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Rear Hatch lock actuator problems

162K views 111 replies 55 participants last post by  tangonanwynstonn 
#1 ·
Hi all, I've searched the forums and found a couple of hints at this problem but no solution. My 04 Armada is keeping me locked out of the back. I guess now that the brake judder problem has gone on vacation it's time for electrical fun and games. The problem appears to be in the door lock actuator for the rear lift gate. The problem manifested slowly, over time missing only occasionally on the unlock/engage handle for the rear door. Now it does it constantly.

I can crawl into the back and push the little emergency access lever to the bottom in the rear door access panel and then open the door from outside but this gets somewhat more challenging when the car is full of groceries or plants or dogs and kids.

The rear door latch is tight and not the problem. The door locks OK but the door lock actuator isn't pulling the lever down far enough each time. I took the door panel off and lubricated all the parts I could find. This fixed the problem for about a month. I would replace the electrical actuator but I can't find a part number for it or a replacement on the 'net. I guess I could try and pull the thing out and open it up to lubricate the guts.

Anyone else have this problem? Oh yeah, the rear door glass wouldn't open either but that was because the cable clip was detached from the lock. I think it's a result of the door lock being semi-disengaged when the glass was opened.

Thanks for any input (and great forum BTW)

GZ
 
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#64 ·
Me Too

Getting close to 200K and this little gremlin decided to hitch a ride on my 04!:) I'll have none of that. I'm going to try to lubricate it before I take more aggressive action. This door has opened thousands upon thousands of times so it doesn't surprise me too much. I'm mentally prepared that things are going to start popping up as I climb into the 200K club. I just hope I can service them before they serve me.:eek:

Thanks for the tip!
 
#66 ·
Had this same problem on my 2004 Armada SE - manual rear hatch.

Temp solution in my case was to open the hatch glass, which released the "lock" on the rear hatch, allowing me to lift the handle and the hatch. It would not "unlock" with the key fob.

Complained to dealer during visit last month. They lubed the mechanism and claimed that there is already an access hole to lube the mechanism. No need to drill one for what they do to service it.

Regardless, it's been a month or so and it's working fine. $40 or so for the solution. Worth not spending an hour futzing with it for me. To each his own though. Time will tell if their solution is permanent.
 
#67 ·
Fixing this problem is simply a matter of reducing friction. Taking into consideration everything posted, here's how I solved the problem without spending a dime and without drilling a hole: Rear hatch window has to open in order to remove panel. Mine would not open, so I removed panel as much as I could, then reached under it to release window latch manually. To fix this window issue, I re-attached cable. To fix actuator problem, I removed actuator and poured 5w-30 motor oil into the electrical contact socket. I filled the socket 3 times and let the oil seep completely through. Next, I attached electric to actuator and cycled between unlock and lock via remote and notice it was working well. Do not reattach yet. Next, I manually worked the latch and notice it had a lot of friction. I sprayed WD-40 on the latch assembly and noticed it worked much easier. To insure the latch stayed lubricated, I squirted some 5w-30 motor oil on it. Finally, I re-assembled everything.
Note: some of the plastic clips, which hold the panel, may not come out with the panel. If this happens, to re-assemble panel, pull these clips out of the hatch and attach to panel, then shove panel back into place. I would like to thank Grogzero and the ones that suggested replacing the latch.

Nivram
 
#68 ·
Glad I'm not alone...Thanks for the insights!

My 2005 Armada is having some age issues as well. Turning around 96,000-97,000 miles currently.

Door lock Actuator
Our passenger front door unlock actuator gave up the ghost. I pulled the panel off, and realized I don't have small enough hands to try to un-bolt & un-plug the actuator, so the dealer is fixing it right now for me. $250 parts & labour here too, as previously mentioned. :(

Rear Hatch
For approximately the last 6 months or so, I've been pulling the glass latch, to help the rear hatch open. Now I see what's the problem after reading all your write-ups. Since pulling the passenger door panel off didn't scare me, I'll tackle the rear hatch panel tonight, and lube both the latch mechanism, and then the actuator. I'll take picture as I do this, and post up afterwards.

