How about this question. I have a 97" jeep grand cherokee and the back door will not open. It looks as if the latch mechanism broke somehow so that when you pull up on the door handle it doesn't unlatch. The unlock and lock work though. How do I get access even to this inorder to fix it. I looked inside and there seems to be no real way toi unscrew the plastic decoration fittings to get it. The screws look as if they are located on the bottom where I could only get to them if I had it open of which I cannot do. Any help thanks.

Look for an access panel back there, there's one on the newer Grands...not too sure about a '97.

I started to have the same problem with my 1998 jeep. One reason I'm selling it. To get mine open I bump it with my hip as I lift the lever to open, I do it all in one motion. Bump hard and lift. Make sure it is unlock too. Hope this works.

Mine used to do this, what I did to get it open is similar to what quest did, I just pushed in on the hatch while pulling up on the handle and then lift it to open.

There was a person on here that loosened the striker bolts from underneath then lifted the hatch open and took the panel off to get there latching mechanism to break loose. They get pretty well rusted up in there and this is the reason they stick.

Check the rubber bumpers that sit on posts at either side of the hatch... if those are worn or missing, the latch can hang up and make it necessary for you to push in while unlatching.
DPS

I also have this problem, but for me the issue is that the actual plasic handle and it's trim panel are loose and so I have to push the plastic in while I release the handle. Just a little looseness apparently is enough to keep the unlocking action to take place.

Heyyyyy...I wonder if this looseness is related to my window glass issue?

I experienced the same problem with my '98 Gr Cherokee: Tailgate latch would not release. The problem worsened over time until I couldn't get the latch to release without a LOT of work. The fix for me was as follows: Remove the lower trim panel on the tailgate (you will need to poke around the upholstered portion for 2 hidden fasteners to do this!). Once you have the panel off, carefully remove the polymer mat (it's glued on so you will have to work with it). Examine the latching mechanism. You will find that when you pull the handle, a plastic hook should contact one end of a lever attached to a fulcrum. On the other end of this assembly, you will find a pivoting fixture that clips to a threaded post. This threaded post is what actuates the latch itself. Work the post loose from the clip and pull it tight so that there is no play and then re-fasten the clip (you may have to bend the tabs on the clip back into place so that they will grip the post). As far as I can tell, it looks like the plastic portions of the lever arm probably fatigued over time. Test the door a few times before putting everything back together. This did the trick for me.

Thanks for the info. I'll give it a shot as I'm the newest member of the Jeep hatch won't open club. :uhoh: