Passenger Rear Door will NOT open

About 2 weeks ago (just before the hurricane), I took a trip in the wagon. Rear passenger door working fine until the last day of the trip.

Would not open from inside or outside. When you try to move the lock slide manually it gets hung up and stuck about halfway to unlock. I pulled the plastic cover off and Verified that yep trying to move the lock lever, does get stuck and with the rest of the panel in place I cannot see anything else.

I'm pretty sure a nylon bit in there probably broke off or something jamming it.

The $20,000 question is how to remove the door panel (without destroying it) or get the door open.
When I pull up on the exterior or interior releases, it feels like it does when the door is locked (no resistance).

The door panel is a 9.5 out of 10 condition wise and I don't have another Red one so destroying it is out of the question

If you have the door pulls I would remove that entire insert to get a better look in the door. May be able to get in there and pull on the arm that will open it. The insert is part of the panel but pulling it off is ok because the screws will hold it in place like nothing ever happened.

Try a slim jim and see if you can hook the lock wire at the latch.

94Woody wrote:

The insert is part of the panel but pulling it off is ok because the screws will hold it in place like nothing ever happened.

I don't think any of my B bodies ever had the insert attached to the door panel, except maybe my "91" back in "96".

Buickman1 wrote:

94Woody wrote:

The insert is part of the panel but pulling it off is ok because the screws will hold it in place like nothing ever happened.

I don't think any of my B bodies ever had the insert attached to the door panel, except maybe my "91" back in "96".

With the exceptional build quality of 1990s GM interior plastics the attachments were most likely broken after the doors were closed a few times.

The fact that I found a perfect driver side 1996 Ruby Red leather top door panel still amazes me. Not even a broken clip mount on the back side.

UPDATE: Got it open. DOn't know how lol. Threw my college age daughter in the back going to the beach (5 min drive) and she fiddled with it, but didn't try it. Went swimming etc. and when I got back to the car pulled up on the outside latch and it opened.

Then it wouldn't latch, so I new the mechanism was dirty. she fiddled some more and got it to latch (I told her to just hold the door closed as it is a quick ride, it wass getting dark and the park ranger wanted us out of the beach lot).

Got around to it the following day and it opened, I took off the door panel and soaked it all down with 3 in 1 lock lubricant. WOrks great again. Sprayed the other rear door as well.