Ford Car Door Locks

[Roadworthy]

This is specific to the 2006 - 2012 Ford Fusion but probably others. I could not get into the car, button would not unlock it. The physical key in the driver door did nothing. How does one get in? The trunk has an actual mechanical lock. The back seat release is in the trunk. One must release the seats and crawl through the trunk to unlock the door. It is then possible to pop the hood. The automobile battery had died and no longer had the power to activate the solenoids. As near as I can tell the driver door key does not turn a tumbler to unlock the door, it activates a solenoid to do the job. No power = no door unlock. Somewhere along the line this must have been one of Ford's better ideas.

 

[zzvyb6]

If you have AWD, have you had to change out your PTU/PTO yet ? Don't wait for the smell of burning diff oil. Change it immediately. Otherwise it's a 2 day job + an $800 part.

 

[Hoss710]

the drivers door should open with the key. if ot doesn't someone has changed the lock. the key should both open the car. and start it.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

This is specific to the 2006 - 2012 Ford Fusion but probably others. I could not get into the car, button would not unlock it. The physical key in the driver door did nothing. How does one get in? The trunk has an actual mechanical lock. The back seat release is in the trunk. One must release the seats and crawl through the trunk to unlock the door. It is then possible to pop the hood. The automobile battery had died and no longer had the power to activate the solenoids. As near as I can tell the driver door key does not turn a tumbler to unlock the door, it activates a solenoid to do the job. No power = no door unlock. Somewhere along the line this must have been one of Ford's better ideas.

Back before every car had power locks, we used to hit the bellcrank inside the door mechanism to open locked car doors. Since we were mechanics and not car thieves, this was a bit of a hit-and-miss guessing game for us using several different door tools. Eventually, we got good at it because every OEM's doors pretty much work the same way. The same technique works on today's cars as well but it is way, way faster to drive in a plastic wedge along the upper winder trim, stick in an inflatable balloon made for the job, and sneak in a rod to hit the unlock button on the passenfger side.

Alternatively, God's gift from Ford on higher trim models is the button keypad that allows one to lock and unlock the car from the driver's side door.

 

[MossRoad]

Once you got inside could you open the door with the handle?

 

[RjCorazza]

That does sound like a poorly thought out design. I know on my F250, and wife's Prius the manual key turns a manual lock, which opens the door without battery power.

 

[MossRoad]

This is specific to the 2006 - 2012 Ford Fusion but probably others. I could not get into the car, button would not unlock it. The physical key in the driver door did nothing. How does one get in? The trunk has an actual mechanical lock. The back seat release is in the trunk. One must release the seats and crawl through the trunk to unlock the door. It is then possible to pop the hood. The automobile battery had died and no longer had the power to activate the solenoids. As near as I can tell the driver door key does not turn a tumbler to unlock the door, it activates a solenoid to do the job. No power = no door unlock. Somewhere along the line this must have been one of Ford's better ideas.

Look up a parts manual for that car. Is there an electronic solenoid from that key to anything? Or wires? I think it's mechanical to linkage, but could be mistaken.

 

[Jstpssng]

the drivers door should open with the key. if ot doesn't someone has changed the lock. the key should both open the car. and start it.

This is what I was wondering. I had a pickup like that. The key only worked on the driver's side. One night that lock stopped working for some reason and I had to break into the truck.

 

[turnkey4099]

This is specific to the 2006 - 2012 Ford Fusion but probably others. I could not get into the car, button would not unlock it. The physical key in the driver door did nothing. How does one get in? The trunk has an actual mechanical lock. The back seat release is in the trunk. One must release the seats and crawl through the trunk to unlock the door. It is then possible to pop the hood. The automobile battery had died and no longer had the power to activate the solenoids. As near as I can tell the driver door key does not turn a tumbler to unlock the door, it activates a solenoid to do the job. No power = no door unlock. Somewhere along the line this must have been one of Ford's better ideas.

Too manhy of the new cars have had that fault for many years. Get in an accident where the battery is destroyed or cable cut and just sit there. No way to unlock the door. Kick a window out is about the only recourse. Well,there is that emergency type tool that will break a window...IF IT IS TEMPERED. If laminated? nope,star it is all.

 

[mrmikey]

I've had a locksmith tell me a lot of times the manual key won't work. It's seized up because people don't use it regularly which makes sense. A key fob battery will last 2-3 years and if the tumblers not moving for that long it's bound to be seized. Not saying it's the case in this instance, just passing on info.

 

[Roadworthy]

Lots of questions about my specific case. Yes, the inside door handles and lock control (mechanical) worked fine to get in and out of the car. Once I replaced the battery the driver's side door did again unlock with the key. I regularly use a key to unlock the door, anyhow, so when the key wouldn't work it was a bit of a surprise. I could have tried using a slim jim or some such to unlock the door but that's beyond my skill set. For me the better choice was to go in through the trunk. My Didge Charger has electronic locks but the key in the fob turns a mechanical lock inside the door. The same is true of my Ram pickup. My other Ford products are from the sixties so of course their locks are mechanical.

 

[Jstpssng]

At least the battery doesn't have to work to release the hood.

 

[newbury]

At least the battery doesn't have to work to release the hood.

Notify Ford, I'm sure some safety engineer can fix that for future production!

 

[RustyA]

In general with any brand of car or truck if you look at the door panel and there is not a manual door lock plunger it's a fully electric latch system. Most of these cannot be unlocked with a slim Jim because they don't have a mechanical connection between the latch and a plunger. If the battery is dead the only way to open the door is spread door frame open and physically operate inside latch handle. Sometimes that's challenging due to load on door latch from forcing the door. Great that they give you a break-in key, poor design if it won't work without 12v power.

 

[Boss 302]

Sounds like they took a page out of gooberment motors book, 2009 cadillac same issue.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Why couldn't you get some jumper cables and un lock it?

 

[Paddy]

we had an old hand me down 90's Mercury sable that would "lock the doors for you". because we live in the country, we never take the keys out of our cars. So this happened once with my kids parking it and I did the wedge thing. But when it happened to me while just moving it, I added a special feature!

I drilled a hole in the roof just in line with the unlock button. Poke a wire down and presto, doors unlock. A handy pc of duck tape sealed it fine. It was junker any way....

 

[Oaktree]

Why couldn't you get some jumper cables and un lock it?

If he couldn't get the door open, how would he access the hood release?

we had an old hand me down 90's Mercury sable that would "lock the doors for you". because we live in the country, we never take the keys out of our cars. So this happened once with my kids parking it and I did the wedge thing. But when it happened to me while just moving it, I added a special feature!

I've heard that automakers are moving in that direction. Like you, I almost never lock my vehicles (I do take the keys most of the time though), and that would be annoying as all get out.

I did have an issue with my current ('06) Jeep where the doors would occasionally lock by themselves. Turns out the rubber piece that forms the buttons on the fob was getting really floppy and it didn't take more than a slight bump to press the lock button. I guess better that than the panic button!

 

[2manyrocks]

If I owned a car that had locks that would only work with 12v power, I'd be tempted to add some wiring that could be accessed without having to open the car hood or go through having to pop the doors open.

 

[not2old]

I wonder if a battery charging cord that was accessible would allow you to jump it or attach a charger to allow you to activate the power locks. My 2014 CTS-V has a key in the fob to open the trunk and then pull a cord to manually open the driver's door. Had to use it once when the battery in the fob died.