2000 Ford Windstar rear driver side sliding door

Me too! I know what my problem is, just haven't tracked down the fix. Look inside the rear guide track when it's partway open. There is an arm attached to the back of the door with three rollers that follow inside this track, two oriented horizontally, and one vertically. My vertical roller has a flat spot! Since it appears to be made of rubber, the flat spot acts as a brake. I'm assuming that a Ford dealership could get it for me (although it's probably only sold as a unit with a whole door!) But the nearest one to me is 50 miles away. Yeah, I live in the sticks.

Me too! I know what my problem is, just haven't tracked down the fix. Look inside the rear guide track when it's partway open. There is an arm attached to the back of the door with three rollers that follow inside this track, two oriented horizontally, and one vertically. My vertical roller has a flat spot! Since it appears to be made of rubber, the flat spot acts as a brake. I'm assuming that a Ford dealership could get it for me (although it's probably only sold as a unit with a whole door!) But the nearest one to me is 50 miles away. Yeah, I live in the sticks.[/Quote:027b5e970b]

MINE ALSO! I just bought a 2000 Ford Windstar and noticed a problem with the Rear-Driver side Sliding door does not open freely. It starts to open about an inch before it catches on a latch. If you look on the rear edge of the door, about 12" from the bottom you will notice a metal? Latch and u-shape lock on the door and door frame. That gets caught when you try to open it. IT DOES NOT EXIST ON THE PASSENGER SIDE! For what-ever reason it is on the Drivers-side.
Anyways, I manually (with some force) opened the door from the inside, then proceeded to remove the latch on the door with a hex-head ratchet-kit.
It opens fine now. I have no clue what the lock was for, it's not part of the childproof lock nor the main door latch? So I dont' know, but I know that it works properly now.

Good Luck

MINE ALSO! I just bought a 2000 Ford Windstar and noticed a problem with the Rear-Driver side Sliding door does not open freely. It starts to open about an inch before it catches on a latch. If you look on the rear edge of the door, about 12" from the bottom you will notice a metal? Latch and u-shape lock on the door and door frame. That gets caught when you try to open it. IT DOES NOT EXIST ON THE PASSENGER SIDE! For what-ever reason it is on the Drivers-side.
Anyways, I manually (with some force) opened the door from the inside, then proceeded to remove the latch on the door with a hex-head ratchet-kit.
It opens fine now. I have no clue what the lock was for, it's not part of the childproof lock nor the main door latch? So I dont' know, but I know that it works properly now.

Good Luck

Me too! I know what my problem is, just haven't tracked down the fix. Look inside the rear guide track when it's partway open. There is an arm attached to the back of the door with three rollers that follow inside this track, two oriented horizontally, and one vertically. My vertical roller has a flat spot! Since it appears to be made of rubber, the flat spot acts as a brake. I'm assuming that a Ford dealership could get it for me (although it's probably only sold as a unit with a whole door!) But the nearest one to me is 50 miles away. Yeah, I live in the sticks.[/Quote:28b00b9ab2]

My rear sliding door has been broken for months. I decided to fix it today. After reading this forum I started working on it and here is what I found. The latch that stops the door is the one 12" from the bottom as previously mentioned. I removed the inner wheel well so I could see what that latch was hooked to. It goes to the GAS CAP DOOR ! It is there to keep the sliding door from opening into the gas cap door (and gas nozzle) during refuels. When I look behind the gas door next to the cap there was a small (broken) arm. I disconnected the cable from the arm and the latch opened. I will try to find this part as I know someone will open the door during refuel and rip the gas door off, hid the nozzle and probably catch fire!

I fixed mine! The rear roller was broken. Went and got one at junk yard. Replaced easily but is a pain in butt to get it back in correct adjustment to close and slide right. Def. A two person job.