Hey everyone,
We had some cold temperatures here in FL (a whole 45 degrees) and the plastic handle on the outside of the lift gate broke. The cable seems to be ok and moving well so I just need to replace the handle. To the people that have done this before do you have to remove the rear glass to get to the handle inside the rear lift gate or do you just need to sneak you hand inside to get to it???? I have taken the interior panels apart, but I am unclear on how to get behind the lifting mechanism for the glass to get to the handle. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Mine broke awhile back. Part is about $100. Remove the inside panel, rear window is fully up. You must remove the licence plate and the plastic panel that it fits in and is inset into the rear door itself. Access these tabs from the inside of the door. Once removed you unscrew the two bolts holding the handle onto the panel. Remove the cable. Replace handle and reverse the proceedure. Hope this is helpful. Gr8sker
Thanks for all your help. It took around 45 minutes to get the old latch and get the new one in and all put back together. Thanks again for all the help.
Yes, it is common for the rear handle to break. Especially those Sequoia's that see winter conditions.... Things get brittle in the handle area...
Hey, we have discovered a *major* weakness in design for the Sequoia!
Here I am with 160,000 miles on mine and that is the only component that has broken on the vehicle. I forgot all about that terrible design flaw!
Good thing I saw this thread, mine just broke today. It was cold and the rig was covered witih snow, went to open the rear gate and blammo, snap, the lever inside just flapped, then I looked up under it, tried to work the deal inside, and it fell out in my hand. Dammit. So, take be from square one, what do I have to do and what do I have to order to fix this thing? RATS
My rear gate latch broke as I was trying to open it. How am I supposed to access the interior of the lift gate if I can't open it?
You have to take the interior panel off from inside the vehicle and pull the cable to get it open. Before you do this make sure you have the latch ready to install. You wont want to have to do it twice if you don't have the part with you. Good luck these have not been very fun in my past.
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Master Toyota Tech
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16 years with Toyota
Here is another way to open the rear hatch. With the window down, slide a screwdriver between the glass and rear rubber window seal (to be able to see what you are doing). Then I used a longer piece of metal(actually an old bar from a chainsaw - flat side down) to open the mechanism. You can use anything long enough to reach the arm, and thin enough to fit between the glass and the rubber seal.(a metal spatula from the kitchen?) You can not see the arm of the latch, but you will be able to slip your "tool" between the wiring harness and metal just above the location of the broken handle. Move the "tool" side to side until you feel the arm of the latch, put the end of the "tool" on top of the arm, push down, and the latch opens. Then you close the lock on the bottom of the hatch with the tip of a screwdriver. This makes the truck think the hatch is closed - allowing you to roll up the window with the hatch opened. Now you have full access to the hatch without having to lay in the back of the truck to do the repair.
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.
My handle broke on my 02 about two weeks ago. The wife was upset that she couldn't open the rear hatch so I took it to the local Toyota dealer, paid the $200 which included parts and labor and it was fixed in a couple of hours.
My handle broke last night after sitting frozen at an airport for a week. I talked to a Toyota dealer today and they said that the replacement handle kit retails for $68.50. Also, if your rear door is shut in the locked position, he said to use a coat hanger to open the door from the outside by bending it to pull the latch. Then take off the trim from the inside to access the handle assembly. I am going to try to repair myself later today or tomorrow.
Just did this procedure last night, took me from 10pm to 12:30am, with a few warm-up breaks. There's another thread in here with great instructions, it's 3 pages long and should be on the 1st page.
I paid $48 + $8 FedEx shipping from 1stToyotaParts.com. Cheapest price I've found yet and the order was processed and shipped the afternoon I ordered it. Highly recommend that dealership, saved over $20 locally even with my 10% discount. You need part number 69090-08010. It's in the body catalogue, not the mechanical parts catalogue.
If you don't know how to get to the inside of the back of the truck, you shouldn't be on the road. Simply fold the seats down and crawl in the back, all you need is a ratchet, 10mm socket, and a 6" or longer extension. All the interior panels snap in, so you can pull them from the inside. It'll hurt your fingers and it won't be easy but it can be done.
Start at the very top piece that is attached to the liftgate. Then pull the two side pieces. Pop the cover off the strap by pushing upward (not pulling out). Unbolt the 10mm head bolt and set the pieces aside. Begin to pull the large panel. It has 3 snaps on the two sides and about 4-6 on the bottom edge. The top is held in by a ledge so you have to slide everything upward to release it. Nobody mentioned that in the other thread.
