Rear Lift Gate Broken Handle

[Nash4]

Hey guys - im new here and just purchased my first 4runner this weekend (1999 Limited 2wd with 144K miles). When trying to use the handle above the tag to open the rear hatch, there is no resistance and the handle moves freely.

How do I go about replacing/repairing this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Snowy21]

Probably a broken lock actuator or a rod connecting the handle to the actuator/cable is broken or unhooked within the door. Hard to make and exact diagnosis without looking at it but it should be pretty obvious when you get there.

Start by pulling the interior panel on the hatch. You can pull the panel off with the hatch closed, it's just a royal pita to do. Start at a lower corner and work around, then slide the whole panel up and it will come loose from the window sill. I had to use a pry bar to get it started. Pull the larger sheet metal panel and on the drivers side there is a metal cable that controls the door latch. Just pull it and the door should release so you can finish work on the door in a more comfortable open position.

Be prepared to replace some of the red clips that hold the interior panel on as well

 

[Nash4]

Thanks clund21. When looking at the inside of the lift gate I could tell it was going to be a pain.

I assume when I get in there I will be able to tell what if anything is broken?

 

[Snowy21]

Yeah pretty much. There is a rod from the handle to the lock actuator pivot. Then the cable to the latch connects to the bottom of lock actuator pivot. Something will be broken/unhooked and should be fairly obvious when you start to mess with it

 

[Steve240]

This happened to me, it's likely the same failure mode - rust. The handle bracket on my 4runner was a rusted very badly, I pulled on it one day and something moved then no resistance, the stud ended up breaking off the bracket. You still need to remove all the interior panel of the hatch so you might as well do that first and take a look in case it is the door rod. I picked the part up through toyota new handle and new bracket. The bracket comes unpainted as raw metal. I gave it a good coat of paint before installing it.

 

[Nash4]

I got in there yesterday and the bracket and both bolts had come loose and were laying in the bottom of the lift gate. Put bracket back on and hit the bolts with some locktite and everything is working now.

Thanks for the help guys.