Rear Hatch Will Not Open - Suggestions? -RESOLVED-

Hello 4Runner Forum - I recently bought a 2003 4Runner from a friend and found that the rear hatch will not open. He said it's been stuck for about a year. Watched a few videos and searched forums to try to figure out how to open it to no avail. I don't think the motor/actuator is bad, as both of the levers located inside the panel move/make sound when using the hatch button.

Here's what i've tried so far:

- Removed the interior access panel; tried "manually" opening it from the inside by pulling up on the levers.
- Tried "normalizing" the lock system by disconnecting the battery and cycling locks.
- Sprayed lubricant/penetrant down towards the hatch lock from the inside, although I cannot fully access and spray this as it is locked shut.

I suspect that the hatch lock may be rusted shut, as the vehicle spent years in Alaska and Colorado for the past 4, not in a garage.

Does anyone have a suggestion on what to try to get this open?

Any help is much appreciated - buku556.

 

Once you've got that interior access off inside, you can get to everything there is to check. If you have a multimeter, pull the electrical leads to the external switch and internal lock mechanism and check the resistance readings. Should also try it from the door control ECU side too. If that doesnt pan out, you can definitely take apart the plastic housing around the actual lock part to get to the hook that latches around the loop on the bumper area. Keep taking things apart till you get it open, and along the way you're bound to find the issue.

 

"Rip and Tear, until it is done." - King Novik. lol Thanks for the advice! I'll test the resistance.

 

Your "friend" sold it to you, but you "found" that the rear hatch wouldn't open and your "friend" said it hasn't opened for a year?

I suggest you begin by finding better friends.

 

He was very transparent about all the issues it has. By “found” I mean I thought it was a simple fix and didn’t know how bad it was stuck until I tore in and tried trouble shooting, since he had not done this yet. Came here for solutions, not life advice on a 4Runner forum lol. Thanks for the insightful response though.

 

That would only be useful if the new friend knew how to fix a tailgate that won't open.

 

When you actuate the lock, what do you hear? What about rolling the window down? I don’t remember if there’s an interlock that prevents the lock from opening. You might also want to look at the parts diagram for other door specific hints.

 

When I press the rear button, it sounds like the motor whirring and the levers connected to the motor move up. And then three seconds later the same sound occurs and the levers move down - I assume this second sound is it automatically locking if you don’t open the hatch immediately. The rear window works just fine including the key unlock and roll down feature.

 

Maybe the motor is spinning but not moving the unlock mechanism.

 

It could be that. I don’t know much about the internals but from what I’ve seen it sounds like if the levers are actuating it should in theory be a proper functioning motor. Unless the lock is so seized up it’s not budging it. Also likely lol. Thanks for the idea! I’ll test this too.

 

If you have the lock accessible, just lube all the moving parts. Give it a few and try again. Also inspect the mechanism and make sure it’s secure where it should be.

 

Update: soaked the locking latch from the inside with Kroil, had a buddy pull on the outside underneath the door while I pressed the lever and it opened. Had some rust on the lock that was preventing it from opening. Works great now!

 

Congratulations on the fix. Kroil is king.