How can I release the child lock on 2004 Ford Escape. Can't open the door.

With all your doors in the "unlocked" state you should be able to open the door from the outside. If not you may need to bring it to a garage/dealer to get it open with out damaging the door.

Thank you for the speedy response, Chris. However, we've tried that and it doesn't work. Trying to avoid going to the closest dealer, the repair department manager isn't the nicest of people to work with. Thanks again.

Since that's the case, it sounds like something has become disengaged inside the door and not allowing the door to be either unlocked or opened. If you have access to a junk yard and can get another door panel, you could always hack away the current door panel and see what came loose and open it that way. Then put the other panel on.

Hi Chris, I am pleasantly surprised that you would follow up. Thank you so much. My husband spent several hours today working on the door. He finally went into the car from the other side. Then he took his rubber mallet and gave the inside of the door several taps to try and disengage the child lock. That worked but as soon as he closed the door again, it locked up. He tried his rubber mallet again, when it opened he put some oil in and around the lock inside the door. That seemed to do the trick. He's been able to open and close and lock and unlock the door several times. Now we're hoping this stays fixed. My son drives the car and he said the problem started when he was partially T-boned by an 18 wheeler last year. The truck only seemed to do damage to the drivers door which had to be replaced, but, since the car is so old, it must have knocked something out of alinement in the door behind the driver. Thanks again for your follow-up.