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John
Here's one off of ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/01-07-TOYOTA-SEQUOIA-Rear-METAL-Liftgate-Door-Han- dle-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1e5e85fffaQQitemZ130434859002QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5- fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
Before installing the new handle today, I took modeling clay to make a collar on the underside of the new handle where the plastic arm attaches.[covered three sides of the new arm] I made up a good glob of two-part JBWeld epoxy and filled in the void to provide very strong reinforcement of the arm's base to the underside of the handle.
Interesting development: I put the new handle with JBWeld into the oven at lowest heat (~150d) to speed the epoxy setting. The heat accelerated the set the epoxy and the modeling clay melted and ran out --- leaving surprisingly little cleanup of the modeling clay collar I had installed.
{True Confession: Had I anticipated the clay melting I would have put a piece of aluminum foil under the piece to catch the melting clay. But I didn't so, I had to cleanup the gooey melted clay on the bottom of the oven!}
Thanks Walesgorm
Here's my suggestion. I have used an aircraft grade penetrating oil made by KANOLABS (kanolabs.com) on really tough jobs such as OXYGEN SENSOR removal.
It's called Kroil/AeroKroil. Way better than WD40.
PENETRATING-LUBRICATING OILS
Kroil/AeroKroil Loosens Frozen Metal Parts!
My suggestion is to liberally soak the latch mechanism from inside the door in this KROIL a couple of times over a couple days. Then try exercising the latch mechanism with the cable pulls and solenoid unlocking/locking button pushes in the hope it frees enough to open the door. Then replace it when a new one (bolts right in).
If that fails, you probably have the fun task described by peterson70 ahead of you some fine weekend, but quickly before Winter arrives.
----------------------------
Help - need some advice from you EXPERIENCED in fixing this.
How do you reassemble the new handle and license plate frame and get it back into place?
WHen, how do you attach the cable?
I can't fit the handle assembly back into the door with the cable attached.
I guess you tilt and fit the handle through the door cut-out. But I can't fit it in when the cable is attached and as it sticks out to the left in the back.
So how do you attach the cable onto the new latch after its installed. Can you reach in there with the window UP?
Do you have to remove the window regulator mechanism?
I haven't seen any of the instructions listed describe any part of this RE-INSTALL process.
How were you able to lower the spare tire? Also, what did you have to do to cut off or remove the bolts to the latch. I
I think that would be the mother of all PITAs. I feel for you.
Here's my suggestion. I have used an aircraft grade penetrating oil made by KANOLABS (kanolabs.com) on really tough jobs such as OXYGEN SENSOR removal.
It's called Kroil/AeroKroil. Way better than WD40.
PENETRATING-LUBRICATING OILS
Kroil/AeroKroil Loosens Frozen Metal Parts!
My suggestion is to liberally soak the latch mechanism from inside the door in this KROIL a couple of times over a couple days. Then try exercising the latch mechanism with the cable pulls and solenoid unlocking/locking button pushes in the hope it frees enough to open the door. Then replace it when a new one (bolts right in).
If that fails, you probably have the fun task described by peterson70 ahead of you some fine weekend, but quickly before Winter arrives.
Ebay has a metal replacement handle that works great - also mentioned in the video. I have replaced this myself twice and this time I ordered the metal replacement piece from Ebay so we will see how this goes.
I am a soccer mom and was tired of paying $700 - mine has broken 6 times on my 2002 sequoia.
here is the ebay location for the part - I ordered it and it came in 3 days.
Good luck
Thank you all for posting your experiences! It took me 3 hours but I figured it out.
My local dealership quoted a price of $80 for the part and $150 to install it! One local salvage yard quoted a price of $50 for the part. All other salvage yards had none of the latch parts (they aren't going to take one off an undamaged tailgate). I refused to pay after reading many similar stories.
As I said, I happened to find the part on amazon.com. The sender's business name is Best Price Mirror in Blue Jay, CA. I hope everyone else has the same success.
Best wishes!
