Any diy on the hatch handle replacement? mine has started to corrode and about to break apart.

handle p/n ?

Searched the vortecks but got nothing.

Mine is doing the same thing, and I noticed it on a couple other Golfs recently. I wonder if this is something VW would cover under rust warranty (probably dreaming)?

you're dreaming . oh wait, it's probably covered on tdi's

I saw first hand one lady's car fixed under warranty for the following:

fenders
hood
hatch
door

all on a 2L mkiv.

Guess it depends how you go about it. I know that most dealers will turn you away.

I need 2 new fenders, a hatch, and a passenger side door already, but I had a big argument about the hatch with the service manager over at bytek a while ago, he wouldn't cover the hatch, saying I damaged it (I hadn't, the rust clearly came from the inside). Anyways, I figured after yelling at him on the phone when he was being an ass about it that I better not bring it back in right away, I'll let him forget that ever happened and I'll be nice next time.

Anyways, as for replacing the handle, if you take out the plastic on the inside of the hatch, it's pretty straightforward to take the handle out from there.