On some Foci, the door latch starts to act flaky. The outer handle will either become reluctant to snap back into place or will completely fail to open the door. Also, the door may not latch properly without slamming it several times. These are both caused by the same problem, and it's easy to fix yourself!
Time Required: 30-45 minutes
Tools Needed:
Can of lubricating catalyst such as PB B'laster (recommended) or WD-40
Torx T-20 driver
1/4" Nut driver or deep socket
small flat-head screwdriver or pry tool
window crank removal tool (if manual windows)
Procedure:
Make sure the window on the affected door is rolled up
Pull back the upper rear corner of the foam-like lining on the inside of the door.
Locate the vertical (up and down) rod attached to the inside of the outer door handle. It attaches to a flipper-like device at the top, and vanishes into a plastic enclosure at the bottom.
Liberally lubricate both visible ends of the metal latch rod
Grasp the rod and the outer door handle, and manually open and close the door latch while making sure the metal rod doesn't stick or bind. Keep spraying both ends and checking for smooth operation until it works properly.
Replace the inner door liner to it's original position
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