1. Hold the rear door open and place cardboard or rags under the corners of the hinges.
2. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
3. Remove the interior trim panel and disconnect the rear windshield washer jet pipe. Also disconnect the rear window defroster and windshield wiper wiring.
4. Remove the spring clips from the top ends of the struts and pull the struts off the hinges.
5. While an assistant supports the tailgate, remove the spring clips, then pull out the hinge pins. Remove the tailgate from the vehicle.
6. If necessary, the hinges can be removed from the roof panel by unscrewing the nuts, but mark their position with a pencil to ensure correct assembly. Replace the sealing gaskets.
7. Assembly is carried out in the reverse order, but make sure that the trunk lid is centered.