So, initially my hatch seemed to work fine but I had a panel gap alignment issue in the back which I made a service center appointment for. After getting the car back, I had this issue, exactly as OP described. I took it back in yesterday and they adjusted the hatch again, and so far so good and it's opening much smoother. Made appointment through the app, super smooth process and easy. It goes without saying a car that can cost up to $70k shouldn't have these issues in the first place, however, you couldn't pry this car away from me otherwise...love it and worth the minor annoyances so long as Tesla is responsive in fixing them....
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Problems with rear hatch
- Thread starter Irishspider
- Start date
Mine is also detached some on the right side. I have tried applying some pressure to see if maybe a clip came out or something but it doesn't seem like their is a clip.. it just wont stay flush with the metal trunk lid
That said I don't really have a problem with it opening and closing so I can't complain too much.. but yeah that gap still sucks..Anyone with the issue of the inside panel not being fully flush near the interior open/close trunk button notice that the latch plastic piece might not be put on right, I feel like the lip should be on the outside to help hold the panel in place, but in this picture you can see its on the inside.. not sure if that's the way it should be or not. By the way, I put those little foam pads on the latch... hit my head on that a few to many times lol.
I actually noticed that mine has that plastic cover on the outside and it is not the intent as there is a clear gap at the bottom of the piece. On top of that, it slides right off with minimal effort so I doubt that it's supposed to be on the outside. I just never caught it until i started experiencing the harsh lift gate problem that is widely known.
I've taken my car multiple times to my SC to address the rear seat actuators not folding correctly and now am waiting mobile service to get some magic lubricant that is not in stock. on top of that, i noticed that the same rear seat that they have attempted to fix multiple times has 2 small rips in the leather near the corner....unacceptable as it's been in the SC's hands half the time i have owned the car...
back on the rear lift gate, as previous poster mentioned one of the issues has to be that it's only powered by the driver's side. on my particular car, i noticed that the rear right taillight edge (plastic piece) rubs against the metal while trying to open. that combined with the left side being powered, it explains why it seems it opens on one side then plows through the pieces rubbing against each other to lift the hatch..
i'll have to put in another service request to get it addressed.
Right didn't think about that.. probably supposed to be on the inside and the lip prevents it from slipping off...
I also have noticed that the right rear part of the tailight rubs against the hatch when it opens. My hatch was fixed but is now acting up again -- ARGH! Same issue, it doesn't close all the way (it closes mostly but I need to push down once mostly closed to get it to latch shut) and when I open it now it only unlocks and then jams and I have to pull it to open. I had this fixed once at the service center and it seemed to be working okay for a couple weeks but has now reappeared, so I have put in a request for mobile service to try again next Tuesday, we'll see if they can fix once and for all.
Luckily this is now the only real issue on my car (seat reclines seem fixed and working properly) and otherwise I love the car and would certainly buy it in a heartbeat, but clearly a modern car shouldn't have these types of issues that require multiple service appointments to address and get right when new. Oh well, early adopter problems I guess...hopefully this is the last visit on this issue.
Do you know what the "fix" was for the hatch not closing all the way? I only ask because i noticed it myself after opening/closing it consecutively from my phone app, and did mention it to SC. Their "fix" was to jam the bottom leather flap that opens the rear panel inside because it seems that leather flap gets in the way of the rear latch. So that could be the issue. it's silly design flaw, but curious what your "fix" was when they completed it.
I have the problem as well. The rear hatch/door does seem to be contacting the roof panel at the top passenger side and rubbing off paint just like mac9899's photo. I have had it in to the Tesla service center twice now and it has not completely resolved the issue. Taking it in for a third try next week; hopefully the third time is the charm.
A mobile service tech resolved my issue (tailgate getting stuck after opening about two inches) by shaving down the edge of the plastic on the right taillight which was rubbing against the frame of the car. It now opens without manual assistance, although I still notice a very slight shudder as it passes the 2” mark. I will have the SC take a look at it the next time I need to bring it in.
Also having an issue with the rear hatch not closing all the way. I almost think it’s software because I can replicate the problem by ensuring all passenger doors are closed on the Y. When all passenger doors are closed and I open the rear hatch via the hatch itself or via the app, it opens fine. When I go to close it, it almost shuts, but doesn’t engage the latch itself. I have to manually push it closed for the last 1/4 inch, and then the latch engages. I avoid this problem by opening any passenger door (or drivers door), and it latches perfectly when closing - every time. It will only latch 50% of the time when closing if all passenger doors are closed, otherwise I have to watch it go all the way down and manually close it.
I’ve had a mobile service tech come out to adjust a piece of trim, but that didn’t solve the problem. He actually found the trim piece that goes around the latch was a bit broken and is going to come back out to reinstall that piece when the part gets in.
I also spoke with Tesla support over the phone and they had me perform both a power off (via security settings in the car) and a two-scroll button reset. After doing that, the door latched as it should for about a day, but the next day the problem was happening again.
For my case, because it closes flawlessly when any driver/passenger door is open, but only closes 50% of the time when all doors are closed, plus it worked after a power off function was performed almost makes me think that there could be some software issue.
I’ve also had no problem with it opening or hanging up when opening. I’ve adjusted he rubber stoppers, but that hasn’t helped, and made sure there were no instructions. It’s just an odd thing, but hopefully mobile service can fix or I’ll be taking it into the service center.
in addition my latch makes an odd noise when closing, almost mechanical sounding. Not like anything is hitting or catching, but you can really hear the latch engaging when it fully closes - sort of like its struggling to pull the hatch door down that last 1/4” when full hung sealing shut.
I am. I own a 2015 Tesla S. I'm going back to GM cars in the future. Very disappointed in Tesla
I had this problem with my MYLR built 6/2020. The hatch would close, but not latch. I had to push on it to get it to close all the way. I tried adjusting the stops and it didn't help. The problem was the latch didn't line up exactly with the catch.
I had a mobile tech come out and look at it. He was able get the latch to line up, but this caused huge gaps in one side of the hatch. He gave me a choice: gaps or manual closure. I had him center the hatch to eliminate the gaps and I would live with having to push down on the hatch to get it to latch. He said I could bring it into their body shop and they might be able to improve the situation. However, he suggested waiting a while because the car was brand new and things might "loosen up" after a little while.
Lo and behold, things did loosen up. I don't know if the rubber seal got softer or the lift struts relaxed, but it got better as time went on. After a month or so, it closed completely 100% of the time. I don't even worry about it any more.
