Rear hatch hard to close

[kman67]

I have to slam the rear hatch to get it to close. I'm afraid I might break the glass one of these days. Because of this I usually use the big door. Is there any way to adjust the latch?
TIA
Kyle

 

[daprez1963]

its a poor design and all close the same....seems like it sounds like its going to break

 

[tower]

Did you have the recall done?
After mine was done I had to slam mine as well. I adjusted it by losing the bolts, the ones on the glass you need a torx bit, lining it up and then tightening the bolts took 5-10 min max.

 

[daprez1963]

the problem is in the lock...it seems to be hitting it oddly....not a smooth locking. the hinges work fine...it just sounds like metal on metal but with a clunk.

 

[DeRocha]

I would leave the glass up and manually close the latch with a large screwdriver to feel for any stiffness. If the latch moves easily then you most likely have an alignment issue. If the latch is stiff then spray the latch mechanism with penetration oil and work the latch mechanism back and forth until it feels smooth.. Spray in some lithium grease and you should be good to go... BTW Every since my hood latch almost got stuck one year I perform this maintenance on all the latches once a year. The hood pull cable moves like butter..

 

[Old As Dirt]

Try leaving the latch bar loosened to the point that it can be moved, but not easily. Move it until it seems aligned and close the hatch gently. Carefully open the hatch and tighten the screws without moving them. This has worked for me.