# 2006 saturn ion door won't open



## mattech (Aug 20, 2011)

My wife has a 06 ion and the passenger door wont open. The lock works and the handles insode and out move, but the door wont open. I am guessing the lock rod has came loose somewhere. I can't get the panel off because the door is closed. I tried to get a hold of the latch threw the weather strip with a clothes hanger, but no luck. Does anyone know a way to get it open.


----------



## GoldDot40 (Aug 20, 2011)

A 'slim-jim' might be able to grab the latch rod better than a coat hanger. I've never had an Ion door panel apart, but on the older Saturns, the exterior panel comes off, not the interior. Might be something to look at.


----------



## mattech (Aug 20, 2011)

Bassquatch said:


> A 'slim-jim' might be able to grab the latch rod better than a coat hanger. I've never had an Ion door panel apart, but on the older Saturns, the exterior panel comes off, not the interior. Might be something to look at.



what do you mean the exterior panel?


----------



## Dead Eye Eddy (Aug 20, 2011)

The only Saturn I've ever had the door panel off on needed a tool to remove the window crank handle before you could remove the panel.  It was a 1997 SL1 sedan.  My friend now has a 2006 ION, but we haven't needed to do any work on it yet.


----------



## DAVE (Aug 20, 2011)

On most latches there is a lever that uses a return spring (which can break) to bring it back in place after you release the handle. If this lever is not returned into place then there is nothing for the door release rod to contact to trip the latch. If you have a stiff coat hanger, bent into L shape with the bottom part of the L about an inch long, you may be able to trip this lever back into place to open the door. It can be very frustrating and can take a lot of time but sometimes you get lucky and it works. Concentrate pushing the hanger straight down past latch and try to push it into latch area while pulling straight up and trying door handle. If you pull this back in place the door will open, do not shut door again without pulling panel to access latch. You probably can fix this with a spring. The only other way to get it open is going to damage the door panel. The problem with this is that you can't see the lever without pulling the latch off the car. there is no way to know if this spring is your problem but it sounds very likely this is the problem.


----------



## mattech (Aug 21, 2011)

Well I spent about two hours trying to get the door open to no avail. I think the actual latch is bad I pulled part of the panel off and was Abe to get my hand onto the latch, but never could get it to release. What would be the best route to get this fixed, the dealer? Or would a locksmith deal with this?


----------



## GoldDot40 (Aug 21, 2011)

mattech said:


> Well I spent about two hours trying to get the door open to no avail. I think the actual latch is bad I pulled part of the panel off and was Abe to get my hand onto the latch, but never could get it to release. What would be the best route to get this fixed, the dealer? Or would a locksmith deal with this?



Will the door lock mechanism function? Could it be that the door is locked and is further hindering you from operating the latch release? 

I'd ask a body shop before the dealership or locksmith.


----------



## mattech (Aug 22, 2011)

Wife took it to a locksmith/bodyshop today. Two guys spent over an hour on it and still could not get the door open. They said to bring it back later and they would try again, but my wife had to pick up the kid from school.


----------

