Rear Liftgate Rust
- Thread starter 007iron
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CAN-03runner
New member
Rust around window of rear tailgate
I have this problem on my 2003. I purchased it used not too long ago so I don't know how the previous owner took care of it. But it is quite serious for me. The metal around the rubber seal is all rusty and is flaking off. The locking mechanism and motor that pulls the door shut failed and needed to be replaced, these parts are many hundreds of dollars. This fact was known before I bought the truck and the place I purchased the truck from sent me to Toyota and another mechanic shop to get it repaired for me on their charge. So that was good...But now that I noticed all the rust under the rubber seal, I bet that water had gotten all the way inside and also rusted these components out.......Because.....Another issue I have now is that the metal clamps that hold up the rear window and hang on to when it raises and lowers is also rusting. I did not know this, I didn't even know my rear window lowered when I bought the truck. Until..... My left side pretty much rusted right off and the left side began to droop down. So now I have 2 make shift hook contraptions that I fashioned to hold the window up semi-permanent and the window can not be lowered.
I recommend to take a close look at your rear tail gate windows, pull back the rubber seals and check for rust. Also remove the inside plastic cover and inspect for rust. Remove the bolt where the pull down strap is attached and the rest is just clips you can pull off. Then you will be able to check if any of the internal components are rusting too. Spary all the metal parts with rust proofing/protection oil just in case anyway.
I didn't notice it when I bought the truck, and so the place I bought won't do anything about this problem. So I'm going to have to fashion a more permanent solution to keep the window permanently raised up, to avoid about 500-1000$ in repairs. The component is about 200$. there are 2 of them, add labour 2-3 hrs and possibly the motor too, as per an estimate i got.
I have this problem on my 2003. I purchased it used not too long ago so I don't know how the previous owner took care of it. But it is quite serious for me. The metal around the rubber seal is all rusty and is flaking off. The locking mechanism and motor that pulls the door shut failed and needed to be replaced, these parts are many hundreds of dollars. This fact was known before I bought the truck and the place I purchased the truck from sent me to Toyota and another mechanic shop to get it repaired for me on their charge. So that was good...But now that I noticed all the rust under the rubber seal, I bet that water had gotten all the way inside and also rusted these components out.......Because.....Another issue I have now is that the metal clamps that hold up the rear window and hang on to when it raises and lowers is also rusting. I did not know this, I didn't even know my rear window lowered when I bought the truck. Until..... My left side pretty much rusted right off and the left side began to droop down. So now I have 2 make shift hook contraptions that I fashioned to hold the window up semi-permanent and the window can not be lowered.
I recommend to take a close look at your rear tail gate windows, pull back the rubber seals and check for rust. Also remove the inside plastic cover and inspect for rust. Remove the bolt where the pull down strap is attached and the rest is just clips you can pull off. Then you will be able to check if any of the internal components are rusting too. Spary all the metal parts with rust proofing/protection oil just in case anyway.
I didn't notice it when I bought the truck, and so the place I bought won't do anything about this problem. So I'm going to have to fashion a more permanent solution to keep the window permanently raised up, to avoid about 500-1000$ in repairs. The component is about 200$. there are 2 of them, add labour 2-3 hrs and possibly the motor too, as per an estimate i got.
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Found the exact same issue on my 04 just before winter and thankfully just before the corrosion warranty expired so it was repaired under warranty - the window seal is now glued to the body rather than loose, which quite honestly is what I think should have been done in the first place - it is definitely a design flaw in my view. Now of course I have grown a tiny rust spot over the winter on the edge of the decorative trim that others have referred to - spring clean up is going to be on my list soon I think.
SkylineGTRracer
New member
Thanks 4 the heads up. I gonna do a serious inspection when it gets warmer and I start detailing.
getsomeVA
New member
I have a 2008, and I have a rust bubble behind my rear windshield wiper. I brought it to the dealer and showed them, they had a Toyota Rep look at it who says there is a "chip" in the paint where the rust has formed. Really???!?!? On the rear liftgate?? I *****ed and moaned, and the dealership is now "covering" it. There obviously is a problem with these liftgates rusting in a less than average time period, its too bad Toyota wont acknowledge it.
Weird that these are rusting. I actually went to get some groceries last night and found some rust on my new to me 2007. When I lifted the gate I looked at the two bolts that hold the latch which holds the door closed and one of the bolts was totally rusted.
I am guessing they have a serious runoff design issue in that entire section of the vehicle. I'm going to double check and make sure the drainage holes are all clear back there, and I'm going to get some of that stuff that turns rust into primer and hit any little nicks of rust on the back. On a 2007 it should not be spreading too bad anywhere yet and there is no excuse for a 2003 or 2004 to have any rust on the upper body panels. If it is a rusted through bolt then I'm going to drill it out, retap it and put a new one in and hope it's not too late.
