[UPDATE: See follow up post] Well, it looks like I've got my first bonafide problem with the car. Took it for a ride today, stopped into a convenience store on the way back. Come out of the store, open the driver's door, get inside: door will not latch closed. [Bang Bump].

I thought it was maybe seatbelt stuck in the door jamb. Nope.

Get back out of car, and the door handle is stuck in the "pulled open" position. I futz with the latch with my hand, jostle it back and forth a little and manage to get the door to close. But the handle won't completely retract to flush.

For a couple of days I've noticed it getting a little stiffer, closing to flush more slowly, and I was going to lubricate it this weekend. Now it's basically stuck in the open position. Only the last 1/4th inch of travel unlatches the door and then it doesn't want to relatch.

However the lock mechanism seems to work fine through the power lock switch.

Anyone shot this problem before? Can I try lubricating it? If that doesn't work, then what?

The inside door handle works fine, all the others on the car work fine.

Thanks very much for any advice.


Stuck open door handle drivers side 2010 FEH door has trouble latching

 

Looks like I "fixed" it. Fingers crossed!

I did some research and it didn't "feel" like the internal mechanism was broken, but it was hard to tell. Apparently Ford has some cheapo aluminum part in there with a dogleg that snaps off. Reminds me of the junk metal on old VW/Audi door handles with the little "trigger" inside - only a matter of time before they snapped off internally, usually in the winter so you were stuck outside freezing and you could really learn your lesson about fine German engineering. I once had both front door handles fail on an Audi 5000CS Quattro the same morning. Time to go back to bed.

Anyway, mine didn't feel broken - just "stuck" so I got out the silicone spray with a straw and sprayed generously inside the handle/door as best I could, threading the straw through the gap caused by the open handle, and then all over and inside the latch mechanism.

So I sprayed it, moving the straw around as best I could. Then I closed the door. It latched closed, then I pushed gently on the handle and it popped back flush! I worked it a half dozen times, sprayed a little more, worked it again a few more times, and now it's working fine. The handle pops the door open at the same place in its travel it used to, with a crisper "break." Anybody who has ever fired a gun with a crummy trigger before/after a trigger job knows the difference. The power and key locks work fine. Therefore it doesn't seem like anything is bent or broken inside. It's a good thing I didn't try to force it.

Maybe I got lucky this time, it was just sticky and I've freed it up. I'd much rather spend $1.00 on silicone spray lubricant than $60 for a new door handle (try to find one in white!! but I guess you can fit the old, good plastic onto the new "base" with the new mechanism in a pinch) and do the teardown/reinstallation taking apart the door panel.

Fingers crossed, but it looks promising so far. Get out there and lubricate those handles and latches, folks.

 

I always check the latch with a screwdriver to see wtf is going when stuff like this happens. What scares me about this vehicle is there is only one key lock on the most used door.