It seems, only one post in this thread had a Nissan Tech recommend lubing the mechanism first (which fixed the problem), so I'll assume it's just the weather/rust environment of the "Great White North" that plagues this latch.

I'll drill a hole in the actuator and fill it with some "Fluid Film", as I have some in the garage, but only after I verify lubing the latch parts fixes the rear hatch problem first.

(Of course, if it doesn't fix it alone, I'll lube the actuator, and post up my findings. :p )

Thanks for all the great commentary. :D
 
#71 ·
My 2005 Armada is having some age issues as well. Turning around 96,000-97,000 miles currently.

Rear Hatch
For approximately the last 6 months or so, I've been pulling the glass latch, to help the rear hatch open. Now I see what's the problem after reading all your write-ups. Since pulling the passenger door panel off didn't scare me, I'll tackle the rear hatch panel tonight, and lube both the latch mechanism, and then the actuator. I'll take picture as I do this, and post up afterwards.

It seems, only one post in this thread had a Nissan Tech recommend lubing the mechanism first (which fixed the problem), so I'll assume it's just the weather/rust environment of the "Great White North" that plagues this latch.

I'll drill a hole in the actuator and fill it with some "Fluid Film", as I have some in the garage, but only after I verify lubing the latch parts fixes the rear hatch problem first.

(Of course, if it doesn't fix it alone, I'll lube the actuator, and post up my findings. :p )

Thanks for all the great commentary. :D
I may be late with this, but when I had mine at the dealer I mentioned this same problem and asked if they had seen it before/what the solution was/what the cost would be for them to fix it. $40 or $45 and they handled it by lubing the sealed mechanism. When I asked about having to drill a hole, the service advisor said that there was an existing hole to spray the lube in through and that this was a relatively easy fix. It's a work vehicle for me, so the repair is a business expense - the value of having them responsible for any cracked plastic, etc - it was worth $45 to not have to handle it myself. It's been well over a year and I've not had a bit of trouble with it. I'm in an out of my read hatch multiple times per day, almost every day. It sees a good bit of use. Having had to lube the mechanism once in 8 years seems pretty reasonable now that I think about it.

Good luck with your repairs.
 
#69 ·
Over a year later and I'm still looking for a part number for the actuator. I've been to several dealerships and even pulled the back apart and showed guys the part... Nobody has been able to help me. If anyone can get me the part number I will be forever in their debt. Thanks!
 
#72 ·
That unit is only available as whole lock assembly. Cheapest price I've seen is around $167. The part number is 905027S400. You have to be careful when ordering because there is another part number with a "0" in place of the 4 and it is a lock assembly but is not powered. Description of the item you need will can be listed as Armada truck lock actuator motor, or lock Assy-Back Door or liftgate lock assembly.
 
#70 ·
dkocse- if my memory is right, when my latch quit working, my service guy and myself went through the book looking for a latch part number-no luck there's not one. What we found was the latch is part of the assembly for the rear window latch system, you have to buy the kit, I believe it was under 200.00, well worth getting rid of the aggravation. It was either called the rear window, or rear door assembly, the guy at the parts desk can pull it up on computer and check. Hope this helps. Fredlexky.
 
#73 · (Edited)
Thanks Nivram. You are correct about that part number although I do not have a power lift gate so I did need the part number with the 0. I ordered it a few weeks ago and after waiting for it to be delivered... I called Nissan back and they told me that the part number changed and that's what caused the delay. However, if you are like me and the actuator stops working, you will need to replace the unit. I did not get the new part number but the price was lowered. I think i paid about 100 bux for the part, originally they told me about 125. I was able to so it myself in an hour or so. I have 0 DIY car experience but I have taken the trunk apart several times over the years working on this issue. It took an hour because after I installed the part, the window wasn't latching. I just needed to loosen and slide the catch mechanism. Also, the door wasn't opening at first, I needed to spray the metal components connected to the emergency trunk release. Basically the actuator was working but not pushing the levers all the way. A little wd40 did the trick. I have some pics of the part and some pics at various points of the install. I couldn't upload them here, please message me if you'd like to see them and i can email you. Huge thanks to everyone for helping me out with this!
 
