Help!!! Rear hatch won't open.

drtdvl

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Rear Hatch Won't Open

I have a 2006 4Runner Limited with about 56000km on it. Today, the rear hatch would not open (and yes the vehicle doors were unlocked!).

Anyone have any other obvious suggestions before I take a drive to the dealer? Thanks in advance for your help.
 
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I have never heard of this problem before. I can think of a couple of things that would do it, either an electical connection (as a result of the auto-closing feature), or a mechanical linkage problem. Both of which will require you to take off the rear lift panel from the inside.

Which dealership do you use? You might want to try Wilsons Autotech. I have never been there but my buddies have and they feel they got better service than the dealership.
 
I'm assuming you have taken a good look from the inside? Mine wouldn't open a couple of weeks ago. The cargo net was caught in the latch. I had to really tug like crazy to get it out.
 
I would also suggest you check the fuse for that circuit. I'm just not sure which one that is because I'm not near my truck or the wiring diagram.
 
Hello Everyone - thank you for all your suggestions and help. Unfortunately, it wasn't a fuse and nothing was caught in the door. I took my 4Runner into the dealer as it was still a warranty repair and the repair/diagnosis was "Vehicle in Sleep Mode. Working OK Now".

Now I just want to know what the heck "Sleep Mode" means.
 
2007 Rear Hatch Not Opening

I have a 2007 4Runner Sport with 37,000 miles. This evening, after shopping, I unlocked all the doors to open the rear hatch and it would not open. I tried several times, but to no avail. The rubber pad you press to release the hatch has become gummy in hot weather and hard in cold. Could this be the issue? I could finally get it to open after toying with it when I arrived home. Please advise!
 
The rubber pad you press to release the hatch has become gummy in hot weather and hard in cold. Could this be the issue? I could finally get it to open after toying with it when I arrived home. Please advise!

What rubber pad? :confused: Are you talking about the weatherstrip?
 
I posted something similar when my rear doors (driver -and- passenger) wouldn't open.

Turned out they were frozen shut. Had to give them a really hard yank w/ ice flying.
 
Stoooooopid hatch motor

My rear hatch wouldn't open tonite. I suspect/hope its only frozen shut because in the last 24 hours we've gone from mild pouring rain to frigid cold and snow. I guess I can add this to the things that drive me crazy about my 4runner thread because I cannot think of one advantage to having that ridiculous electric motor latch the rear hatch. I guess I'll take a hair dryer to the seams tommorow and see what happens.
 
2003 tailgate will not open

I have a 2003 4Runner V6. The tailgate will not open. This has nothing to do with the rear window (it goes up/down fine). The first time it happened, the tailgate release would sound like it would start to work, but then I couldn't open it. I had to do try several times and really tug on the tailgate before it would open. But then the problem became that I couldn't close the tailgate. I would have to almost slam it shut before it stayed shut or the "open door" warning would show up on dashboard. The problem slowly became worse both opening and closing. Now the tailgate will just not open. It doesn't even respond to anything. I took it to a body shop and they suggested that I replace the tailgate assembly (?) for $300 plus $50 for installation. Is there a less expensive option? If I look for used parts, what specifically should I request? My biggest problem is that I have to replace a brake light but I can't because the tailgate won't open.
 
Sounds pricey. You need to get into the tailgate to see what parts you need. It sound to me like it the lock mechanism which you can get online for about $200+ shipping. It might be something else. I would figure out the issue before buying parts.
 
Nope, not a cheaper option, you can get the part for about $200 and install it yourself, but it's definitely the latch motor. There's a diy guide on here with how to do it
 
Before you go out and start throwing parts at it spray some penetrating lube on the latch assem. 9 times out of 10 the factory lube dried up.
 

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