98 CR-V Rear door lock problem/safety hazard

My '98 CR-V's rear door (driver side) won't unlock and therefore cannot
be opened at all.

There is only one lock/unlock switch inside the car located on the
driver's door - when you lift up, all doors unlock except for the one.
The results are the same when using the key fob.

If I try to lift up on the lock thin-a-ma-jig for that door it doesn't
budge - even when applying significant motivation with robo-grip
pliers. Makes me wonder why they even bother to put them on the doors
if you can't use them manually. It moves slightly when the other doors
unlock but not enough to unlock and you can feel actuation underneath.

I tried to remove the door panel to get a better look but it doesn't
appear that the door panel can be removed without having the door open
- at least without destroying it in the process.

I consider this a serious safety hazard. In the old days a door would
always open from the inside - locked or not.

Does anyone have any experience or suggestions as to what to do short
of taking it to the dealer? I'm a handy guy and would love to fix this
myself. If I could only open the door and/or get the door panel off!
Arrrrgggghhh! Shakes my faith in Hondas - slightly.

p.s. I don't think it has anything to do with the lockout switch. I
can get to it with a screw driver and move it back and forth - makes no
diff.

 

If the button won't move, it sounds like the latch is jammed in a partially
open position. Forcing the lock button with a vice-grip will almost
certainly bend/break something and make it worse. Push the button all the
way down, then try sharply pulling and releasing the inner, and then the
outer handles and letting them snap back. If the button will pull up after
you do that, the door should open. Otherwise, something is already damaged
or dislodged internally and you will have to find somebody to take it apart.

 

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll give it a try when I get home from work
- the CR-V is the wife's car.

BTW - I did not apply excessive force when attempting to pull the lock
nub up manually. I'm quite sure I didn't bend or break anything in the
process.

 

UPDATE:

E Meyer - your suggestion worked! Thank you. I pushed the lock nub
down and pulled sharply on the latch rod from the inside (I had already
removed the latch from the door panel). I was then able to unlock and
open the door.

I still plan to remove the door panel to lubricate the latch as I think
that is causing the problem. But, at least now I can open the door to
get the panel off. Thanks again.