGLE " FORD EXPLORER DRIVER'S DOOR WON'T UNLOCK" OR THIS LINK HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/FORD/EXPLORER/1998/ACCESSORIES-INTERIOR/DRIVERS_DOOR_WONT_UNLOCK.SHTML THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE! *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WILL NO LONGER LOCK AUTOMATICALLY. I HAVE TO PHYSICALLY PUSH THE BUTTON DOWN AND SOMETIMES IT WON'T UNLOCK. *TR

DRIVER POWER LOCKING DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK FROM THE OUTSIDE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOORS ON HER VEHICLE LATCH AND UNLATCH INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106,000.

2000 FORD EXPLORER PROBLEMS WITH DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM. CUSTOMER STATES THAT IT BEGAN WITH THE REAR DOORS NOT UNLOCKING, HATCH DOOR WILL NOW NOT UNLOCK. CUSTOMER THINKS DOORS WILL STOP OPENING. *KB THE CONSUMER HAS TRIED OILING THE MECHANISMS, BUT THAT STILL DIDN'T WORK. *JB UPDATED 10/03/07.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR LIFTGATE LATCH, AND THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER DOORS KEPT JAMMING CLOSED. EACH DOOR REQUIRED EXCESSIVE FORCE TO OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHO DETERMINED THE LATCHES WERE FAULTY, AND THE PARTS WERE ORDERED. UPDATED 11/21/2006 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE DOOR LOCKS FAILED TO OPEN. THE FIRST WAS THE PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR PASSENGER DOOR FOLLOWED BY THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE AND NOW THE FRONT DRIVER DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER EACH TIME AND THE LATCH ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 10/25/2006 - THE TECHNICIAN TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THIS WAS A KNOW PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL/YEAR VEHICLE AND THAT THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY A DEFECT IN THE DOOR LATCHES. ONE OF THE PIECES IS MADE OF A TYPE OF PLASTIC WHICH IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH. *NM

DRIVER'S DOOR LOCK INOPERATIVE, REAR DOOR LOCK INOPERATIVE. *NM

REAR DOORS ON 2000 FORD EXPLORER (4-DOOR, 4X4, XLT) FAIL TO OPEN. IN JANUARY OF 2005 THE LEFT REAR DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN, EITHER FROM THE INSIDE NOR FROM THE OUTSIDE. THIS HAS JUST HAPPENED TO THE RIGHT REAR DOOR (DECEMBER 2005). I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP ( DON JENKINS FORD IN FUQUAY VARINA, NC) FOR BOTH FIXES, AND THE SERVICE WRITER ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY SAYING THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS/FIXED THIS ON NUMEROUS FORD EXPLORERS BEFORE. THIS INDICATES TO ME THAT THIS IS A KNOWN AND REPEATING PROBLEM TO FORD. BESIDES COSTING ME $500 TO FIX BOTH DOOR LATCH MECHANISMS, MY GREATEST CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT - MY CHILDREN ARE NOT ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE, AND NO ONE CAN OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE EITHER IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. *JB

THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT DOOR DOES NOT UNLOCK PROPERLY WITH BOTH THE REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY OR THE UNLOCK LATCH ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SOMETIMES WHEN THIS IS ATTEMPTED THE DOOR OPENS. HOWEVER, THE LATCH IS STILL LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DON'S FORD DEALERSHIP, AND THEY DID NOT OFFER AN EXPLANATION. THE CONSUMER STILL PLANS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER FOR REPAIRS. *AK A NEW LATCH AND ACTUATOR WAS INSTALLED. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED BUT THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS STILL INFERIOR AND UNSAFE. *SC *JB

CONSUMER NOTICED REAR DOORS WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE, EVEN IF THE CHILD PROOF LOCKS ARE OFF. CONSUMER WILL CONTACT MANUFACTURER. *AK

DOOR LATCH/LOCKING ASSEMBLY STOPPED FUNCTIONING. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE OR INSIDE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ENTIRE LOCKING ASSEMBLY, AND INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE TRUCKS. *AK *NM

DOOR LOCKS FAILED. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY OCCUPANTS WILL BE TRAPPED. *AK

BOTH REAR DOORS WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE, EVEN IF THE CHILD PROOF LOCKS ARE OFF.*AK

EXCESSIVE FORCE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO OPEN DOORS ALTHOUGH THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK WAS IN THE UNLOCK POSITION.*AK

THE LATCH TO OPEN THE CAR FROM THE INSIDE HAS BROKEN FOR THE FOURTH TIME. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS THE CHILD PROTECTION SWITCH BUT WHEN I CHECKED IT WAS UNLOCKED. I HAVE SENT IT TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES AND ALTHOUGH THEY FIX IT (IN A COUPLE OF DAYS) I BELIEVE IT IS UNSAFE IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE OR ACCIDENT. *JB

THE VEHICLES DOORS REMAINED LOCKED WHEN THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. *NLM

DEFECTIVE LATCH ON REAR STOWAGE COMPARTMENT CAUSING THE COMPARTMENT DOOR TO CONTINUALLY OPEN. CJ