Tailgate water intrusion?

I got the stupid dealer plates off but left the holes open. I did wash the car a couple times and now realize those holes are literally open to the whole inside of the rear gate. Did I just cause issues with water intrusion in the interior.

 

No, water gets in anyways. That's why there's drain holes in the bottom of the liftgate (just like your doors) if you open it and look. Dust finds a way in too. When I wash it I have a never ending stream of mud dripping out of these drain holes as well.

 

^^^^ this combined with the rust "un-inhibitors" that the inside hatch hardware was designed with....and it seems like we all have a rust party laying ahead of us unless preventative action is taken early on.

Speaking for myself only, there are certain things I did not expect to be doing on my brand new '24 Limited.....like crack open the doors/hatch to periodically spray the insides with rust prevention chemicals to keep from having an out of control rust issue less than 2 years from now, but it sounds like this is a rite of passage with the 4Runner! So much for needing to find a new hobby after retirement; sounds like I'll already have one!

TimG