An actuator comprising a housing defining an interior cavity for a motor assembly including a rotatable motor pinion and a stator, a gear assembly including a plurality of rotatable gears, and a sensor assembly including a substrate. The motor pinion includes a yoke, a motor magnet surrounding the yoke, and a sensor magnet. In one embodiment, the second gear is located between and coupled to both the motor pinion and the first gear. Each of the motor pinion and the plurality of gears is mounted for rotation on respective shafts. In one embodiment, each of the shafts includes a stop that limits the axial travel of the motor pinion and the plurality of gears. The motor pinion and the plurality of gears are positioned in the housing in a longitudinal, co-linear, and side-by-side coupling and meshed relationship.