Hatchback pop's open with force...

this is a very common problem. often, adjusting the striker will help solve the problem. just move it and tighten it, then check how it works. if nothing, try a different direction. i also believe there is supposed to be a sleeve over the striker, which mine never had. i just wrapped some electrical tape around it a couple times, and it hasn't popped open since.

Is the striker bushing still intact? My door bushing and my hatch striker went out the same day and my hatch wouldn't latch, nor would my door, so I replaced em all.

I have had this problem and for me it was the striker bushing. You can find them at a junkyard for real cheap, or see if the ones from the doors fit.

the hatch itself might be off as well. if u remove the three screws on the cover plate directly above the back seat u can acess the. remove the strike get the hatch lined back up with the body and then after removing the cover pieces in the trunk close the hatch completely. bolt the striker back in and make inor adjustments until its right farely simple if thats the case, hope this helps

go to the help section at advance or auto zone abd buy the door striker bushings you need to slice one of them length wise and open it up to spread it over then take another one and spit in half to fit the remaining gap then llength wise about a 2$ FIX

Same thing with my hatch. It would pop open if you hit some bumps. The sleeve cracked and broke off and there was nothing left to it. I got a piece of cpvc pipe, 1/2" or 3/4", I can't remember. But I had to bore out the inside some to fit over the metal strike and then sand the outside of the plastic because it was too thick.
Then I adjusted it what seemed like a million times untill I got it right.
It still pops open once in a while. Then I have to adjust it again and it's fine for a while. It's really frustrating!! I was thinking that maybe the latch is worn and or not grabbing tight enough. I may try to get a new latch someday and see if that works.

Move the striker up to latch the hatch. It sounds as if its too low and it isn't grabbing the latch enough.

I've never had this problem with my hatch but based on people's posts it sounds like it may be coming soon. Anyone got pics of the striker bushing?

If you go to any Autozone, Pep Boys, Western Auto, they have a section where they sell door strikers (along with a bunch of other items such as window cranks). They sell the hatch striker as a complete item and they sell just the individual striker bushing. The bushing looks like a piece of pvc piping. The striker's head is a Torx bit (can't remember the size). The striker is held in place with a blind nut mounted, um, behind where the striker meets the body. Mine broke when I removed it years ago to replace the broken bushing so, I had to go through my magic bag of hardware to find a replacement nut. The difficulty in bolting the new striker in place is finding a wrench to hold the nut in place.....there is also lots of cursing involved with replacing the bushing. You could split one and slide it over the stock striker but eventually that too will fail. Good luck!

Clay

I bought the hatch striker but it wouldn't work right from the help isle so I took my stock striker and the new striker apart and put the new bushing on the stocker and it works great.

Wasn't that great that it was a direct bolt-on and didn't require any modification....wait...there's no such thing!

Good on ya mate!