Thanks again - Do you think there is any risk to waiting until it actually seizes to tear apart the trim? I plan to wait until it stops working entirely before I take anything apart, but I don't want to ruin the motor by forcing it to work against a seized shaft. From what I have read on this site, it sounds like there is a safety mechanism (a clutch of some sort) in the motor that prevents it from burning out. When you repaired yours what parts did you have to replace? Did you need one of those tailgate repair kits with all of the extra clips?

Thanks in advance.