Minor Rear Hatch Issue

[Ottawa Versa]

Evening,

I've been lurking on the forums for sometime. I finally pulled the trigger on a '07 SL hatch and couldn't be happier!

A small issue with the rear hatch, I was hoping someone could lend some advise. It seems I really need to slam the hatch to get it to latch close. Seeing as I just picked up the car from a dealer, I could go back and ask them to look into the issue, but if it's something small, perhaps I could fix it myself.

Any advice? Much appreciated.

-Craig

[Andrews Chalmers]

Latch close? meaning sometimes when you close it, it won't latch?

[iluvmyVersa08]

Hmm ... If you just bought it and are having issues I would take it back to the dealer (especially if you got a warranty from them).

By the way, are you from Ottawa? Where abouts? We have a few other members on here from Ottawa; and my younger brother just moved there this past July.

[Ottawa Versa]

Latch close? meaning sometimes when you close it, it won't latch?

I thought the wording I used was wonky when I posted it... LOL

But ya, I basically have to slam the hatch to shut it. Way more force then I should have to use. If I give it a normal shove, it never latches. It always takes two or three attempts to close the hatch tight.

Thanks.

[Ottawa Versa]

Hmm ... If you just bought it and are having issues I would take it back to the dealer (especially if you got a warranty from them).

By the way, are you from Ottawa? Where abouts? We have a few other members on here from Ottawa; and my younger brother just moved there this past July.

That's cool. I guess I came to the right place. I'm located in the west end but work right on Sussex. This place seems friendly enough...

The car was purchased used and is out of warranty. I do have the option of returning the car (no questions asked) within three days of purchase (which would be Monday). I'm not all that interested in doing so but may need to threaten it to get the work done for free. The dealer is geniune Nissan, the car would have gone through a delivery inspection, I'm surprised this was missed.

[Promise Land]

I would try adjusting the latch and lock mechanism to make it latch easier.

[Andrews Chalmers]

I would look at the gas struts to make sure they're straight/true and not filthy.

Sometimes they get misaligned (check the ball hinge) and sort of misdirect the hatch when you're closing it.

[Ottawa Versa]

I would look at the gas struts to make sure they're straight/true and not filthy.

Sometimes they get misaligned (check the ball hinge) and sort of misdirect the hatch when you're closing it.

Good call.

[Ottawa Versa]

I would try adjusting the latch and lock mechanism to make it latch easier.

Sounds easy enough, any tips on how? Would you know if it's covered in the FSM? Thank you.

[iluvmyVersa08]

Well hopefully you get it fixed or working on your own.
Mine's an 08 too and I bought her new (almost 3 years ago). No major issues except sunroof alignment, and the fuel pressure regulator ... oh and recall from Nissan Canada for the ABS brakes.

[Ottawa Versa]

I sent the dealer an email, lets see if they can stand behind their work. If not, I'll take a look at it. Good to hear your Versa has been (basically) trouble free! I'm really loving mine at the moment.

[Ottawa Versa]

So the problem ended up being with the strike plate that the hatch latches down onto. The "loop" had moved like a mm and required a slight (and I mean slight) adjustment.

Dealer ended up peforming the work free of charge.

Thanks for the help everyone, case closed.

[WaVersa]

I had the same issue last year with mine and just like you ,they adjusted the bottom plate to fix the issue....but my issue is related to the cold weather.. i had the problem when the weather was below -15 / -20...

Btw, I am located in the Ottawa/Gatineau region.

[Ottawa Versa]

I had the same issue last year with mine and just like you ,they adjusted the bottom plate to fix the issue....but my issue is related to the cold weather.. i had the problem when the weather was below -15 / -20...

Btw, I am located in the Ottawa/Gatineau region.

From what I can see, there seems to be a strong Canadian contingent on the board. Happy I found this place, it will serve as a valuable resource in the near future.

[JPS48]

I have the same problem when it's cold with the latch perfectly adjusted. Discovered it's the air buildup inside the car. If you open the rear door before closing the hatch, or leave a window slightly open, the hatch will close fully every time.