I need help. On my just acquired '92 Corolla 4 door, the rear doors cannot be opened from the inside or outside. They are not locked, and the problem did not occur at the same time on both doors. The previous owner said that a rod on the mechanism had probably come undone behind the panel. Can someone tell me: What to look for? Can the door be opened to gain access behind the panel? Can the panel be removed with the door closed? What is the fix for the problem? This is a really nice Corolla, and I don't want to screw it up by doing something wrong. Please help!!

Have you checked to be sure the child locks are unlocked? I believe these can be locked independantly on each door. If not, it sounds like a job for the pros to me.

I'd run it by a dealer and ask them to open the doors and tell you why you couldn't. If nothing else, they will be able to diagnose the problem for you.

I had a friend that suggested the child locks too. I went to a lock smith, he said he would open them for 65.00 per door. So I figured I would give the child lock a try. Today I sent my daughter to Advance Auto to get a slim jim and in 1 minute flat I had both doors open. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/banana.gif) I slid the slim jim down between the door and the jam and tripped the child lock. The out side handle will still need to be repaired but now I have the doors open and can gain access to fix the problem. Thanks for the suggestions.

Can you sugest what to look for in order to fix the outside handle?

Wat exactly is the problem with the handle? We can better advise if we have details.

Using the outside handle, the door will not open. Sort of as if the handle is not connected to anything. Door is not locked. Thes are the rear doors.

Sounds like the interior mechanism is not working, so it's not just the handle but the whole shebang that needs attention. Google it, and compare prices on replacing it.

Thanks