When my sons gen3 T4R hatch handle stopped working I found if you use a plastic trim tool between the window and the exterior gasket (with the glass cracked about an inch) you can bend the end of a welding rod to a hook and just hook the wire down along the bottom left side that is going to the latch(es) pull upward and it pops the hatch, kind of like slimjims used to work on cars but instead of unlocking it actually opens it. After pulling the panel and diagnosing the very complex latch mechanism (AD wanted $400 for a replacement part) i noticed that a plastic retainer had broken and a cam was sliding off it's axle and nothing would work, I reassembled it and it worked well until the hatch was closed and then same exact thing, in the end I used a small block of wood and a metal angle bracket to keep it from over traveling and falling off, it lasted several years until the truck was rolled down an embankment and totaled at the end of his senior year of college (RIP Bob). But the welding rod he always kept just in case, it's a simple thing to pop open but it feels like bad stress on the cable itself and will likely damage the cable, so not a long term fix.
