Problem:
Front passenger side door is stuck shut.

Details:
I can unlock it and it maybe budges a SMIDGE but I can't get it open all the way (even if I push the door up or down as I try to open it). It worked fine for years, I close it one day, and that was it... My guess is that for some reason the thing that grabs the hitch on the car is getting stuck in an almost-closed position, because like I said, the door will VERY SLIGHTLY budge when I unlock and try to push it open, but that's all. When I push against it to shut it, it sounds like the door hitch engages fully again.

Troublshooting:
I took off the door panel (from the inside) on the driver side to see how everything works, but that hasn't helped me much because I can't access any of the screws on the passenger side to get the inner-door panel off to be able to manually unlock it after peeling back the vapor barrier. Not sure if sticking a ruler or bent coat hanger will help or not, very difficult to navigate them...

Solutions:
Any ideas? Would I need a body shop or mechanic to remove the door in some other fashion? How can I get to the lock if the door is stuck in the shut position? I'm fairly handy so any pointers would be much appreciated! Do I need to buy a Haynes to see how it's done?

Thanks!!!!

 

You prolly need a slim jim to unlock it