Door lock actuator issues

I am having front driver's door lock actuator issues.

Symptoms: Occasionally the front driver door lock will not lock down using the key remote (2-3 times per week). On even rarer occasions, it will not come up using the key remote (1 or 2 times per month). Initially this was mildly annoying but now is becoming a problem as I have walked away several times with my car unlocked.

My current fix: I simply unlock the doors and relock and it usually locks down. However, once or twice a month, I have to repeat this more than once to get it to lock down.

After searching these symptoms, it appears that my front door lock actuator is going. I could not find a DIY for this repair and will post one when I repair this issue. I may replace the actuator but was wondering if anyone has tried to fix this problem with lubrication of the actuator or the linkage? If yes, where exactly did you lubricate? And if you did use the lubrication approach, how long did this fix work for? I would rather not spend the money (~$100) on the replacement part unless it is really necessary.