Door takes considerable pressure to close and engage. All efforts to improve that have been futile. The latch mechanism seems rather worn , has some play. I was hoping that a new mechanism would improve the function.
(Passenger side closes beautifully, probably has a lot fewer cycles.)
Don`t count on a new one to be better. Remove the old one and check how the door closes for resistance.
Drag on the striker and rubber can cause adjustment problems.
Check latch operation with door open.
