Yes, I agree with karjunky. It's not uncommon that the latch needs to be aligned, and you would likely have noticed it didn't feel or sound right before it wouldn't open. Like kar said, don't force it. If you can get it open, it's easier to work on.
I had to replace mine before. I was inexperienced with the RX hatch, but I'd worked on other side door mechanisms. A moderately capable DIYer could do this.
If the rear hatch won't open, you will need to enter the cargo area from inside the car. Fortunately, it's easy to fold the seats and have a comfortable work area. Start with the door unlocked. Your 2001 might have an "emergency" pull to open the rear hatch from the inside, which saves a lot of trouble. I don't remember what year model they added that nice feature. My '99 does not, so I had to pull the panel.
The carpet covered interior trim panel at the bottom of the rear hatch removes easily, but be cautious not to damage it. It's popped on with about a dozen push-in automotive upholstery buttons from underneath. Carefully "pop" each one off. An old credit card or a plastic-covered automotive upholstery tool might help. Avoid scratching or tearing the interior panels. Once you have it off, you will have to poke around with a flashlight. I don't remember which mechanism releases the lock.
Once you have the door open and the interior panel off, with a screwdriver you will be able to troubleshoot if it's the latch mechanism (at the bottom of the door), striker on the door jamb, misalignment of both relative to each other or handle mechanism. I've replaced both the handle and latch. The handle has a knob inside the hatch on the end that pushes into the lock mechanism, and if you force it often, the knob breaks off and the handle is useless.
Good luck and let us know how it's going. Look for us on the Edmunds CarSpace RX300 forum, where we share information to help fellow owners.
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