my buddy has an 02 and he cannot get the tailgate to latch it will close but he has to keep smashing it back and forth and finally it will hold sometimes. any solutions?

 

I had the same issue with mine. I ended up taking the handle apart, cleaning out the crud, lubricating the mechanisms and reinstalling. That did the trick.

 

yep - take apart the mechanisms clean them up, lube them up, and re-install. it is very easy to do so.

might as well replace the plastic door-rod clips while he's at it, they are prone to breaking

do a search on the subject. ne member did a very simple write-up on the removal and re-installation process . . .