like child safety lock BUT front driver door

Hey, I searched and didnt come up with anything - I am new here.
Hope someone has experienced this before and can tell me whats up.

on my wifes 02 elantra the front driver door latch will not open the door, we are stuck with opening the window and reaching out to use the outside handle to get out of the car.

I took off the inside panel and then couldnt figure out what else I needed to take off. I was able to look through the screw holes on the side of the door that hold the latching mechanism in place and it looks like the wire that is connected to the inside handle is not attached to anything inside the latching mechanism where the door actually gets held shut. How do I take out this latching mechanism, or just reattach what needs to be connected? It seemed to be encased in plastic with no visible screws or bolts?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You,
Dan

I'm not exactly sure how to fix your problem, but I have had to remove my door panel several times and each time I have to disconnect the handle from the door. There are (probably) pink clips attached to the cables that run from the handle itself to the opening mechanism. Remove the panel by removing the 10 or so screws, including the screw in the handle and in the handle pocket. Then pull the panel from the door where the clips are. I've had to pull hard, and no clips have broken, so don't be scared to give a little tug if they are tight. Then, to get the panel free from the top where the window is, slide the panel away from the hinges an inch or so before trying to pull, else it's a pain to get back on. Then you'll have to reach in and pinch the cable at the pink clips to the handle and remove the door. The first time, I didn't know about the clips, so I spent 10 minutes working the handle itself through the cutout, but that helped me figure out just how it was put together. I don't know what exactly the problem is, I've got the same problem with my front passenger door, I just haven't taken the time to try and fix it, but maybe this will help you get to the problem. If need be, take the passenger panel off and compair them, the problem may be obvious then. Hope this helps, if even just a bit.