Door lock actuator failures

T

tekewin

New member
I had my front driver side door locks fail about a month ago. It would not open with the fob and sometimes I had to try more than once to open it with the key. I took it to the dealership and it was out of warranty (62,000 miles in 3 years, yeah I drive a lot) so I paid $800 to replace the door actuator.

Internet research showed this has been a semi-common problem with older models. I don't know how often it happens with newer models. I don't see a lot of posts about it here.

Within 2 weeks of repair, the passenger side door locks failed. Same problem. I was an angry customer and called Toyota to open a case. Inspection by the dealership confirmed the problem. They checked the back doors and said they were fine. The good news is that Toyota and dealership agreed to pick up the cost of the second replacement, so it only cost me the time and frustration.

I'm posting this to create a record in case anyone else has a similar problem.
 
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Had this happen on the tailgate door.... 800$ I ordered the part from the U.S. cost me 400$ with the installation, but I have to investigate how it rusted the crap out. I think it is the 4Runner emblem piece in the back that was not adjusted and water from snow and rain got inside and prematurely and rusted it.
 
There are actually a couple of threads about this on the forum. I spent some time researching this as well after my second actuator failed. The first was under warranty and was covered by the dealer. The second one was outside of the warranty window and they wanted $400 for the repair. I was able to get an actuator off of eBay from a dealer called actuator plus. Part was 50 bucks and only took me about 30 minutes of my time to repair. Seems like a very common problem and will likely happen to all of the actuators at some point in time.
 
Just had our driver door actuator replaced today at the dealer. 2013 with 66K. They had the part in stock, so I assume this is a common problem! Dealer price was almost $600 parts and labor. Thankfully we have a third party warranty/service contract, so we only paid a $100 deductible. Would have been free, but I didn't want to hassle with going to the dealer we bought it from an hour away.
 
Yep, cars break.... No manufacturer, or any human/organization makes anything perfect... Does it stink when stuff breaks? For sure. Should we be surprised? Nope. It's a machine and it will break. That's very cool that Toyota covered the cost of the passenger door lock actuator for you even when it was out of warranty and they weren't required to :thumb3: The technician that performed the repair was paid peanuts to do the work since it was covered under goodwill. You should thank him since he got the short end of the deal.
 
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tekewin said:
I had my front driver side door locks fail about a month ago. It would not open with the fob and sometimes I had to try more than once to open it with the key. I took it to the dealership and it was out of warranty (62,000 miles in 3 years, yeah I drive a lot) so I paid $800 to replace the door actuator.

Internet research showed this has been a semi-common problem with older models. I don't know how often it happens with newer models. I don't see a lot of posts about it here.

Within 2 weeks of repair, the passenger side door locks failed. Same problem. I was an angry customer and called Toyota to open a case. Inspection by the dealership confirmed the problem. They checked the back doors and said they were fine. The good news is that Toyota and dealership agreed to pick up the cost of the second replacement, so it only cost me the time and frustration.

I'm posting this to create a record in case anyone else has a similar problem.
Click to expand...

I'd recommend searching the forum for this topic - you'll find a thread that's pretty lengthy (I can't remember how long) - but it would be good to document it there as well.

I say this as someone who also had this issue and had both of his rear door lock assemblies replaced, albeit it was under warranty so it didn't cost me anything out of pocket (parts+labor were $1100).
 
Power lock actuator is a common issue seen in the vehicles. Repairing the door actuator is not an easy job.
You can ensure whether the power lock actuator is damaged with the following methods:

-the door is not unlocked by operating a remote device or keypad to unlock the door
-the door is not unlocked by pressing the unlock button on the door panel cluster

The faulty door lock actuator can be replaced by the following guidelines from the car lockout service providers Ottawa:

Step 1: Place your vehicle in a flat space and ensure that tires are locked. You can place a wheel chock around tires to prevent it from moving.
Step 2: take out the battery from the vehicle’s hood and disable the power to the door lock actuator.
Step 3: Remove the door panel with a flat screwdriver or removal tool without damaging the paint.
Step 4: Gently remove the plastic sheeting behind the door panel so that you can steal it back to protect the door from the water damages.
Step 5: Remove the clips and cables inside the door handle and unscrew the door actuator from the door lock. Disconnect the black electrical connector from the actuator.
Step 6: Open up the actuator using a razor through the seam and remove the electric motor from it.
Step 7: Clean the motor using a sandpaper and test the motor using a 9-volt battery.
Step 8: Reinstall the motor back.
 
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Both front locks for me too. first the drivers side back in June, then the passengers side in August. Hey, my thumbs work, i can lock them manually for now, and spend to get them fixed in the spring or something. Probably by buying the part on my own, then dropping it off at my local mechanics shop for the labor. sure, i could do it, but ive got a '95 Corolla with my daughter's name on it that i have to get cleaned up for next spring.

Im old enough, and just recently middle-class enough, to remember when locking a door meant reaching over and finding the plunger and pressing it down with enough force to hammer in a nail. then pulling it up as if i was pulling money out of a stingy persons fingers. If this is the worst of my problems, on my way to 200k miles, then ill take it. As long as that 4WD system works through the next, say, 15 winters without needing anything major, then im good.

on the other hand, these trucks are 30K and more...they couldnt have made it with a door lock actuator that lasts more than a few years...:frusty:
im just sayin...
 
Driver's front has gone out twice. I don't give a damn about fixing it anymore.

Passenger's front and driver's back have also started to get crappy and not actuate all the time.

