When it is cold out the tailgate on my '03 won't latch. I have had it happen 3 times not, of course when I am in a hurry and it's cold out. Anybody heard of this? Thanks in advance. Chris

 

My 02's gate does the same thing every once in a while... It will latch
after a second or third try.

I *was* going to adjust the latch but I never did. I will if it ever comes
to the point of never latching.

It is a easy adjustment...

 

My 97 dakota's tailgate also dosent latch until a few tries. I dont know why

 

My 02 Dakota does it once in a while. It's the small pins above the latches on each side of the tailgate that need greasing. You may have to push them back a few times for the tailgate to latch properly.

 

I'll have to take a look at the pins. What would you recommend for lubricating them?

 

Mmmmmm .... Grease, perhaps?

 

Atually grease may not be the best thing. Depending on the grease, it may prevent the pins from completely coming back. I lubricated mine with a spray lubricant and it did the trick.