Rear Door Latch: Removal

All vehicles 

1. Remove the rear door interior trim panel. For additional information, refer to INTERIOR TRIM AND ORNAMENTATION article.
2. Remove the access hole watershield.
3. Reconnect the window regulator and window switch electrical connectors and position the rear door window to access the glass clamp bolt.
Fig 1: Positioning Door Window To Access Glass Clamp Bolt
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
4. Disconnect the window regulator and window switch electrical connectors.
5. Loosen the window glass clamp bolt.
6. Tape the window in the full up position, then lower the window regulator downward until it reaches the stops at the bottom of the regulator track.
7. Remove the interior door handle bolt.
8. Disconnect the rear door latch assembly electrical connector.
9. Rotate the push button rod downward and remove it from the rear door latch assembly.
10. Remove the 3 rear door latch assembly-to-rear door module bolts.
NOTE: Make sure that the interior door handle does not get scratched when it is passed through the rear door module.
11. Remove the 8 bolts and position the rear door module aside.

Taurus and Sable 

12. Remove the tape and lower the window glass.
13. Remove the scrivet.
Fig 2: Scrivet
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
14. Remove the rear door glass run top bolt.
Fig 3: Identifying Rear Door Glass Run Top Bolt
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
15. Remove the rear door glass run seal.
16. Carefully position the glass aside, then remove the rear door glass top run.

All vehicles 

17. Disconnect the exterior door handle actuating rod from the rear door latch.
18. Remove the 3 rear door latch bolts.
19. Remove the rear door latch assembly.
20. Remove the remote cable cover from the latch.
21. Disconnect the interior door handle actuating cable from the rear door latch.
22. Remove the rear door latch from the bracket.