Did you get the outdoor handle working again? A couple posts above I had made a note of what to do under the "***EDIT***" segment of the post to make sure you get that physical rod back in the right spot for the ext handle. I had the same issue with interior/electrical locks/door working, but the handle wouldn't open from the outside.

Let us know!

Thanks - mine went out recently and this is very helpful!

Just changed mine today-the write up is spot on. Instead of trying to get the door lock cylinder rod aligned properly, I made sure the rod for the outside handle was in properly and removed the lock cylinder to align it once everything else was back together. Made it very straight forward.

I'm so appreciative of this post- I was quoted nearly $750 to replace my driver's side actuator. My question is this- it seems to not be "dead". When I press the lock button on the remote, the door makes a noise that sounds like a buzzing duck, for lack of better descriptive. Like the motor is working but just not connecting, instead of the part being no good.

It started when I was locked inside my own car, unable to open the door from the inside, and then unable to lock even with a key. Now after some force, I can lock using the manual slider near the door handle, as well as with the physical key in the exterior door. It just buzzes/grinds when I hit the windowsill button or the remote. Does anyone have any ideas as to what my first step would be to investigate further?

This sound you describe is common before the motor fully dies. If it makes noise when using the button/key fob but isn't powering the lock/unlock, your motor needs to be replaced. What you're likely hearing is the whine of the motor internals attempting to turn the spindle which in turn moves the cables/locks. I don't know for certain, but I don't think you're at risk of any serious damage, just the inconvenience of having to manually lock/unlock once it does officially go kaput.

My main question regarding the "force" part is if you have any issues with the actual handle itself? Hopefully not, as those are sheathed cables inside the door cavity just like the cables for the lock mechs. If that is an issue, have you had any problems with your window rolling down/staying down? Sounds like there could be a physical obstruction which would likely be discoverable by using the first part of this thread to remove the plastic interior door covering (it comes off pretty easy, shockingly easy for some).

Let us know your finding!