Hey guys, just bought a 2001 Lexus GS300 after searching for years. When I got it home i noticed the front passenger door lock actuator was bad. No big deal, common problem with plenty of resources for a DIY repair. The door DOES NOT lock with the fob. The door DOES NOT lock from the inside by flipping the lock over. (It just springs back to the unlock position with no sort of mechanical resistance.) I can get the door to lock with the key by locking it manually from the outside by inserting the key in the lock, and turning it to the right. When I get in the car to open said locked door , and try to open the door, it DOES NOT open when I pull on the handle. I have to flip the lock back over to unlock the door. (Which now has mechanical resistance and an audible unlocking sound can be heard from inside the door.) Does this sound like the usual actuator problem that plagues the GS line? Or is there more than just the actuator going wrong because the door will not open from the inside with out manually unlocking the door. Also, I'm curious if the passenger door is SUPPOSED to unlock automatically by pulling on the door handle from the inside when the door is locked. (The drivers side does this.) My reason of suspicion that its not just the actuator is the fact the door does not unlock by itself when pulling on the handle from the inside when the door is locked.

Appreciate any and all help!
-Derek

 

Yes those are the symptoms of a bad door lock actuator.

 

I had the exact same problem with my front passenger door. Just did the actuator diy and fixed the problem. Plenty of resources out there to do this. You may as well do all the doors while your at it. Its cheaper to buy 4 actuator motors any way. Good luck.

 

What they said!

 

Thanks guys! Appreciate the help!