Milemaker13,
After getting really good at replacing the lock actuator on the pass side slider of my 2016 DGC here are some comments:
1. On your van it's more than likely the actuator is stuck, it probably isn't the latch. If you can't move the lock lever -- if all it does is spring back and forth because the rod is deflecting -- the actuator is jammed. The problem with the design is that the actuator is in series with the lock lever and the latch itself. If the actuator is jammed the latch will not move by the manual lever either. The manual lever moves the actuator which then moves the latch. If you want to install the aftermarket "fix" you have to get the existing actuator freed up so that you can operate the manual lock lever.
2. To free up the actuator, brute force is necessary. What I did on mine was to clamp a vise grip on the rod close to the mechanism (away from the manual lever) to allow me to apply enough force to the actuator to cause it to move. When operating the lock lever by itself the rod bends and deflects and doesn't apply enough force to the stuck actuator. Using the vise grip as a handle allowed me to apply enough force to overcome the stuck gears in the actuator (you will hear them ripping and stripping when the actuator finally moves) and then the manual lock lever will work normally. Mine came back to life after 'using the force' but I went ahead and replaced the actuator anyway.
3. The original actuator failed at about 5 years and a couple of months. The cheap non-OEM replacements from various online sources have lasted from 3 weeks to 15 months before failing. The replacements have all failed stuck locked, the original failed stuck unlocked. Currently I am on the 3rd cheap replacement part. Maybe if I had bought an expensive actuator from Mopar then I wouldn't be replacing them so often. So far it's only the one door that has had the problem, all the other doors still have the original parts.
4. You can get the interior door panel off with the door closed. It's a few screws and a bunch of push-type fasteners. I broke a couple of the push fasteners the first time so I ordered a bunch of them on Aliexpress so now I've got a lifetime supply. Haven't broken one since.
Good luck!
