Rear door won't open

[prcockram]

1988 Camry: Rear door won't open from inside or outside handle. I need to remove the door panel to get into it for repair. Does anybody have any idea how to get the panel off with the door closed or a trick to get the door open???

Thanks

[karazy]

If the reason the door won't open from the inside, is the child safety lock. You may be able to slide something from the inside to switch it. Just check the other side to see what you would need to perform this. If not, I can't remember for sure, but can't you just remove the inside handle without removing the panel?

[jjthenovice]

This happened on my 03 camry. The tech had to get it open from the outside. He destroyed the bottom molding at the bottom of the outside window. Then he was able to fish around and pop the door open. Fortunatly the car was under warranty. So I think you have to attack this problem from the outside.

[PoR2GeEzCamry]

This happened to my 89 camry too. The little plastic connector that conencts to the mechanism from the door handles has snapped. To open the door up, unscrew the interior door handle. Once its unscrewed pull on the door handle out and pull on it. Do not disconnect the interior door handle from the metal rod its connecetd to. Just pull the whole interior door handle unit outwards so you are pulling the rod out with it. Once you pull the rod out to a certain point it should open the door. Hope this helps.