I recently bought a new license plate for my 09 journey and found the mounting hole retainer is no longer retained from spining in the rear hatch. Asked the dealer and they told me this is a common problem with the journey and M-class.

Does anyone have any tricks for removing the bolt when the retainer spins in the hatch. The mechanic at the dealer said I can not get to it from behind due to the retainer being molded into the door.

I should have replaced only the license sticker and not the plate.

Any help would be greatfull.

 

Welcome to DF. Wow, sounds like a lazy and/or incompetent mechanic.....I would think you could remove the inner panel and get to the retainer that way.

 

Were you able to remove it? what happened to me is even worse, I broke one screw on the back license plate, so the other half was left inside the mounting hole, I dunno how to take it off so only one screw is holding my license plate. Do you know a way?
Thanks.

 

Never was able to remove the plate. The dealer told me removing the inner pannel does not help because the insert is molded into the fiberglass rear hatch. no way to reach it from the back. I taped the new plate to the window since my daughter took the car to college the same day. Will work on it in a few weeks when she returns.

 

I recently bought a 2012 dodge journey, and we are having the same problem with one of the license plate bolts. It just spins when we try to take it out. Has anyone found an easy fix? We took off the back panel and still couldn't get to it...

 

Take some fish line/small nylon cording and wrap it around the plastic bushing
the screw goes into until it is big enough to grasp or forms a bind between the
hatch door so you can unscrew it.