I don't remember exactly what the bottom latch looked like, but, I do remember that the latch cable travel was adjusted with threads at the bottom latch, and the way it was designed, lot's of rough road driving would gradually vibrate the adjustment. This extended the length of the cable, and eventually there wasn't enough travel to disengage the lower latch. To access it, I had to start at the top of the door on the inside, and remove the plastic trim parts, and work my way down to the bottom door panel. 5 min. fix, once I got it uncovered. I assume yours is similar since you have the same problem.
Dave