I had the same problem. The grip strip malfunctioned. It kept shorting out and opening whenever it felt like it. And the licence plate lights stopped working. It's part of the same harness. Since the button on the console and the remote still worked, I disconnected the grip strip and hard wired the licence plate lights work great. The only thing is you need the remote or the console button to open the hatch. One day I plan on replacing the grip strip but for now the $189 (CDN) is better in my pocket. Cheers