Yep, the switch to turn on the light when you open your tailgate is in the latch. Mine quit working, I took the latch off but could not get to the wiring inside because the assembly is riveted together. The latch is kind of expensive to buy just to fix the door light. For another possible issue...
I'm glad I found this forum thread because I had the exact same issue with my 1997 SR5. I was able to get the ignition column part number by positioning several small mirrors and flashlights to read it. My model has tilt steering and was part number 45020-35-9. I spent a fair amount of time...