Car door latch stuck in open position

BMOORE99

MEMBER
2007 CHEVROLET EQUINOX
2WD
AUTOMATIC
96,000 MILES

My car door latch is stuck in the position as if the door is open. I can push the latch to the closed position but it will not stay closed. It is cold right now where I live and the door needed a little force to open it. I was wondering how much it should cost to change the lock actuator so I do not get taken advantage of?

1 Reply

STEVE W.

MECHANIC
13,573 POSTS

First thing to try would be to spray some WD40, PBlaster or similar into the area on the latch where the cam that rotates over the striker is located. Then hold the door handle to keep it from latching and use a screwdriver to flip the latch open/closed a few times. The lube may be enough to free up the latch pawl inside the door and allow it to latch. Grit and dirt get in there and block it from latching.

Book time shows as roughly 2 1/2 hours plus the cost of the part. An aftermarket latch for the drivers door runs around $100.00 without mark-up. Then it depends on the shop rates as to cost. It is not something that needs to be done at a dealer.

Images (Click to make bigger)