NHTSA Complaint #10573130 — 2001 FORD FOCUS

ON OUR FORD FOCUS, THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE, ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT WORK. YOU CAN REACH IN THE WINDOW (OR LEAN OVER CTR CONSOLE) TO PULL THE HANDLE AND OPEN IT. THE HANDLE ON THE OUTSIDE IS STUCK IN THE FULL PULLED OUT POSITION, AND CANNOT BE FORCED IN EVEN. THE BACK DOOR STARTED NOT WORKING PERIODICALLY. I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM ON THE BACK DOOR MAY BE THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS BEING ON. I OPENED THE REAR DOOR, INSERTED THE KEY, AND ROTATED IT. AS FAR AS I COULD TELL, THERE WAS NO CHANGE. YOU COULD PULL ON THE INSIDE, AND OUTSIDE HANDLE, AND THE MECHANISM SEEMED TO BE WORKING, SO I CLOSED THE DOOR ....BEFORE CHANGING THE ROTATION BACK. NOW, THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THIS CONCERNS ME IF THERE WERE AN ACCIDENT, OR FIRE, THE PERSON IN THE BACK SEAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A WAY TO RESET THE CHILD DOOR LOCKS-WITHOUT OPENING THE DOOR (SINCE THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN)? *TR