2013 Trail.
 
mnofpeace said:
Both front locks for me too. first the drivers side back in June, then the passengers side in August. Hey, my thumbs work, i can lock them manually for now, and spend to get them fixed in the spring or something. Probably by buying the part on my own, then dropping it off at my local mechanics shop for the labor. sure, i could do it, but ive got a '95 Corolla with my daughter's name on it that i have to get cleaned up for next spring.

Im old enough, and just recently middle-class enough, to remember when locking a door meant reaching over and finding the plunger and pressing it down with enough force to hammer in a nail. then pulling it up as if i was pulling money out of a stingy persons fingers. If this is the worst of my problems, on my way to 200k miles, then ill take it. As long as that 4WD system works through the next, say, 15 winters without needing anything major, then im good.

on the other hand, these trucks are 30K and more...they couldnt have made it with a door lock actuator that lasts more than a few years...:frusty:
im just sayin...
Click to expand...
I'm not a contortionist and it's hard to reach to the back doors from the driver's seat to unlock them, given the location of the locks.
 
13 door lock actuator failures in 100k miles

ECUDrummer said:
I'd recommend searching the forum for this topic - you'll find a thread that's pretty lengthy (I can't remember how long) - but it would be good to document it there as well.

I say this as someone who also had this issue and had both of his rear door lock assemblies replaced, albeit it was under warranty so it didn't cost me anything out of pocket (parts+labor were $1100).
Click to expand...



Not sure if Ian posting right.. first time poster but I have a 2010 4Runner and I have had 13 door lock actuator failures. First one at 40k and I have 140k miles on car.... first 4repaired under extended warranty, then opened a case with Toyota and the gave me 750 bucks towed repair of next 3 ... endless horror story. Toyota has since will not work with me and I’m sitting with 3 more bad locks.... beyond frustrating....guess I need to figure out how to repair myself...but looks complicated
 
Both front locks have gone out on my 2015. Ordered the parts from Rock Auto for about $35-$40. Takes about 30 minutes to complete. Annoying for sure but not really worth putting too much effort or time into with the dealer or Toyota.
 
Titanraider said:
Not sure if Ian posting right.. first time poster but I have a 2010 4Runner and I have had 13 door lock actuator failures. First one at 40k and I have 140k miles on car.... first 4repaired under extended warranty, then opened a case with Toyota and the gave me 750 bucks towed repair of next 3 ... endless horror story. Toyota has since will not work with me and I’m sitting with 3 more bad locks.... beyond frustrating....guess I need to figure out how to repair myself...but looks complicated
Click to expand...

Check on ebay, some guy sells re-manufactured ones with a lifetime warranty with a core exchange. Price was $50 a few years ago. They are easy to replace, it took me about 45 min on my 4th Gen. Check youtube for detailed repair videos. If your really cheap, you can buy just the motor for like $5.00 and fix it your self.
 
tekewin said:
I had my front driver side door locks fail about a month ago. It would not open with the fob and sometimes I had to try more than once to open it with the key. I took it to the dealership and it was out of warranty (62,000 miles in 3 years, yeah I drive a lot) so I paid $800 to replace the door actuator.

Internet research showed this has been a semi-common problem with older models. I don't know how often it happens with newer models. I don't see a lot of posts about it here.

Within 2 weeks of repair, the passenger side door locks failed. Same problem. I was an angry customer and called Toyota to open a case. Inspection by the dealership confirmed the problem. They checked the back doors and said they were fine. The good news is that Toyota and dealership agreed to pick up the cost of the second replacement, so it only cost me the time and frustration.

I'm posting this to create a record in case anyone else has a similar problem.
Click to expand...

Hi tekewin,

...and to whom it may concern! I own a 2012 Limited, and back in July I had two actuators fail the same month! But... I didn't spend any $$$.$$ for a new actuator; I just replaced the small motor (w/D-shaft) within! Cost: $6.00 on ebay:

p.jpg


How to replace actuator Motor Below:

YouTube

Best to you"

rig
 
Glad to see the whole thread, thanks.

First time poster here, glad I found this thread. I'm pretty sure this is what is wrong with my 2012 Limited 4R on the driver side. Before I go buying parts I wanted to see if I could get more info here. Here's what I'm experiencing:

* Driver side will not lock using smart key fob button, must be manually locked from interior door lock. Fob then will lock all doors once that is done.
* Driver side will not unlock with smart key fob. Must use key. But all other doors will unlock using the fob.
* If I don't manually lock driver door, I can still lock all other doors with the fob. Just not the driver side.
* I can manually lock the driver door, then use the door handle touch mechanism to lock doors once I exit the vehicle. I cannot use the driver handle to smart unlock the vehicle though.

So I'm trying to figure out is this in fact the driver lock actuator? I do appreciate your insight on this before I go tearing open my door. :)

Cheers.
 
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drgraffnburg said:
First time poster here, glad I found this thread. I'm pretty sure this is what is wrong with my 2021 Limited 4R on the driver side. Before I go buying parts I wanted to see if I could get more info here. Here's what I'm experiencing:

* Driver side will not lock using smart key fob button, must be manually locked from interior door lock. Fob then will lock all doors once that is done.
* Driver side will not unlock with smart key fob. Must use key. But all other doors will unlock using the fob.
* If I don't manually lock driver door, I can still lock all other doors with the fob. Just not the driver side.
* I can manually lock the driver door, then use the door handle touch mechanism to lock doors once I exit the vehicle. I cannot use the driver handle to smart unlock the vehicle though.

So I'm trying to figure out is this in fact the driver lock actuator? I do appreciate your insight on this before I go tearing open my door. :)

Cheers.
Click to expand...

Use your warranty if it's a 2021. Why buy parts?
 
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