98 explorer door handle/lock broken

Can you open the door from the inside? Does the outside handle have any spring tension or is it totally loose? I had a similar problem (also manual locks) and it was the door handle mechanism itself. The springs break. Cost about $35 for a new one from Ford. Only way i could open the door to fix it was with a slim jim. Works great now with new handle/latch.

no it won't open from inside either, when you open outside its totally loose-no tension at all & then inside handle popped out of its place from pulling so hard.

Sure sounds like the same problem I had. A new handle/latch fixed it. Not real easy to replace but do-able. First you've got to slim jim the door open. Then remove the interior panel to gain access to remove the old handle/latch. Good Luck. I also replaced the saggy hinge pins and bushings while I was at it, the door works like new now. (except for broken cheap plastic arm rest support...)

What is a handle/latch? Is it the handle or the door latch. They're seperate parts.

Sorry, should have said handle and latch, 2 separate parts.