2001 Montero XLS drivers door lock malfunction
 

My doors all lock and unlock when I used the key in driver's side door.

When I use the remote, they all appear to lock/unlock, with exception of the drivers side door. Most annoying. Locking your Monty doesn't lock all of them.

It used to work.

I noticed the trim ring was loose around driver door handle inside. I removed it. I found the plastic housing for door handle with a broken tab. I noticed after I jiggled this thing around, that my door did unlock/lock with the remote, but not consistently.

Seems to me something is wonky inside my door and a door panel removal is in my near future. Does anyone have information on whether this is common in Monteros?

I noticed the trim rings on both back doors are also loose. I haven't screwed with them because they still lock and unlock. Those doors are rarely used from inside the vehicle. I can understand why the drivers door could be broken, since I used the vehicle a lot.

You'll have to pull the door panel to see what is going on and to clean/lube the mechanism. It may be that some little clip disconnected and or some guide fell off. You can't figure this out until you look at it. Get some WB40 and lithium grease, pull the door panel and fiddle with the locks. It may help to open the passenger door and see how that side is laid out and operates, than compare it to the malfunctioning door. If all pieces are there - clean it with WD40 and lubricate. It may free up something and get it working again. Good luck.