Once that's off, move everything out of the way. Pull the license plate. Remove the three rubber plugs and set them aside. Put a drop light next to the two on the right so you can see through the one on the left. Get a LONG screwdriver and aim for the part of the handle sticking up. Put the replacement handle in front of you for reference--you'll see how it works and duplicate that with the screwdriver. (Make sure you have the door unlocked--it sounds stupid but if you used the key to roll up the back window from the outside while your "access" door was open you probably didn't notice it's locked).
Once the liftgate is released, let it open and remove the bolts holding the black access panel on. There is an ECM on the panel that can't be easily removed so leave it attached, and hold it up using a screwdriver through the one of the bolts holes (push it up into the door, set a screwdriver on the frame, push it through the bolt hole, and let it sit on the window track so you don't place strain on the wires.
Remove the two 10mm head bolts you can see through the bottom two access holes (the ones you removed the plugs from). Then get a pair of pliers squeeze the three grey snaps and the two white ones that hold the license plate assembly to the door frame. There are two connectors on the passenger's side, the grey goes to the door lock, the white to the license plate lights. If you don't unbolt the lock cylinder, don't disconnect the grey wire harness.
Reach in the door from the driver's side and snap off the white protector that keeps the cable attached to the door handle. Then feel around and remove the cable from the handle. Remove the license plate assembly, remove the two screws holding the old handle in, and place the new one back on. Installation is reverse.
Don't try attaching the cable from the outside, it's not easy (may not be possible) to wiggle the assembled handle and cable in through the tiny space. Make sure you snap the cable guard back on correctly (practice before it's back in the truck). A little grease on the nuts will help keep them from falling of the socket as you try to get them back into the door and onto the two studs. Once the bolts are in and the assembly is snapped in be sure to reconnect the wiring harness. Before you put the interior panels back on, make sure that everything operates correctly including the license plate lamps, rear window function, and the door lock mechanism--just in case something went wrong. You don't want to find out later when it's all back together.
When reinstalling the trim panels, just pop them in. Locate the snaps before putting it on so you can place pressure exactly where they are, which will make sure they are firmly in place and don't get bent, causing a rattle. The weatherstripping goes under the interior panels, not above. I spent a few minutes trying to put them under until I figured out that's not how they went.
Feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions. I just did it so it's all fresh in mind.
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2004 Marlin Blue Pearl Sequoia SR5 2WD; 60k miles
1991 Isuzu Trooper 2.6L 5spd 4x4; 103k miles
1993 BMW 525i M50TUB25 auto; 286,500 miles
ASE Certified Brakes Technician / Automotive Electrical Specialist
Independent BMW Technician
If you don't know how to get to the inside of the back of the truck, you shouldn't be on the road. Simply fold the seats down and crawl in the back...
That was a little rude, JBH.
We were on our way home from vacation when mine broke. The third row seats were removed, and the entire cargo area was filled to capacity. Imagine the cargo space with a large dog crate facing rear, surrounded by the luggage of a family of 5. I was unwilling to unpack it all from the side doors at the time, and the dog crate would have needed disassembly for removal. I created my own solution with the things I had on hand at the time. I was not going to make my family stand outside the truck for an hour in sub-zero temperatures, in a rest area along the highway, while I opened the hatch. I needed to be able to do open the hatch from the outside. I needed to be able to open it every time we stopped on the road, so the dog could be tended to. The solution I provided can be done without even needing to be inside the vehicle to open the hatch.
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.
We were on our way home from vacation when mine broke. The third row seats were removed, and the entire cargo area was filled to capacity. Imagine the cargo space with a large dog crate facing rear, surrounded by the luggage of a family of 5. I was unwilling to unpack it all from the side doors at the time, and the dog crate would have needed disassembly for removal. I created my own solution with the things I had on hand at the time. I was not going to make my family stand outside the truck for an hour in sub-zero temperatures, in a rest area along the highway, while I opened the hatch. I needed to be able to do open the hatch from the outside. I needed to be able to open it every time we stopped on the road, so the dog could be tended to. The solution I provided can be done without even needing to be inside the vehicle to open the hatch.
It wasn't meant to be rude. I do come off that way though, especially on this site for some reason.
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2004 Marlin Blue Pearl Sequoia SR5 2WD; 60k miles
1991 Isuzu Trooper 2.6L 5spd 4x4; 103k miles
1993 BMW 525i M50TUB25 auto; 286,500 miles
ASE Certified Brakes Technician / Automotive Electrical Specialist
Independent BMW Technician
Rear Lift Gate Handle
Re: Rear Lift Gate Handle
Linear Mode
