Q: Door won't open from inside or outside(Driver side)

asked by on December 31, 2016

Door won't open from inside or outside(Driver side). How do I get the panel off or the door open
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Hello. Thank you for writing in. Unfortunately at this point you were going to have to attempt to take the door panel off with the door closed. The alternative is to try and remove the handle on the outside, which tends to do more visible damage. People typically prefer if any damage is going to happen during this procedure that it happened to the inside. You will have to gently remove the "tree clips" that surround the perimeter of the door panel. They should simply pull out although it might be easier to use an actual clip puller available at most automotive stores. This tends to spread the pressure out a little better and is less likely to do damage. Once the inside handle is accessible, pull the handle linkage or open the door manually from the latch. Make your repairs from there. For more help with replacing the door handle linkage, contact our service department.

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