22re-efer

I love this truck, but the one thing that is driving me crazy is the rear hatch door latch is constantly buggered. I have taken it apart 20 times, and cleaned it and oiled it and it will work for about a week, and then it's back to the same old thing: having to slam the back door over and over until finally it catches. Has anybody else had to deal with this problem on the 3rd Gens, and if so, what is the answer? I was just quoted $175.00 CDN for a new latch from Toyota, so that certainly isn't the answer I was looking for. Anybody have some advice? Thanks.

22re-efer

Well, after playing around with it again today, I found that the problem was not really with the latch but with the catch at the bottom that it latches on to. By smacking that in with a hammer I was able to get it to latch each time I close it. I'll see how long this 'fix' lasts.

22re-efer

Well, I have taken this thing apart so many times now. It's really starting to piss me off. I can't be the only one to have this problem, am I? If anybody has any ideas for a proper fix I would appreciate it.

BigJohn

dunno mines a 2002 hehe

Bob_98SR5

try searching "rear door latch" for your answer

jacksonpt

I had similar issues... would take it apart, clean, lube, grease, put back together. Would work for a while, then start sticking again. After about 6 months of that, something internal to the latch mechanism broke, and I ended up replacing the whole thing.

So from my experience, the sticking is a precursor to something breaking.

22re-efer

Thanks Bob. I found the previous thread where you suggest opening up the door. I will do that tonight and see what I can find.

22re-efer

Well, I took the back door apart again and I believe I have finally solved the problem. In my case, I often could not close the door, because the latch would not latch. I found that the handle and cable assembly were working fine; the little lever behind the latch was moving freely (From previous cleanups and oilings). The problem was the steel tab that the lever pushes over to the right was not returning to its proper position. It needs to return to the left in order to stop the latch from opening; keeping the door closed. In my unfortunately blurry picture you can see the lever and the tab that I am referring to (The lever is the rusty brown thing at the end of my screwdriver and the tab is the light coloured square to the right of it). By cleaning up the area around the tab and prying at it a bit to clear its passage it now returns to its latching position each time I close the door. Problem solved. (Fingers crossed) Hope this info helps anybody that experiences the same problem of slamming the back door over and over and over and not getting it to close.

Bob_98SR5

22re,

glad that you fixed it! and about the pic, do you have a macro setting? and if you did use the macro setting, you gotta pull the camera back a little. macro doesnt mean microscope (just bustin' your chops!)

bob

22re-efer

Yeah, I am still getting used to this camera. I tried it on a closeup setting but it didn't flash, so I went back to the auto. Thanks for the inspiration to open up that back door one more time, Bob.

Bob_98SR5

re flash w/ auto: i had the same problem trying to photograph mine. turns out that the entire latch mechanism was dark. thus, the auto focus couldnt decide what to focus on and thus, pressing the button would take the picture but flash on an unfocused object. thus, i just pointed my swivel head flashlight on it whic allowed the auto focus to focus on the object and then enabling it to take the macro photo.

but if you did that and posted the pic, hopefully someone will the same problme will benefit from your pic

bob

LeonK

That's amazing how 6 yo post can help! I didn't realize
that the "tab" on the right is springed and has to move freely until I read this. I took it apart for the 3 time, cleaned, lubed and it's working! I would buy the OP pizza or a beer if I could :-)

FJoel

7 years later and this post helped me too.

My latch would not catch! I took it apart and lubed everything... no bueno! Then I saw the fuzzy photo and realized I had to peel back to rubber mount gasket to find the tab. Yup... wouldn't budge.

Copious amounts of WD-40 for the rust and lots of manual back and forth, and she's good as new!

Thanks fellas!

jetssica

2019 and this post is helping me!
I've watched YouTube videos, read forums, and haven't found a solution.
My 1998 4Runner rear door isn't latching when closed, so I'm driving this rig with a bungee cord holding the door down for now. Gross.
I opened up the back of the door last night, and everything relating to the door mechanism looks quite different from the other videos I've seen - I'm HOPING that the blurry photo from this thread looks something like the inner workings of mine too. Thanks for posting!

bear-in-newmexico

As many others have posted, my rear hatch on my 99 4R (215,000 miles!) won't latch. I took the latch out and, thanks to the blurry photograph above, found the little tab in the latch wasn't moving. I can push it back and forth with my finger but it doesn't move when I lock the lid. Moving upstream, the arm with the mechanical cable connection on the latch mechanism doesn't move with the remote lock either. OK...moving even further upstream from there, the arm on the other end of the mechanical cable at the actuator doesn't move. But when I hit the electric locks, I can hear the actuator with a noticeable "clunk" that sounds as if the actuator is actually working and I can move the arm on the actuator manually, but the motor isn't moving it. So do I have TWO problems here that happened simultaneously, both a problem with the latch mechanism and the actuator? This seems unlikely. One problem, the other problem, or both. Thanks in advance.

LeonK

it's amazing how long lived this thread is...

sorry, can't help, my 96 4runner was retired years ago to a pasture (in Libya, LOL)
I am killing a 2011 now.

jetssica

I ended up buying a replacement latch mechanism from Ebay and changed it out - the process itself was rather easy, and the part works like new! The hardest part of the change out was getting the snaps back in place to hold the cover on the door.
The issue you're having sounds a lot like what I was dealing with too. There must be a break within the unit somewhere, I'm guessing with the wiring? Still, the part cost me about $75 used.
Good luck with the door!
J

grhalley

i had lubed the latch mechanism on my '97 with a soy based lubricant, yet the latch was still not catching. I had noticed the tab that the original poster had mentioned, but I thought that it was working fine and that something in the latch hook was not working. So I searched google again and found this thread. I removed the latch again and sprayed more lubricant and tried to force that tab back and forth. It still wasn't springing back into position, so I took some WD-40 and sprayed the hell out of it, then used a screwdriver to force that tab back and forth until it would spring back on it's own. BAM! My latch is now fixed! So I guess the WD-40 has a solvent that the soy based lube doesn't have. Thanks!

Joshrav8r

Glad to find this thread, my 96 Ltd has had this problem for years now. I have taken the liftgate apart so many times now and used so much wd40 with no consistent positive results. The only fix I have come up with is to completely remove both rubber bump stops from the rear body. Now I can close the liftgate lightly and it catches every time, however it is loose when closed. I can close it and lock it so I'll take it.

Sure would love a pic that's in focus if anyone has theirs apart...

4Runner4vr

!!!!!!!!!!! Please does anyone have better photos on what need to be fixed to get the hatch to lock? thx