Toyota Camry Door Lock Failure - Diagnose Guide

Powered door locks are a great feature on any car including the Toyota Camry. However, when they don’t work, it can be a terrible annoyance. Figure out what’s wrong with them with this handy guide.

Toyota Camry Door Lock Failure - Diagnose Guide

Have a bum door lock on your Camry? Diagnose it and fix it with this guide.

Problems with the Toyota Camry-powered door locks are pretty easy to diagnose. It is really just a simple matter of troubleshooting the system to determine what is wrong.

All Doors/Multiple Doors Fail To Work

If all your doors or multiple doors don’t work, then, unfortunately, you have an electrical issue. This really needs the help of a qualified mechanic to look at. Why? Because it could be a multitude of issues like a bad relay, snipped wire, or something else.

Single Door Doesn’t Work

A single door that doesn’t work is more than likely a bad actuator. This is the motor that locks and unlocks the door. Quite often, you will have heard a “buzzing” sound or similar sound when the actuator first started to fail. Typical steps to fix the issue are:

  1. Order an OEM replacement part from an online retailer like Toyota Parts Center (us!)
  2. Remove the door panel by finding screws in the door panel and on the door handle.
  3. While removing the panel, find the electronic connection running to the power door lock and unhook it.
  4. Peel back the shroud covering the interior components.
  5. Locate the actuator and replace it with your new one.
  6. Re-install the door panel using the reverse steps.

Here is a link to a forum with pictures and detailed steps for an older model Toyota Camry.

Remote Lock/Unlock Fails

If your key fob remote lock/unlock doesn’t work, but the locks work on the door, you need a new battery. Luckily, this is the easiest and cheapest items that can go wrong. Simply, grasp your key fob on the sides and pop it open. Locate the battery and replace it.

Having an improperly-working powered door lock is simply a pain. Don’t fret, get it fixed, and put the issue behind you.