After market installer added a flat Leer top to my 2010 Ram 1500 Laramie extended cab. The locking mechanism is a POS. I sheared off my key trying to force open the lock; had to hire a locksmith to extract the stub trapped inside the tumbler (okay, that was my fault ). The reason it failed was because cardboard caught the lock release, wouldn’t allow it to rotate. The key torques open the inside catches on both sides of the bed. Yikes! Since that experience, I religiously lubricate the tumbler and am VERY careful not to let anything lie underneath the lock or either catch.
Question is: Can a dealer to replace this idiot-designed key & catch mechanism with a full handle-type lock? Anybody had a similar experience?

 

Sounds like you might have had a bad install. The main reason I went with a Leer is because there is no latch. I've not had any issues with mine. I tried to sell mine because I use my bed too much. I've decided to use mine in Winter only. That seems to work well for me.