The rear passenger door (1992 XJ) has been difficult to open for awhile now, we have had to press on the button on the outside of the door really hard. Today the button went clear inside the door and now we can't open the door either from the outside or the inside. Anyone know what's going on here? Thank you.

just happened today.

 

You're likely gonna have to remove the inside door panel for access.

There is an adjustment, done from the outside of the door, that coulda been done before this happened.

 

Gotta say that is a new one for me.
Thinking the push part is not in there though.
Here is what the handle looks like off of a '97 to '01 XJ.
Always assumed they were all the same but.....

That brass piece on the right is actually screwed in to the handle behind the button.
Unless the spring did give way and it is in there.
Anyway I know for a fact that on a '97 and up you can take off the rear door panel with the door closed.
Want to say it did require me to remove the lower half of the back seat when I did it though.

 

Update: Went to search for parts to repair this left side, rear door handle problem. At the first wrecking yard right down the street, they had a complete door where I was able to find what I needed. There are a zillion Cherokee XJ's here in Mexico, so not too hard to find parts. I did find the chrome handle I purchased was metal and much heavier than the plastic piece that was on our '92 model. Evidently, a small return spring on the brass piece that screws onto the handle failed and that prevented the button from re-setting. There is a second larger round columnar spring as pictured on the left in the photo above, but that spring was not damaged.

 

Any of them have Dana 44 front axles?

 

Good question, I will have to study up on differentials.

 

Here's your first online class.

 

Before cheap plastic, now chromed metal (don't know what year they made things cheaper). Found metal handle in local re-cycler yard.