This review will be a little more thorough than some of the other ones I have seen for this product and includes some helpful information for how to install this if you are working with a MK4 Jetta, Golf, or Bora. The product itself works very well. The metal is a huge improvement over the plastic and I do not expect this to break again. The installation is not as straightforward as I was expecting it to be. It required a little bit of time and modifying the bracket that the arm sits in. However, it was not difficult and I think that it is well worth it in the end to go with this product as it will save you money not having to buy a new actuator assembly from Volkswagen.In order for me to install this I had to remove the trim that protects all of the trunk internals. This is held on by about a dozen or so Phillip's head screws. After you have this off and you can see the bracket that holds the trunk latch actuator and plastic arm that you are replacing, disconnect all the wire connector going to the actuator and the two rods that connect to the trunk latch. The bracket itself is held on by three 10mm nuts that go over long studs. I used a deep 10mm socket to get this off. After I removed the bracket I removed the actuator itself because of what will be happening next. This is held on by two torx head screws behind the bracket. If you also have the emergency release cable like I did, this will need to be removed. It just pops out of the bracket.The old plastic arm is held onto the bracket by a large rivet. In order to remove this it will have to be cut off. I used a cutoff wheel on an angle grinder (this is why you need to remove the actuator). After this rivot has been removed you will be left with a hole. Unfortunately, the hole is not big enough for the stud that is included with this part. It will have to be enlarged with a drill bit that is slightly larger than the hole. In my case I had a metric metal drill bit set that had a 7mm drill bit in it and that was the perfect size. A 9/32" drill bit will also work if you do not have a metric set like I did.After you have enlarged the hole, put the stud in the back of the bracket, followed by the spring and the arm. Be careful to get the spring into the appropriate groove on the arm and the bracket. They should only fit one way. The two hex bit sizes that you will need to tighten the arm to the stud are 5mm for the front and 6mm for the back. Do not overtighten as this will restrict the arms ability to be pushed forward by the actuator when you push the button or turn your key. Test this by simply moving it back and forth by hand. It should move freely but not feel too loose. This also gives you an opportunity to make sure that you have your spring seated properly. The arm should return to its original position if you have the spring inserted correctly.Installation back into the car is simply reverse order of what you did previously.I hope that other MK4 owners found this helpful and that it will better prepare buyers for what they can expect should they choose to go this route.

Product fixed my problem with the factory plastic dumb decision by german engineers. No instructions. The video I watched the guy used and angle grinder to remove the old plastic peice. That's not necessary I got a way better fit and finish by drilling the old one out like a rivet and then trimming the tab that contacts the backing plate with side cutters.

Fairly easy to install if you are decently handy with tools. Much better than the stock part and works flawlessly.

Make sure you look the Part over well, i had to remove a casting fill point that interfered will smooth rotation. once that was out of the way installation was straight forward. you will have to drill/grind out the original rivet(be careful not to bend the mounting plate) i added a drop of blue loctite to the threads of the mounting screw for peace of mind. Be careful of the ball sockets on the end of the mechanism arms, very easy to snap, then you have another repair to do.

This part is a cost-effective and improved alternative to the OE plastic piece. To install properly one should remove the mounting bracket and carefully drill out the rivet securing the OE piece. While this can be done with a hand-held drill I did mine in a drill press.

This is a direct replacement for the original OE part - only better! I followed another reviewers directions, which made for a simple installation. It came with all the parts you need: latch mechanism, hardware, and spring. Highly recommend to anyone who is having this issue. I looked at other parts, but this is by far the best option.

Replaced a lousy plastic under-engineered part on my 323K Jetta TDI. Good to go for another 300k now ;)

Trunk release for vw JettaHad to use grinder to get old one outThe new one comes with a bolt that fits perfectly and the bracket is solidVery happy with part

The piece fits perfectly in my 2009 Jetta City and works great.

La pieza llego en un sobre manila/ burbuja pero la bolsa de la pieza estaba abierta. Desafortunadamente la pieza venia rota. Una de las patitas donde se gancha la varilla que abre la cajuela estaba rota. Sin esa patita la varilla no se sostiene y la cajuela no abre. Ya solicite mi reembolso para pedir la pieza de nuevo.

took apart the truck, took bracket off grinded off the old piece and placed in the replacement.. took a bit of time to figure out but it worked great much better quality than the original

Great part easy to install.

works