Abstract: A deck lid release actuator in which a uni-directional motor is mounted on a housing and rotatably drives a screw having high lead threads. The screw is rotatably journaled in a housing and a saddle nut threadedly engages the high lead threads of the screw so that rotation of the screw drives the saddle nut along the screw. An actuator member operably engages the detent lever of the deck lid latch and is mounted on the housing by a slide track extending parallel with the screw. When energization of the motor turns the screw, the saddle nut abuts against the actuator member to move the actuator member along the slide track and unlatch the deck lid latch. A spring acts on the actuator member to return the actuator member along the slide track thereby pushing the saddle nut axially along the screw as permitted by rotary back-drive of the screw and motor by the effort of the spring.