Just got our Christmas tree, but got home to find out that something went wrong with the hatch latch---it won't close now. The guy who put the tree in the car tried to use the latch as a tie-down, but then gave up. Now it won't close and doesn't respond to the key, to the handle, or to the auto-unlock. Anybody else ever had this problem? Have any luck fixing it?

 

if they were slamming it while the latch was closed they probably fucked it up.. what year and model you got?

 

You probably just need to reach up and manually open the latch so that it can accept the "male" portion of the mechanism when you close it.

 

Beat me to it. I used to do something similar in my old (88) escort in order to get the mickey mouse seat belts to go back while I was working in the car.

Try slipping a screwdriver into the hole where the two sides of the latch meet and pulling, while also lifting the handle from outside. Might need two people.

 

May have to finish closing the black locking tab into the latch (as if it had the latch hook in it), unlock the doors to be sure, and pull the handle as if you're going to open the latch.

If this works, it was stuck at its half-lock point, and the hatch release won't let it go unless it's at full lock (typically only when hatch closed).

 

So helpful...I'm going to give the screwdriver trick a try. I'll report back...

 

The screwdriver did the trick and couldn't have been easier...thanks again for your help.