I have a 1999 Ford Focus Estate which has served me incredibly well and continues to do so.

Unfortunately to get out of the car I have to wind down the drivers window and open the door from the outside as the interior handle has stopped working.

I'm not sure if it is the handle or a cable that has malfunctioned.

Is this the kind of job an absolute amateur could do or is it a garage job?

Please does anyone know of a video guide I could watch as I have found 2 that contradict each other.

One shows having to strip the door whilst the other just unscrews the handle part of the door.

Any help much appreciated.

Many thanks fro a newbie

You could certainly give it a go, you wont be any worse off than you are at the moment.

When you pull on the handle, do you feel resistance, or does it just move like its not connected?

You will need to remove the door card, and then check the lhandle mechanism, it could be a broke wire between the solanoid and the handle.

I have exactly the opposite problem - the outside door handle does nothing and so I have to open the back door and reach in to open the front door from the inside. The outside handle pulls out but does nothing, exactly the same as if it was locked. I just haven't found time to look at it yet but understand its a broken clip that needs replacing. Not sure about the inside hanlde though.

Thanks for the reply jeebowhite.

It feels like there is no resistance - it could possibly be wire.

Dumb question - what is a door card please?

Cheers south-bound, I'd be absolutely stuck if that happened as my remote fob door opener stopped working years ago!

Hi Neil, its everything on the door that you can touch when your sat in the car, lol. There are a few Torx screws that you need to remove and then pull the door card out. Best suggestion would be to buy yourself a Haynes manual and just get to it :)