Tailgate won't stop squeaking, need help.

[G.I.G.]

I have on '07 4R with a chronic squeak coming from the tailgate. I have had the problem for more than a year now. It's out of warranty and I'm pretty sure it's an easy fix, I just need to know what to do.

I started noticing the squeak after a camping trip where I drove on a lot of rough roads. It always happens when I am going over something (sidewalk curb pulling out of my driveway, speed bump at an off angle, etc.) that requires my rear suspension to flex, specifically when one wheel is traveling higher than the other. What I'm thinking is that the torque transfered through the frame to the rear of my 4R is causing the body and tailgate to twist just enough to cause this squeak.

My first instinct was to check and make sure the jack was secured tightly and nothing else was causing the squeak. After doing that to no avail, I lubed all of the contact points between the rear of my 4R and the tailgate with dielectric grease (same stuff you use on spark plug boots so they don't adhear to the sparkplugs). That worked just slightly, but the problem will come back after a few days or a week. Ironically, my wife's Highlander has the same problem, although not as bad as my 4R.

Does anyone know how to tighten the tailgate so when it does it's auto-close thing, that it's tighter? Has anyone else had this problem and know of any good fixes? Thanks.

 

[G.I.G.]

Bump, anyone?

 

[Baba Booey]

Are you certain that it is the tailgate? I found this site right after I bought my '06 while I was looking for info on a squeak coming from the rear. Turns out, it was a common problem described here in many posts. My squeak was coming from the latch that grabs the passenger side rear seat.

If you fold the rear seat down, you will see the catch for the latch. It's an easy fix. Just wrap it with some electrical tape to eliminate the metal-on-metal contact. Eventually, the tape wears through (after many months), but then I just replace the tape.

I hope this is your problem because it is so easy to remedy. It's hard to pinpoint exactly where the noise is coming from, and so this may be it.

 

[G.I.G.]

Turns out, it was a common problem described here in many posts. My squeak was coming from the latch that grabs the passenger side rear seat.

Well sum'b!tch, I think that was it! I folded my seats down and took it for a test drive last night and no squeak. So I wiped some 3-in-one oil on the latch catches and put the seats back up. I drove it again this morning and no squeak. That must have done the trick.

High pitch sqeaks, creaks, rattles, etc. are hard to isolate. I would have never thought it was the rear seats causing the problem. Thanks for the tip!

 

[NY-T4R]

Glad to see your issue was resolved with the back seat tape trick.

IF you or anyone does eventually have squeaking from the tail gait , a dab of grease on the rubber bump stops goes a long way.

 

[Mark86]

There is another tailgate creak that is fixed by putting some electrical tape on the latch. I couldn't figure out what was going!

 

[G.I.G.]

My squeak came back after the oil wore off on the bracket when I first isolated the problem, but I just wrapped a small piece of duct tape over the bracket where the latch goes over the bracket and I haven't had the squeak return in over 2 years.

 

[Granite]

Mine sqeaked until I oiled it with wd40

 

[psiems]

Just noticed a squeak coming somewhere from the back. Thought it was the jack kit. I will try the seat latch. Thanks

 

[BigPig]

I've got this issue as well. Planning on looking at the rear seat latch as the culprit this weekend. Fingers crossed it's a simple fix.

 

[iAlex684]

Mine developed a squeaking/creaking noise.. I tried folding the seats down and checking the jack but it is still there. Is there anything else that could cause it to make that noise?