Toyota corolla vvti hatchback has vibrating noise coming for the tailgate.
My guess is that perhaps the door latch bolted to the car body that matches up to the door lock might need shifting?
I'm a bit reluctant to move this in case i'm doing the wrong thing and once loosened I might never tighten it up right again.
Shall I actually do this, or is there another preferred course of action that i might try first? Thanks.
Scribe round it before moving it, so you can put it back in the same place, if that worries you.
Could also be that the whole lock assembly in the tail gate is loose.
Before moving it, check that the rubber strip around it, or the wedges etc that stop the tailgate moving about are in place and in good condition. Also that all stays, hinges etc are not the cause of the noise. If the door latch has moved out of position you should be able to tell from the marks around it. A clean strip or worn away paint are dead giveaways to this. Moving the lock or its striker plate should be the last resort.
Having said that, have you owned the vehicle since before the noise started, or did you buy it with the noise? It could be the result of the vehicle's history.
Steve
Don't loosen it off fully, so it has some resistance, still scribe a line, then tap it with a hammer then its moved slightly and not one big move.
Normally a tailgate closes on to bump stop rubbers that compress and provide a tension to hold the tailgate tightly against the latch. If these are missing or not screwed out far enough the tailgate can rattle.
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