Liftgate Rattles and Cannot Latch on Nissan Murano

The screws that secure the striker (or latch) for the liftgate on the Nissan Murano commonly come out leaving the latch free to move. This movement prevents the liftgate from properly latching, and a light rattle is heard while driving over bumps.

The screws are normally attached to a metal (backing) plate inside the frame, but when they come out the backing plate falls away leaving no way to resecure the latch.

To install the latch, the backing plate must be retrieved through a bolt hole, and the screws must be replaced with a thread locking compound. There is no access to the plate except through the bolt holes.

To prevent this from occurring, the screws must be removed and reinstalled with a thread locking compound one at a time.