I always used that grab to close the hatch but mine come out a long time ago and I haven't tried to get a replacement for it. The metal edge is pretty rough without the plastic cup and I don't bother sticking my fingers up there anymore.

 

^I'm with Him, Clean car is a Happy Car.

 

Few things are any uglier to me than a nice car with a load of hand or fingerprints on the rear lid. Most owners/drivers are quick to do this as well as putting handprints all over their windows.

My Father knew little about a car, but he knew enough to keep his clean, and he taught me pretty well.

Oils in our skin combined with dirt from the road make these handprints tough on the paint. Most people apparently don't care.

Just my two cents worth.

 

I noiticed it the first time I opened it, my last car the Impala had one too, so I looked for it.

 

I just whip it shut hard enough with the cup that it closes the rest of the way by itself once I move my hand.

 

There are quite a few that have those dents myself included. There from closing the rear hatch and pushing on the center above the tag.

 

I noticed a small dimple in my lift gate a few weeks ago (2007, with less than 6000 miles). I keep my car garaged, and the dimple was too high up -- above the chrome piece on top of the license plate -- for anyone to have hit me. A bit later, I noticed another, larger, dimple. Now, I have three! No one drives the car but me. Lucky for that, or I would be blaming my son! All three marks are in roughly the same area -- high up above license plate and chrome piece above plate. There is no paint damage at all. And, they are no where near where I touch when I pull the gate closed. Has anyone had anything like this? I'm really starting to think that is a defect with the gate, and will ask the dealer when I go in for my car inspection in a few weeks, but in the meantime, I would like to know if any others are experiencing this. Thanks.

 

see post 16 I don't know how it happened, I was posting to your post and it is listed above yours

 

Thanks. I did read your post before I posted, but I never push the gate from above the tag. I always reach over my head, pull the bottom of the gate and slam it like I'm closing a car door. I drove an Explorer for the past 8 years and never had this type of trouble with the gate. I will make sure to use the cup feature in the future, but I do wonder if enough people are having a denting problem when closing the gate, isn't that some sort of design flaw?

 

Not a flaw just thin steel.