05 Aveo LT Hatchback door lock cylinder Problem!!!!

[Madness hero]

Hello I was Wondering if anyone more experenced could help me with this problem. When I bought my 05 Aveo LT the driver side door lock cylinder fell in, when I tried to put it back into place the cylinder popped out! Did I break it? If I didn't how do I reattached it back to the car? Or is it something I have to take to a mechanic ?

[ColdCase]

Looks like the rod is bent, I think it should be pretty much straight. Otherwise there is a screw that holds the bracket into place and clips on both ends of the rod. You need to remove the door panel to get at it.

That being said, it was so difficult for me to get the rod back into place onto the latch, that I gave up. I just left it off so the rod wouldn't get hung up in the power window mechanism and put a pit of electrical tape over the cylinder hole (lasted over 5 years). I used the remote to lock and unlock the doors. In an emergency, the plan was to open the hatch (it had a mechanical lock if I recall correctly), crawl in, and pull an unlock knob to open a door to get in.

[JJJoseph]

I know this thread is a bit old, but the Aveo hasn't changed in any way, and more feedback is always useful later. The main challenge is removing the door panel; it's easy to break the door-handle trim. Do it carefully, even take time to ask someone to demo the trick. Videos are not much help because the removal trick changes from one year to the next. But after removing the panel, the door lock can be fiddled back into its correct position with patience. It helps to have small hands or an assistant with small hands. The screw that holds it in place has a 10mm hex head, and it's best to use a 1/4" socket drive with an extension to place the screw in position using the peep-hole in the door structure. If you can't find the missing screw and the nylon clips, they're likely down in the bottom of the door.