Tailgate difficult to open
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Joined: Jul 2014
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From: Memphis
Tailgate difficult to open
I have a 2010 with the step-tailgate. Over time, it's gotten harder to open. Now, it's to the point where I have to push in on the tailgate before I can pull the handle to open the tailgate.
Toyota Sequoias have an issue with their rear hatch latches, where the cable between the handle and the latch gets loose because the plastic stop at the end of the cable gets worn out. This feels like it may be a similar problem.
Has anyone else encountered this? What was the fix? How hard to do?
Toyota Sequoias have an issue with their rear hatch latches, where the cable between the handle and the latch gets loose because the plastic stop at the end of the cable gets worn out. This feels like it may be a similar problem.
Has anyone else encountered this? What was the fix? How hard to do?
More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 697
Likes: 82
From: Alberta Eh
I bet you have the same thing as I did. I could pull up on the handle and feel resistance, but the tailgate wouldn’t open. Take your tailgate panel off and you’ll see right away why everything binds up. The tailgate handle plastic piece pushes on a flat piece of metal that is angled, and when you lift the handle all the way up the plastic pushes on the flat metal and it’s supposed to slide, hence the angle of the metal, and release your latches when the metal slides all the way. What happens is the metal gets rusty and pitted and won’t slide against the smooth plastic. You can pull the handle all you want but the plastic gives instead of the metal sliding. I took a flat file to the metal and got nice and smooth, and then put a little bit of grease on there and worked the latch about a dozen times to make sure. That was about 6 months ago, and you can still flip the handle up with one finger and open the tailgate. Might be your issue, as I’ve seen a couple other trucks with this.
New User
Joined: Aug 2015
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Just a little silicone
This reply may be a bit to late. I bought my 2012 truck used. The tailgate felt mushy when I tried to open. I did finally open the panel and saw that I could adjust the bars. But I thought of something else. I got some silicone and squirted a little on the latches on either end of the tailgate. Man, it worked like a champ. That is to say it worked like new. I know you can adjust the rods but it works like a new or at least new to me now.
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