A power actuator is provided for a door latch. A transfer lever within the housing is selectively coupled to a motor-driven worm gear via a lost motion connector. Engaging the motor moves the transfer lever between a locked and an unlocked position, actuating an output lever mounted to a spline on the transfer lever. The worm gear returns to a neutral position when the motor is disengaged, leaving the transfer lever in either the locked or unlocked positions. Manually moving the output lever causes the transfer lever to move between its locked and unlocked positions without back-driving the worm gear. A toggle mechanism prevents the transfer lever from accidentally moving or only moving partially between the locked and unlocked positions.