Just another spot to check for those of you with rust. If the latch rusts up and takes out the surface that it mounts to then you're pretty much screwed because you won't be able to latch the back door! I assume that would be a nightmare to replace including a lot of welding and such.
One thing about Toyota that puzzles me.... why haven't they EVER seemed to figure out the rust issue? Look at any old FJ40 or 1G 4Runner and they are rust buckets for the most part. I remember the pickups pre-Tacoma and pretty much every single one had rusted out above the rear wheels. It seems like they would be much more diligent about avoiding rust on their vehicles or found other options (I know they went to plastic parts on the beds on some trucks which helped... but then of course the frames rusted out!). I know that the longer a vehicle runs the more rust it will have, and seeing a 63 Cruiser with rust shouldn't be a surprise, but I can remember people who owned 79 Cruisers that were rusting in 1980 and now we have vehicles that are between 2 and 7 years old already exhibiting signs of rust. It just seems like they'll let it continue for some reason which is a concern.
I am guessing they have a serious runoff design issue in that entire section of the vehicle. I'm going to double check and make sure the drainage holes are all clear back there, and I'm going to get some of that stuff that turns rust into primer and hit any little nicks of rust on the back. On a 2007 it should not be spreading too bad anywhere yet and there is no excuse for a 2003 or 2004 to have any rust on the upper body panels. If it is a rusted through bolt then I'm going to drill it out, retap it and put a new one in and hope it's not too late.
Just another spot to check for those of you with rust. If the latch rusts up and takes out the surface that it mounts to then you're pretty much screwed because you won't be able to latch the back door! I assume that would be a nightmare to replace including a lot of welding and such.
One thing about Toyota that puzzles me.... why haven't they EVER seemed to figure out the rust issue? Look at any old FJ40 or 1G 4Runner and they are rust buckets for the most part. I remember the pickups pre-Tacoma and pretty much every single one had rusted out above the rear wheels. It seems like they would be much more diligent about avoiding rust on their vehicles or found other options (I know they went to plastic parts on the beds on some trucks which helped... but then of course the frames rusted out!). I know that the longer a vehicle runs the more rust it will have, and seeing a 63 Cruiser with rust shouldn't be a surprise, but I can remember people who owned 79 Cruisers that were rusting in 1980 and now we have vehicles that are between 2 and 7 years old already exhibiting signs of rust. It just seems like they'll let it continue for some reason which is a concern.
Hit the junkyards and buy a new gate. That's my suggestion. I have seen a few around that were in front collisions. You should be able to talk them down from the $500-1000 that a repair would cost. You may even be able to swap them yours because there should still be usable parts on it (like the window glass, actuators, etc. etc. ).
Just an alternative option. Then take some of that money you didn't spend and run an ad in the local paper talking about how that dealership doesn't take care of their customers. Money well spent and you'll feel good. :lookout:
Uneek
Super Moderator
Waiting for them to include the Tacoma.
szaq
New member
I have 2007 SE and since i bought it 2 years ago I have a problem with the liftgate rust bubbles.As you can see on the second picture rust came from the inside .What is the purpuse of that plastic-rubber attached to the inside of the backdoor? It seems that rust is forming right under that plastic.Yellow stuff around the area is just a Fluidfilm wich I used a year ago.Do you guys know better corrosion protective product that I can use? For now I just cleaned and sprayed the aera with the rust converter.Then I used body filler to cover the hole and painted with the touch-up paint. I hope that will be enough untill spring will come.
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20034RunnerV84x2
New member
My 2003 SR5 V8 is good, it's just filthy under the seat with dirt and grime. 
Uneek
Super Moderator
Have you taken it to Toyota? Toyota's warranty covers rust through perforations, not surface rust.
dirtysparks
New member
Not sure if anyone is still paying attention to this thread, but I've got a 2008 rust bubble on top left run channel. I plan on removing the weatherstripping and grinding out the rust bubble and painting over it. It doesn't seem hollow yet so I may have caught it before it was too bad, guess I'll see when I grind it down.
Should I get new run channel weatherstripping? The current one seems like it's in decent condition. Clean it out and put the old one back on? Seal the weatherstripping with something? Clean it out a few times a year? I saw boeshield reference in another thread, maybe I can seal it with that. I think the previous owner must have parked it outside all the time or something.
In the pics you can see all the gunk run the whole perimeter of the window.
I've got a hump spoiler ready to go on so maybe that will help direct gunk over the window instead of in the weatherstripping.
Should I get new run channel weatherstripping? The current one seems like it's in decent condition. Clean it out and put the old one back on? Seal the weatherstripping with something? Clean it out a few times a year? I saw boeshield reference in another thread, maybe I can seal it with that. I think the previous owner must have parked it outside all the time or something.
In the pics you can see all the gunk run the whole perimeter of the window.
I've got a hump spoiler ready to go on so maybe that will help direct gunk over the window instead of in the weatherstripping.
