After a basic Google search, it was the consensus that the door lock actuator was the issue. After a simple removal of the plastic panels on the interior of the door panel, it was found that the actuator was indeed the issue. The steps I used are outlined below.
I started with the upper plastic cover of the door, there are a few snaps around the edge that will pop off with a little prying. Next comes the lower plastic portion, the drivers side requires the removal of a phillips-head screw that is fastened in the cubby just below the window. This panel is fastened with plastic pop pegs as well. Prying will get the panel off (sometimes extra force is necessary).
After removing the black plastic sheet (most likely a rain guard), the wiring clusters in the door are exposed. I visually scanned all wires to check that none were frayed. I was still unsure at this point whether it was a wiring issue or a broken actuator.
I removed the plug from the actuator and attempted to find a signal using a multimeter. I pressed the lock and unlock keys as I tested each of the four fins of the plug. I couldn't manage to find a signal from the plug. The easiest solution was to remove the plastic panels from the opposite door and use the actuator from that side (which still functioned normally) to check the wiring cluster.
There is one screw which holds the actuator to the door locking mechanism. After removing the panels on the passenger side I encountered a problem I had seen talked about on the internet. On the driver's side, there is an access hole drilled in the door frame which allows you to loosen the screw. On the passenger side, however, the access hole is not aligned correctly. I had planned on plugging the passenger side actuator into the driver's side door in order to check the wiring cluster. Instead of going through the hassle of removing the passenger side actuator (See Passenger Side Door below), I decided to take the assumed broken actuator from the driver's side and see if it functioned when plugged into the passenger side.
The actuator did not function when plugged into either door, I'd need to replace the actuator.
The part is typically around $45 online and $60 in store, the cheapest I found was on Amazon.com:
Sliding Door Power Lock Actuator
. If you're an Amazon Prime member, the two-day shipping is an added help.
All that remained was to install the new actuator, reconnect the metal arms and carefully replace the black plastic sheet and plastic trim.
Passenger Side Door
The screw which fastens the passenger side actuator to the locking mechanism cannot be seen. There are two ways to overcome this problem.
-Drilling an access hole
-Removing the entire locking mechanism
