twcom

So I can see that some repair work including paint was done to the top part of the hatch door that houses the third break light. A little rust can be noticed on two small areas. So as I find the same year GL 450 in the same trim and color. I believe swapping the tail gate out with one that is in better condition would be easier and cheaper than the eventual body work my current one will need.

The question is, in swapping the tail gate doors is it straight forward or are there things to consider like the auto rear hatch locking and unlocking. Is that physical unit coded to my car key and would have to be put on the new door.? This would be a spring 2025 project so I have good amount of time to sort it out

VF_GUY

hello, I swapped a 2012 GL350 hatch onto my 2012 GL550. It works perfect but took a LOT to get it to align right. No modifications needed. You will need a way to support the hatch from above with straps when removing and installing.

twcom

That is great information.
This spot of rust and the overall paint quality of this top portion of the tailgate will lead me to eventually replace the tailgate. For the time being I treated the spot then put a chrome strip (not shown) across this piece.



So I time when I come across a hatch door with the right color and I side trim at the right time and price, the swap will occur.
Thanks again.

VF_GUY

Honestly, having done the swap, I'd repair those spots rather than go through the hassle of replacing the whole hatch. It wasn't' difficult to find one locally using car-part.com salvage finder, but it was still $350, a couple of hours each way to get it, and then take the old hatch to the dump. and the swap really was a bear. I personally would opt to fix the rust and repaint. Good luck whichever option you choose.