Hatchback/liftgate problems of the 2010 Mazda CX9

Safety issue: vehicle could not be safely driven. The power lift gate got stuck fully open and would not move up or down. It could not be shut manually. The rod holding the door which is pulled down into the motor would not budge. The vehicle could not be safely driven with the hatch stuck open like that. I had to find a way to disengage the rod from the life gate. Still, even with the rod disengaged, it could not be fully shut. I was able to tie down the hatch half way shut so that I could drive it to a dealership to be repaired. By researching similar problems other cx-9 owners had, I was able to determine that insulation around the worm gear of the motor, behind the left rear panel, had loosened and gotten caught in the worm gear. This is a problem that is related to construction of the vehicle, since the insulation is behind a secured panel and not accessible by the operator.