Due to a mechanic friend who tried to help, my driver side door is shot. The local pick and pull does not have a 99 Mazda, but they do have a 2000 Mazda. Are the door parts interchangeable?

 

You should check an online parts site, but my quick look shows the part numbers are the same from 1999 and 2000. You should make sure the other components, like power windows, door locks, etc. match to make the swap easier.

What happened to your old door?

 

Basically, it's an old car that I bought third hand used. The door lock something or other was already breaking down, and the mechanic said he could replace it but we decided to wait cuz it would have been an expensive repair. Then, it finally busted, and I wasn't able to unlock the door from the outside or inside, so I wound up having to crawl in and out of the passenger side. My husband was able to pop it open, but I wasn't able to lock it. No biggie there. But then recently, I accidentally locked it again (while my husband was out of town), so I asked a friend to try and pop it open, but he wound up making it worse, and somehow wrecked the door panel as well.

 

Ah. The door lock handles use rods to connect to the lock itself. They are held in place using plastic clips. These clips act as bushings too. When these clips break, they often allow the rods to drop thereby disconnecting the handles from the lock. Sometimes pieces can jam the lock mechanism as well.

 

Also, it appears the door panels are the same as well (1999 vs 2000). Same as the door though, check for power vs manual door locks, windows, etc. Color may not match.