Dorman 746 158 Door Lock Actuator Review

, the only reason I returned it was because it was needed for the passenger side and I ordered the correct 746-157 which worked great. Thanks Doug

I'm not a DIY or shade tree mechanic but with the help of Youtube and Dorman I replaced the lock actuator on my 1998 F150. For both doors I needed about 2 1/2 hours. The work was tedious, but works like new.

What a waste. Made from cheap plastic. One of the clips broke when I tried to snap the hook. It didn't even fit in my 2000 Ford Explorer despite being listed as compatible. I returned it for a refund.

Fits the driver's door of the 1997 Ford F150 I had to knock out the rivet to get the old one out but it went in easily. You will need a screw from your local hardware store to reattach the bracket to the door once the rivet is gone. The drive also came with a lever mechanism. While it works great.

I was reluctant to replace the Ford factory actuator with a Dorman but once installed my worries were gone. My Ford drives have always been a bit "weak". Dorman actuators are very powerful at locking and unlocking the doors. Sounds expensive, and the whole movement is solid. They come with multiple bars for your specific application.

Through no fault of Dorman, depending on the manufacturer, installation can be a real hassle when doing it yourself for the first time on the vehicle. The previous one I bought from the dealer was an OEM and was a breeze to install. I bought it and took it to the shop for installation. Works perfectly. Definitely half the price of the original part.

So far so good. I bought this about 2 months ago and have only now been able to take it to a mechanic and install it (3/26/15). It's definitely nice to have a working driver's door lock again! Update: It's now June 11, 2015 and it's already intermittent; exactly the same as before my other one went all the way. I downgraded this to 4 stars and probably should have downgraded it to 3.

The instructions supplied were rather vague with no clear diagram. Unfortunately, this is likely to be the case with most auto parts as manufacturers assume the parts will be fitted by a trained professional. Luckily I have a friend who knows auto repairs and was able to help me install the lock actuator with no problem. The hardest part is sticking your hands in the metal door frame and seeing what you're doing. The drive now works perfectly and the lock responds to every keystroke.