Chicagojoe

Today I broke off the rear license plate bolt on our 2004 RX330. I then soaked the bolt with penetrating oil and drilled a hole into which I inserted a screw extractor. The extractor then broke off in the hole. Now I am stuck as i cannot drill into the hardened extractor piece and cannot get it out.
It seems the next step is to try to get at it from the back.
Or, perhaps I just grind it flush and secure the opposite side with a sheet metal screw through the body. Is there anything I can damage back there?
Before digging into it, has anyone had such a problem? Can I get at the back side of the broken bolt? Or, can I replace the entire threaded piece?
Thanks in advance.

Audiqv8

You can get it from behind. Just remove the tailgate inside cover and use a pair of vise-grips.

edwardh11

if u get it out use a plastic or stainless bolt/screw to replace it?

DennisMik

Definitely use something other than regular metal. I like to use nylon screws, but stainless would also work.

Chicagojoe

Thanks everyone. I removed the interior panel, soaked the threads in penetrating oil from the back and front, ground two flats on the tail using a Dremel tool with a small drum sander and still could not budge it with vice grips. I then heated the nut with a propane torch and it broke lose. I could turn it enough that I could eventually grab it from the outside with vice grips and rotate it out. I cleaned up the threads with a 6mm tap and reinstalled using nylon screws.