Are your Toyota 4Runner doors locks driving you nuts? Are they broken or not responding to the key fob? Get them fixed with this power door lock guide.

Toyota 4Runner Door Lock Failure - Diagnose Guide

Are your Toyota 4Runner power door locks giving you fits? Here is a guide to fix them. 

Find 4Runner door parts here.

Power door locks are great when they work and not when they don’t. The best way to get them working again is to start with a proper diagnosis of what’s going on. Carefully take some time to correctly determine what is working and what isn’t. Then, find the section below that corresponds to your problem.

All Doors/Multiple Doors Fail To Lock/Unlock

When you have multiple doors failing to lock, it is normally a sign of a bad relay or blown fuse. These parts are integral to the entire system.

The relay is on an electronics board under the dash. In order to replace it, you will need to solder on a replacement part. If you don’t have electronics repair skills or background, this is not something you should tackle yourself.

A blown fuse is a pretty simple fix. Looking at the fuse box, find the fuse labeled door. Simply swap it out with a new fuse. This should fix the problem.

Single Door Fails To Lock/Unlock

If you have one door that is causing the issue, you likely have a bad actuator motor. This motor powers the door locking mechanism. In order to fix it, follow these steps:

  1. Order your parts
  2. Next, remove all the screws on the door panel you want to replace on the motor on. Check behind speakers and in the door handle.
  3. With the screws removed, gently pull on the panel with either a door panel removal tool or your hands. You will/should hear a clicking sound as the plastic clips come away from the door.
  4. Once the door is freed, look for a wire connecting the power door locks to the interior door mechanism. Unhook this cord.
  5. Looking at the door, you will/should see a plastic shroud. Carefully peel back this shroud.
  6. Examining the interior of the door, find the actuator motor. Simply swap it out.
  7. Reverse these directions to put your door back on.

Key Fob Fails To Lock/Unlock

If your key fob fails to lock/unlock the doors, you most likely have a bad battery. This is a pretty easy fix that entails you opening up the key fob and replacing the battery. Key fobs can either be opened by removing a screw or squeezing the sides to “pop” it open.

After the key fob is open, look on the inside for a battery. Carefully swap it out and be especially careful not to bend the metal tabs.

Questions?