Have 1997 ES 300. Can't open the driver side door from inside or outside. Anyone have any ideas as to how to get the door open so I can remove the door panel to fix the lock?

 

Little spring has probably broken in the latch. Roll the window down to give you some room. Wedge something in the door panel to give you more room. Get a flashlight and some long picks or screwdrivers and have patience. Eventually you may spot that spring lying in the way of the latch bar. Good Luck!

You could remove the screws from the armrest to get a little more give in that door panel. Try to lift the panel over the edge of the door frame rail. Dont force anything to much and you dont have to break anything to open it. Just takes a while to figure out the mechanism.