Door Latch problems of the 1998 Ford Explorer Sport

The drivers side door began malfunctioning, locking and unlocking itself. This continued until it just locked and will not open at all. Both the outside and inside handle have just stopped working and I can't get out on the drivers side at all.

My vehicle is currently experiencing the same problem as the previous complaint. The door locks will not unlock with a key or the unlock button when locked(electrical). This could be quite dangerous in an accident where the driver will not be able to exit as the driver door is unable to unlock.

The door locks will not unlock with a key or the unlock button when locked(electrical). My vehicle is not the only one. I have spoken with 5 others in my city alone with explorers and they are all having the same troubles. This has got to be a defect for it to be in so many other explorers.

Driver's side power door lock did not unlock either with the key or lock button. It took many attempts to get the door unlocked, leaving me no choice but to exit out of the passenger's side.

Drivers side door, of my 1998 Ford explorer, could not be opened (from inside or outside door handles). Attempted to have door latch assembly replaced, as broken spring was found protruding from door latch assembly area <drivers side>. Dealership incorrectly replaced inside door handle and now drivers side door cannot be locked (but can now be opened or closed). Due to door latch assembly problems with canadian Ford vehicles, I fear we now have a serious security & safety issue with our 1998 Ford explorer. Dealership refuses to repair unless we basically agree to replace all internal parts of door <including seat belt?>. The estimated repair cost (parts & labor) is in excess of $500.

Driver's side door will not unlock with key, remote, key pad entry or with door handle inside. Apparently, this is a common problem with 1998 Explorer Sport.

Door lock was not working when it was cold. Now, door lock on driver's side is completely out, the key just turns in the lock and does not work. The other locks (passenger and back window) do not work either. You have to turn the key many times before lock works, then you have to either crawl over the seats or press the unlock button several times before lock engages. I was outside in the rain for at least 5 minutes trying to get the lock to work on the passenger side of car because driver's side is broken. On going problem for at least 3 months.

The driver side door lock failed. The consumer had to climb over to the passenger side to get out. The locking mechanism on the door was defective.

Driver side power door lock does not unlock either with the key or lock button. It takes many attempts to get the door unlocked leaving me no choice but to exit out of the passenger side. Pulling the door handle does not help either. I have a friend that has the same problem and I found hundreds of people all over the internet message boards complaining of the same issue. This should be a recall!!!.

Driver's side door will not unlock with or without key - will not unlock or open from the inside or the outside. The problem is apparently wide spread in this vehicle and requires a $150 lock assembly to replace a faulty . 50 cent spring. Ford needs to recall and fix.

Driver'sw side door lock will not unlock. Tried holding the handle and pressing unlock buttons on the door and keyless remote. Door will not open from the inside or the outside of the vehicle. This is a danger in an emergency. After reading the many complaints about this issue, I noticed that there has not been any recalls to correct this defect. Why not??? seems that many drivers of this vehicle are having this same problem.

Consumer was unable to exit or enter the vehicle in the front driver's side door. Dealer was notified.

The drivers door will not open with the key lock or the remote, from the outside of the vehicle.

The driver's side door lock is no longer able to be unlocked with the key or by the power lock switch. If it is locked accidentally, it is impossible to enter the vehicle any way other than by crawling in from the passenger side door or by pulling very hard on the inside handle while working the key in the lock. This could present a serious problem in the case of an accident if an individual needs to flee the vehicle.

The door locking mechanism of my driver side door of my 1998 Ford Explorer Sport is broken. A small metal pin broke which makes this locking mechanism not work. So sometimes I have to climb through to the passenger side to get out if my various techniques do not work to unlock the driver side door. I believe what happens is that the metal pin will eventually corrod and break so I have not yet fixed it due to the fact that I have no faith in a product that will most likely break again. . Read more...

Drivers-side door does not open by using the key, power-lock/unlock button or pulling the inside handle. This is supposed to be a safety feature in case the power locks fail. This problem is very common according to Ford dealers, locksmiths, and after-market professionals.

I have a 1998 Explorer Sport SUV. I am having trouble with the automatic locks not opening and locking me inside the vehicle. I have to push the automatic lock button six or seven times to get it to work. The handle on the door won't even open it.

The drivers door cannot be opened from the outside when the door is locked and you attempt to unlock it using the keyless remote or the keyed lock. It also takes several pulls from the inside handle to open the door when the door is locked. When the door is unlocked it works properly using either handle. When using the keyless remote to unlock the door you can hear the actuator attempt to unlock the door and you can see the lock button move but the door will not unlock. When using the key to unlock the door the key will not turn. If I could no longer open the drivers door from the inside then I would have trouble exiting the vehicle as it is a bit cramped inside.

The driver's side door lock is no longer able to be unlocked with the key or by the power lock switch. If it is locked accidentally, it is impossible to enter the vehicle any way other than by crawling in from the passenger side door. This could present a serious problem in the case of an accident if an individual needs to flee the vehicle. . . Especially for those like myself with infants that would need to be removed from the vehicle as well. The problem began four or five years ago when it became difficult to unlock the door with the key at various times. Since then, the situation has worsened significantly. The only thing about the driver's side door that is in working condition now is the "lock" action of the power lock switch. Having said that, the power window on the driver's side door no longer works, though I am unsure if it is in any way related to the lock.

When the consumer attempted to unlock the driver side door but it failed to open from the inside although the door locks were in the unlocked position. Please provide any further details.

When trying to open driver's side door from inside handle had to be pulled at least ten times before the door would open. Consumer was concerned that if there was an emergency the door would not open.

The power door locks failed.