2006 Nissan Frontier tail gate lock..

[joe468]

Hi I hope I am posting in the right place.I was wondering if anyone has had to change the lock on
a 2006 frontier king cab or "like" model? The lock is
really loose and pushs in and pulls back out when the key
is in it and will not pop the lock open.Im trying to find
out if 1.is that generally a dealer item if I need a new
one. 2.Is it easy to fix by myself what might all be
involved?Thanks in advance.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

It could be as easy as the nut coming loose off the stud on the handle finisher. You'll have to pop open the back of the tailgate to take a look.

Do you have a bedliner on your tailgate? If so, you'll have to remove it, as well as this small access panel on the back. Once that is off, you should be able to see EXACTLY what's going on.

[joe468]

Thanks for the reply.I will have to check it out today.Hopefully its something I can do myself and won't have to take it to the dealer and overspend to have it fixed.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Yeah, you should be able to tackle the whole thing with a phillips head screwdriver/drill attachment, and a 10mm socket and extension on a ratchet.

[joe468]

Spot on for the tools needed.Apparently ONE screw loosened that holds the lock assembly so the latch came loose.Only cost me 15 minutes of my time.Is there a way to close out this post? Thanks again for the help.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

We leave posts open in case someone else has the same issue and wants to question/comment.

How did the rest of the assembly look in there? Is all the grease on the latch controller holding up well? I'm guessing you've tested the lock and it works well again too.

Glad I was able to save you a trip to the stealership!

[joe468]

The rest of the assembly looked fine.All the moving parts are greased well.Now I just need to get steady income going and then I can get my tire pressure sensor fixed and everything will be working good.