'98 Explorer XLT 4 dr - Rear lock stuck, door won't open
 

The hatch door on the very rear of the explorer is stuck, the key won't
unlock it to open the window and hitting the lock/unlock buttons won't
unlock it to open the hatch/door. Anybody ever experienced this or know
how to attempt to fix it. I really don't want to have to take it to my
Ford dealer and get a bill for $500.00.

Thanks,
Ivanoff

Same problem here - just all of a sudden the hatch won't do anything but
click. Have you found a fix or inexpensive way to get it open. I really
don't want to do to the dealer and pay a bundle. Thanks for any tips you
may have.

The rear hatch on my '98 Explorer won't open either. The rear lift window
opens fine but the hatch won't. There surely is a way of opening it
without going to the dealer or a locksmith.
Any ideas.

I can't believe that any responsible car manufacturer would make a vehicle
that it was impossible to open a door from the inside.

Can't anybody tell me a solution to my rear hatch problem?

On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 14:02:02 -0400, "oldwheels"
> wrote:

>I can't believe that any responsible car manufacturer would make a vehicle
>that it was impossible to open a door from the inside.
>
>Can't anybody tell me a solution to my rear hatch problem?

A rear hatch is not considered a door. There are not supposed to be
any passengers back there. (Unless, of course, there are rearward
facing seats there. Buit if there are, they would have seatbelts to
keep the passengers in place.)
Putting an interior latch there may be considered encouraging
passengers back there, and as such, is definitely not something makers
will do.
--
Bill Funk
replace "g" with "a"

You missed the point. I'm not using it as a passenger area. The stupid
designed double latch will allow the window to open but I cannot get the
hatch to open. The only thing I want to do is get it open some how. Then I
should be able to make adjustments to the latch system. Hopefully.

"oldwheels" > wrote in message
lkaboutautos.com...
> You missed the point. I'm not using it as a passenger area. The stupid
> designed double latch will allow the window to open but I cannot get the
> hatch to open. The only thing I want to do is get it open some how. Then I
> should be able to make adjustments to the latch system. Hopefully.
>
>
A similar thing happened on the '98 Ex I had. I used a bit of bent coat
hanger wire to fish around down the upper glass latch hole to trip the
mechanism.

Simon H

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 10:20:26 -0400, "oldwheels"
> wrote:

>You missed the point. I'm not using it as a passenger area. The stupid
>designed double latch will allow the window to open but I cannot get the
>hatch to open. The only thing I want to do is get it open some how. Then I
>should be able to make adjustments to the latch system. Hopefully.
>

You asked a question:
>I can't believe that any responsible car manufacturer would make a vehicle
>that it was impossible to open a door from the inside.

I answered it.
Now, you're asking a different question.
Here's an answer to that question: hire a locksmith.
Maybe you don't like that answer; that's cool.
But don't knock auto makers for doing the right thing, even if it
inconveniences you.
Your 98 is over 7 years old; things go wrong. That's a fact of life.
No one ever promised you perfection. There's a solution to your
problem.

--
Bill Funk
replace "g" with "a"