First off, thanks for all the replies to my original post about one side of my hatch not closing properly and needing an extra push to get it closed. They were helpful but I discovered what was causing the hatch to not close properly and maybe this will help others too.
After trying to adjust the rubber 'stops' and not having any luck I decided to start looking closer. While the hatch is open, I took off the carpeted piece that covers the mechanism that the hatch locks in to. It came off by just pulling on it and removing the attaching hook for the net. With the mechanism now exposed I touched it and saw that the entire assembly was loose and able to be moved up and down about 1/2 inch. Thats why the hatch would not close properly. In order to adjust and tighten it you have to remove the tailights. That exposes four 10mm bolts. All 4 of mine were so loose that I could turn them by hand. I raised the mechanism to its highest point and tightend all of the bolts. When I dropped the hatch it closed properly for the first time since I have owned the car. A slight push on the emblem was all it took. I looked at the mechanism on the other side and it was tightened up OK. I have no idea how the one side became so loose.
This was an easy fix for a very annoying problem and I hope that it will help others who have had the same issue.

Bobby A

PS Merry Christmas

 

Cool. Also remember that your car is plastic. And you can close both the hood and the hatch the same as Tupperware. Just push in the middle until your car burps.

 

I could not get my hatch to close without a hard push until my buddy showed me to open a door slightly.(or window)

 

Good detective work. Glad you got it solved and you can now close the hatch easily.

 

thanks for the tip..added to the list

 

...keeps lettuce crisp too

 

Good tip thanks!

 

Thanks for the update

 

I'm going to go check mine right now. Thanks!


~MS

 

Hmmm

 

Good tip thanks

 

Thanks for posting your findings. Much appreciated. Merry Christmas.

 

glad you solved your problem and are able to help others.

 

Been having the exact same problem, I'm going to dig into it tomorrow, hopefully the same fix will work for me too.

Thanks for the post...

 

.....until your car burps.

 

It's always good to know how to get into things

 

I have that same rear latch problem. I'm finally going to fix this annoying latch mechanism too, and all the thanks to you Bobby A.

 

I always just assumed it's cuz the car's sealed so tightly. Whichever is the last thing to get closed (door or hatch) needs an extra push.

 

If the latch is the problem, then it's been that way from the factory. More like it's really air tight.The doors are hard to close if the windows are up and the hatch is closed. I simply close one of the doors last, or if it's in the garage I'll leave one of the windows down a little.

 

Great tip.!!!!!!! I'll make a copy of it for my growing collection of service notes and How-To-Do it tips.
Jennifer

Thought I heard something................
Huhhhh.....Was that my car burping???????