I'm still getting used to my new-to-me '09, and have encountered an annoyance: When I park the car, if I get out and go to open the rear hatch I can hear and feel the latch open, but the hatch only moves a hair and then hits a stop, like the latch didn't actually release. If I then press "unlock" on the key fob, then I can open the rear hatch. This has been consistent, so I assume it's purposeful? I feel like if the car is unlocked I should be able to open the hatch without having to pull the key out of my pocket. Or am I missing something?
No I don't think that's right anyway when you do this press the button smartly and lift up does your hatch stick? If so some housekeeping maybe needed around the seal well you'll see it full of trash and sticks and mud and tree debris and what have you That's a no-no so get all that cleaned up if that exists a little silicone grease on your finger and running around the hat seal goes a long way to help hat ceiling and releasing when needed especially in the winter this is how most people break the lift garnish for the hatch But if you're not careful the button you will not be pushing sometimes as you're lifting at the very beginning and it will just release a little bit Just push up on the button you should hear it let go and the hatch should I have an '09 and an '07 that do this if you're not careful lots of times other people can't get the hatch open I just walk over and keep touching the button smartly and it comes right up I don't know if there's an adjustment or something to lubricate I don't really think so but
I think you're missing something. You do not need to press the unlock button on the key fob and I'm surprised it does anything useful for you, but I've never actually tried that. If you are not quick enough with some lifting force (pressing up on the unlock pad, not the hatch garnish) as you press on the unlock pad, then it does catch. All you need to do is press the unlock pad again and lift. Again, do not lift on the hatch garnish – it will break! Sometimes, it is handy and easy to grab the bottom of the hatch once it has 'popped' and lift the tailgate from there when you press the unlock pad. Another thing that can happen is the hatch rubber seal gets sticky and sticks to the hatch door. The remedy for this is to treat the rubber seal with some rubber treatment gel. 303 (Interior/Exterior) Protectant (or similar) also works. I've used Carpro Perl diluted 1:1 for this purpose in the past.
A word of advice: Don't lift it by the middle panel where the lock is. They break off very easily. Undo the lock and lift it from the bottom of the hatch. I sometimes have to press the lock twice before it opens.
Thanks everyone! No worries about the hatch panel, I could feel right away that it wasn't meant to be pulled on. I'll open up the area around the release mechanism and check for debris and function - as soon as it's warm enough out for my hands to be semi-happy. I wonder if the mechanism is just a little "sticky" - hopefully some cleanup and lube will set it right.
