Hatch/Trunk malfunction.

My hatch/trunk has been malfunctioning. It does not close/open properly. When I attempt to open I hear a mechanical sound. Sort of like a little motor making bad noises. It closes after a couple of times, but it's been getting worse. I had to figure out a technique to properly close it.

is this a common problem? Trying to fix my VW issues before they pile up :23:

Yes, its the motor/mechanism for the hatch release. That went on mine, I completely forgot about it until I saw this thread. Do yourself a favor and buy the VW OEM one...I got an aftermarket one and it died a month later.

It is a pretty simple DIY. Loosen and pull down rear hatch interior trim, there are two bolts holding on the motor and a wiring harness to undo, swap in the new one and reassemble. It's a 15 minute job, no coding or anything necessary for it to work. There are youtube and google videos on there if you need more details. Just look up "MK6 GTI rear hatch mechanism replacement".