license plate bolt broken, how to remove? how to take hatch apart?

[spacemonkey]

I was trying to replace my license plate bolts with stainless ones and one of the bolts in the rear broke off. Any advice on how to get it out? There is not much to grab from the outside. How do I take apart the rear hatch, or remove the plastic to see if I can reach it from the inside? Help would be greatly appreciated

[psiu]

Good luck. Could try using a screw removal kit to drill in, and then back out with the reverse bit.I had the same problem. Dealer used some real cheap soft metal screws that rusted real quick and were on nice and tight. First I removed most of the metal in a nice circular manner with my first screw remover, then broke off a bit inside of it, then eventually took the plastic off the inside of the hatch and drilled the whole damn mess out.Argh. And good luck.

[psiu]

And to get the rear hatch plastic off on mine (03), it involved lots of prying and poking at the round clippy pieces.

[spacemonkey]

Thanks psiu. I think I basically did the same thing. I even broke off a screw remover in the old license plate bolt, ugh. Eventually I just drilled the whole mess out. That stripped the threads too. I took off the small plastic cover, not the whole thing and was able to put a lock washer and nut on the inside. What is it with the dealers using crappy bolts?!?!? Either the dealer or the previous owner used a very coarse-threaded screw in the front! I replaced all of them with stainless, so hopefully things will be easier for now on.

[Digger]

You guys make a point I will fix ASAP. Take my bolts out and put a dab of never seize on them

[spacemonkey]

Digger, do it, you'll be happy down the road!!!

[psiu]

I thought about it later, but a galvanized self tapper should remove the need to put a bolt on the inside (which I did also) and squirting something in the hole to prevent rust is probably a good idea.