1997 Grand Cherokee. Tail gate wont open. Handle

These rear hatches have a cheesy rod and clip setup. You have to remove the panel from inside, you have to loosen the screws around the hatch and pull it away and reach in down toward the latch and open it that way so you can get the 2 screws out of the bottom easier. There is a peice of plastic in these that's a dust barrier, try not to tear it up too badly, and when you go to put it back, I use a spray adhesive to stick it back on while I put the panel back on. after you get it open you will see a rod with what looks like threads hanging there attached to nothing, and a little thing that has 2 notched areas and a clip to hold that rod into those 2 notches. bend the clip down to make it tighter and then force the rod back into place that should fix your problems. If that's all in place then it's the latch mechanism, usually they can't be fixed because parts aren't available, just have to buy a new one and put it in.