Will be ordering a metal latch (my latch doesnt seem to be broken) but when I use the key fob, I hear the unlock, but cant get the door to lift? any suggestions. I can empty the back of the car thru the side doors, if there is any way to access the door from the inside. thanks
I have replaced the little piece a few years ago.
My locked stop working...unable to lock.
Now I cant get the door open.
The handle is activating the cable.
The cable does not seem "broke"
But I cant get the door to budge.
not sure if the lock is stuck . I hear it making noise but not sure if it is unlocking.
Maybe it was stuck in un-lock position last time.
this is the second time this has happened. Both times when wife got supplies from lowes and she had help loading.
It sounds like you both have the mother of all PITA situations where the handling and cable assembly is working but the LATCH is not activating. I feel for you. This LATCH gets gummed up and rusted as has been described many times in this problem.
In providing the following suggestion, I assume you've read this thread and others over at tundrasolutions.com that describe how to get the back of the door panel off from inside the car.
Here's my suggestion. I have used an aircraft grade penetrating oil made by KANOLABS (kanolabs.com) on really tough jobs such as OXYGEN SENSOR removal.
It's called Kroil/AeroKroil. Way better than WD40.
PENETRATING-LUBRICATING OILS
Kroil/AeroKroil Loosens Frozen Metal Parts!
My suggestion is to liberally soak the latch mechanism from inside the door in this KROIL a couple of times over a couple days. Then try exercising the latch mechanism with the cable pulls and solenoid unlocking/locking button pushes in the hope it frees enough to open the door.
Then really clean the LATCH mechanism with toothbrush of all accumulated CRUD and grease it OR , if actually rusted, replace it with a new one (bolts right in).
If that fails, you probably have the fun task described by peterson70 (early in this thread) ahead of you some fine weekend, but quickly before Winter arrives.
---
I had the added bonus of getting the WINDOW Motor to respond and start working during my repair by banging it -- as has also been described. I now have my wife roll the window down/up each time the GAS tank is filled to be the motor contacts from oxidizing or it sticking again.
First off, I would like to thank you for your detailed repair information! I just bought a used 2006 Limited for our new family. It has 60k and I am experiencing similari issue with the rear door. I am not very mechanically inclined, but with our newborn twins, I need to save money, so I gave it a shot. I successfully removed the bottom latch, cleaned it up, went to re-install to discover the upper handle/latch to be shot. It is froze up. So I carefully followed all of your steps, made plenty of mistakes along the way and now I'm stuck.
I removed those 2 - 10mm nuts inside the extremely hard to reach spots. I can barely type this after all the cuts on my wrists. I removed the plastic housing where the cable attaches to the cheap plastic handle as well as the cable itself. I cannot get the license plate cover off! Not sure if the 2006 design is different from yours, but, there seems to be something I missing for me to do. It is loose at the top, but the bottom middle is not giving on the outer license plate plastic cover. I read your instructions 100 times, but can't get this thing out. the 4 plastic trim plugs are crimped and out, the keylock is out, but as mentioned, something else is holding the plate on.
Any ideas?
thanks!
It costs $39.95 with free shipping. I just put in a new latch myself. Also, watch some of these videos on you tube: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=toyota+sequoia+rear+door+latch&aq=0
It will show you how to open your door using 90 degree needle nose pliers. As of the cable assembly, I am not sure what part #, but you can find it easily online. Let me know if you need more help. I just did this job for the first time.
I hear the lock and unlocking of the mechanism in the read door latch with the key fob and the electric button on the side doors, but the outside handle will not open the rear door. I've seen the repair videos and the handle itself is not broken as I feel tension on the latch as if the door is still locked. The handle is not free floating as if broken. Using the manual key in the rear door sounds the same but will not release the lock, but the key will open the rear window.
I've been having unlocking problems for off and on with the front passenger door too, having the hit the button several times (3 to 4 times) to get ALL the doors to lock or unlock. Is the key only an electric switch actuating the solenoid and not direct manual linkage to the lock?
What do you think? Corrosion on the wire connectors? Therefore causing low voltage to the solenoids??? Something else? Where do I start?
