Opened the rear hatch on the vehicle, let go, and the hydraulic strut failed -- instead of opening fully, the hatch slammed shut. It turns out that the bolt holding the right strut on sheared off. Apparently, the other strut was no longer working, and the stress of the weight of the hatch on the right strut caused the bolt to fail. Fortunately. No one was under the hatch or was injured. Replaced both struts. I am reporting this because of the failure of the bolt -- there was no warning that the rear hatch would slam shut, as it appeared to operating perfectly until the failure. It could have caused a serious injury, especially to children.

- Fairfax, VA, USA