#74 ·
I have also been having this problem with my Armada's rear hatch lock actuator. It looks like the problem is rampant for all Armada vehicles. I would advise all of those people in this forum who read this message to file a SAFETY complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). If enough Armada owners file a simple on-line complaint, this government organization will see that it is a safety problem, and may follow up with an investigation, leading to a recall, and Nissan's fixing of this defective part. Remember, this is a safety issue. If you were ever in an accident and/or if your vehicle ever caught fire, and your child was an occupant in the back seat, anyone outside of the vehicle would not be able to open this door to pull your child out. I would advise anyone filing this simple complaint form to specify this in the complaint details. Head to the following site to file a complaint on this safety issue, in the hopes that we can get this problem recalled:

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/index.xhtml
 
#77 ·
I have a 2004 Armada SE with the same problem. Went to the stealership and they wanted $110 to diagnose problem, then the total went to ~ $450.00 to fix and they didn't have the parts and wanted to keep the SUV for 5-6 days while I rented a car at $45 per day. Thank you for helping me understanding the costs of parts and sharing how easy the repair can be. I found the below link to help with finding part numbers.
https://partsouq.com/en/catalog/nissan/part/USA/TA60/905
My helping in return.
 
#79 ·
It's a cheapo motor inside the left (drivers side) rear pillar. The bolts are not locktited so if it gets loose, it gets slow and sticky and cantankerous. The electrical connectors are not soldered, so you have copper wires crimped into aluminum or brass connectors in the plug. So they start getting arthritis at about the three year mark. Also, the tiny pivot points where the lift shaft attaches to the hatch need to be cleaned and lubed regularly, and the pneumatic hatch rods on either side need to have their ball joints cleaned and lubed regularly. They help lift the hatch, so if they are old or weak, you hatch gets real slow, real quick to open.
 
#82 ·
The one on the right (pink clip is on the right) is for the hatch. On the left is for the hatch glass.

Just did this repair today. Used a 5/64" drill bit for the hole for the straw. Didn't bother taping the hole, as there isn't any appreciable dirt in the area and there are other openings in that box, as evidenced when I overfilled it with spray.
 
#83 ·
Ok guy I too was having the same problem, no matter what I did the problem continues. It sucks when your locked out of the truck especially when it is full of grocery as one said. Ok later on the doorwould not stay closed. i found the bolts that holds the striker (section that lift gate locks into was loosed, got that all tightened up after come major hassle and now the doors rumbles like it is not closed properly. More problems now.
 
#84 ·
Is the door fully latched? Put your hand under the bottom of the hatch and give a wiggle. It shouldn't rattle. If it does, it's not fully latched. For me, that meant the latch needed to be adjusted at the door sill, the metal loop that the hatch grabs on to. When I had it too far toward the front of the truck, the hatch couldn't get to the second latch position unless I really slammed the hatch.

Trial and error on adjusting that loop.
 
#85 ·
Hi,

Bringing this back to the top. We got my wife a 2010 Titanium last year without a power lift gate and I had to do the DIY fix. I've had to do this fix 3-4 times now and am willing to just bite the bullet and get a new actuator. Does anyone have a source to get a replacement actuator at or below dealer cost? TIA.

Rick
 
#86 ·
Hello all. I am having a problem related to this and could use your help:

I cannot currently open the back hatch or the window of our Armada. Even if I crawl in the back and put that little switch down, it still won't unlatch. I can hear the mechanism "work" when I click the remote, but it will not disengage. I've already tried spraying lubricant back there.

Anybody have a though on how to get the lock to disengage?

Thanks
 
#88 ·
It is a 2007 Nissan Armada. I can't say there was signs of failure beforehand. I just shut the hatch and now I can't get it open even while crawling in the back and releasing that latch. I don't think I can access the back innards of the mechanism because the door is shut.
 
#89 ·
[2011 Armada] Rear Hatch Issues

So, my wife's 2011 Armada has an issue that happens occasionally - the rear hatch refuses to open. It happened last when she was out the other day and carrying some stuff. The glass upper window opened, but the whole door refused to open. She gets home and tells me about this (not the first tie it has happened), and we go check on it, and it opens fine. Anyone with ideas?
 
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