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One door lock in my Vibe is acting up. This started soon after I activated the child-safety lock for the first time, but I don't know for sure whether that was the trigger for the problem.

vibe rear door lock

The problem: The lock is no longer affected by the remote. The door otherwise functions almost normally. I can open from the outside. I can open from the inside, but only if the child safety lock is not activated. The remote door lock locks the three other doors (plus hatch) just fine, but does not lock or unlock that rear door.

Occasionally, the lock is sometimes stuck and refuses to be moved manually (I am avoiding forcing it).

Have you fixed something like this on either a Pontiac Vibe or a Toyota Matrix?

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It sounds like either the solenoid that activates the lock has failed, or the linkage connecting them has come adrift, or there is a problem with the wiring going to the solenoid - the solenoid failing is usually the most common of these.

You'll probably have to remove the door trim (either get a manual or look on youtube for a guide), in order to get access to the solenoid. Unfortunately they're often still awkward to get to, as the crash structure of the door gets in the way...

If it's a dislodged linkage that should be obvious straight away - a failed solenoid will probably look fine from the outside, but simply not work.

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  • The remote for the five doors worked fine for over ten years, during which I never touched the child-safety locks. As soon as I moved the child-safety latch in one door, that door stopped responding to the remote. Does this suggest that one kind of failure is more likely than another? This also coincided with the child in question yanking the lever, frustrated at the futility of the action right after having found that it was amusing to open the door while the car is moving.
    – Calaf
    Commented Apr 4, 2016 at 18:07
  • Your kid probably broke it. Its a vibe so the parts from a corolla will fit it with no problem. Remove the door panel by pulling it and removing s couple of screws in the handle area and you will notice the problem right away. Its a simple repair.
    – race fever
    Commented Apr 4, 2016 at 20:08
  • It certainly sounds like a dislodged linkage is most likely then - possibly broken at one end or the other, given what you've said.
    – Nick C ♦
    Commented Apr 5, 2016 at 9:32

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