It still could be the cable or electric issue. I did not have an electric or cable problem, so I can't comment on that. Watch through the video and take it from there. You may have some corrosion and your latches/handles may be sticking. One way or another, you should take everything apart, clean and lubricate the handles and latches.
I determined that it might simply be stuck (like a bathroom door that has swelled and rubs the door jamb). It needed a good strong jerk, but I didn't want to break the latch. I fashioned a handle from a metal rod that would hook up under the very bottom of the lift gate. This gave me strong leverage when pulling.
While pulling on the regular latch handle with one hand (not hard enough to break it) and putting some muscle into pulling on the bottom of the door, Hooray, it came open.
I found that the locking mechanism was pretty well gummed up, dirty and a little rusty. After a thorough cleaning with W-D 40 and giving it a good coating with silicone lubricant, it now works fine. However, I still carry the home made pulling handle in my tool box and lubricate it regularly.
Hope this helps.
Any help is appreciated, I am so frustrated I don't know what to do. I watched all the videos, it seemed easy too.
thanks.
A few things:
1) Be patient. I broke 1 of the plastic trim clips on the license plate trim cover that holds the latch handle. The clips cost $2.50 to $7.50 EACH at the dealer and mine had to be special ordered with a 2-day delay. I broke one of the dark gray $2.50 clips that had to be ordered in a set of 3. The white clips are $7.50 EACH!
2) I also broke the plastic that housed the trim clip because I yanked on the license trim cover from the outside instead of pushing the end of the trim clip from the inside of the hatch door. I used a hot glue gun to glue the new trim clip to the trim cover.
3) Be sure to reinstall the rear hatch key lock's mounting plate between the license trim cover and the rear hatch door. I put the trim plate in first, then realized when I tried to bolt in the lock that I had to remove the trim plate again and sandwich the lock's mounting plate between the trim plate and the rear hatch.
4) Other people have mentioned that to remove the 2 10mm nuts holding the hatch handle there are 2 rubber plugs on the inside of the rear hatch that you need to remove. You can use a 6" long socket wrench extension with a 10mm socket to easily loosen/tighten the 2 nuts for the hatch handle.
I also "whacked" the rear window motor about 20 times and was surprisd that my rear window is now working again after being stuck for about the past 8 years!
Be patient. The hardest part of the job for me was to remove the license trim plate. Crimp the trim clips from the inside and push out. Don't yank on the trim plate or you may break the trim clips or the trim plate itself.
I've been very fortunate that the rear hatch and window motor were the only mechanical problems I've ever had in 11 years of ownership. My "D" drive light is out in my dash but I can live with that.
Also, was horrified at some of the metal pieces inside the hatch when I took off the trim and coverings. Window had only been going down a foot or so, and discovered that the guides rusted so bad they flaked and were almost disintegrated.
We purchased our used truck last summer & there are so many issues with the back door.
- One of the reverse lights does not work. My husband has changed the fuse & when he removed the light, we realized that the previous owners had messed with the wiring. Cant seem to get it to work. tried rewiring it.
- There is water coming into the truck when it rains. I cant find the leakage. seems its coming from the driver side from the floor but i cant see how its getting in the. The door is dry.
- the windshield wipers doesnt wipe & the window does not go up or down. and its not a fuse problem.
Based on your response it seems that taking it to the dealer will be a waste of time & money. Please help us.
Thank you!
Love the vehicle, but these are crazy and sounds like consistent issues with the vehicle that Toyota ignores. I switched to Toyota because I was tired of all of the issues I had with my Fords. Sounds like that may have not been a good call.
The locking mechanism at the bottom of the door gets really dirty after a while , and the moving pieces gets stuck. If the cable is too lose then the tension is wrong and will not be sufficient to release the locking mechanism at the bottom of the door.
After it is opened do clean the lock thoroughly with brake cleaner and then lubricate it with a silicone lubricant.
Any help to share? If i can save some of the "dumb tax" that would be very much appreciated.