'05 equinox outside door handle issue

[Kivisto]

All but one of my outer door handles either will not work, or has a problem with opening the door. I thought it might be a bad handle so I've ordered replacements in the past, only to find that after replacing them, the problem is still there. From what it looks like to me, the hook on the latch does grab the metal release rod thing inside the door, but it's like it doesn't pull it far enough out to actually open it. In order to get it open, you have to firmly yank on the handle several times. Does anyone know or has anyone come across this problem before? I'm not very auto savvy but with a shove in the right direction, I can usually fix small issues like this myself, rather then drop upwards $800 in my small island only auto shop. Any help or input will be highly appreciated!