A Warning from Reddit: Your Hatch Could Destroy Itself, and Toyota Doesn't Seem to Care

Ermghoti · Feb 27, 2022

I saw this today, and responded there.

tl;dr The void under the hatch hinges can fill with ice, opening the hatch will cause the mechanism to inexorably power into the occluded area until things break. At least one dealer has rejected a claim this damage as a warranty claim.

Fortunately, I had snow, not sleet, and escaped damage (as far as I can tell). I picked away at the build-up and took some bad photos. The lip of the hatch has to push through the snow/ice/whatever to open.

SSlushbox · Feb 28, 2022

Good reminder to clear the gaps and hinges when also brushing off the car roof after an ice/snowstorm…and that crunching noises are not normal…

Blogson · Feb 28, 2022

There should be a safety system built in which senses an obstruction or resistance. and switches off power if there is a problem. Surprised that Toyota apparently doesn't have that. Damage such as that generally is not covered by warranty as the warranty basically covers only manufacturing, and some reliability problems attributable to manufacturing defects. Learned an inexpensive lesson once when switching on windshield wipers which were frozen to the windshield and that blew the wiper motor fuse.

ranger_dood · Feb 28, 2022

I just ran into this over the weekend. On Friday we had a sleet/freezing rain/rain storm come through. We didn't drive the car until Saturday afternoon.

While the rest of the car was defrosted, unbeknownst to me there was ice buildup in the area indicated in this post. I was showing our new car to someone Saturday afternoon and demonstrated the power liftgate... As it opened a heard a terrible crunch and chunks of ice went flying into the cargo area - it was only then that I realized the ice buildup was there.

I don't know how you're supposed to clear this when it's inaccessible from the outside. Especially in areas that get mixed precipitation and freeze/thaw cycles, ice will build up there regularly.

rav4awesomeness · Feb 28, 2022

Blogson said:
There should be a safety system built in which senses an obstruction or resistance. and switches off power if there is a problem. Surprised that Toyota apparently doesn't have that. Damage such as that generally is not covered by warranty as the warranty basically covers only manufacturing, and some reliability problems attributable to manufacturing defects. Learned an inexpensive lesson once when switching on windshield wipers which were frozen to the windshield and that blew the wiper motor fuse.

There is a safety, stop while raising/lowering.
Try it...
Raise the tailgate and then pull down with the hand hold.. It WILL stop. Same for going down.

Maybe its sensitivity is too low, but I know it works on my car.

SSlushbox · Feb 28, 2022

ranger_dood said:
I just ran into this over the weekend. On Friday we had a sleet/freezing rain/rain storm come through. We didn't drive the car until Saturday afternoon.

While the rest of the car was defrosted, unbeknownst to me there was ice buildup in the area indicated in this post. I was showing our new car to someone Saturday afternoon and demonstrated the power liftgate... As it opened a heard a terrible crunch and chunks of ice went flying into the cargo area - it was only then that I realized the ice buildup was there.

I don't know how you're supposed to clear this when it's inaccessible from the outside. Especially in areas that get mixed precipitation and freeze/thaw cycles, ice will build up there regularly.

there are a few threads here about the hood gaps and the charge port cover…and the use of Weatherstripping to block the gaps…perhaps that might work if it can be located where it won’t interfere with the operation/ internal hinge gap of the lift gate.

that said, this problem is one that has existed for a long time, and for me personally through many previous minivans and hatchbacks…just have to remember to manually lift the first time after solid precipitation. I think a sensor would be a great idea, but not holding breath for installation on a door where persons won’t be using…

Fleegull · Feb 28, 2022

rav4awesomeness said:
There is a safety, stop while raising/lowering.
Try it...
Raise the tailgate and then pull down with the hand hold.. It WILL stop. Same for going down.

Maybe its sensitivity is too low, but I know it works on my car.

Agree I have activated it buy just using a bit of force near the bottom edge both going up and down.
This ice issue is right at the hinge where force needed to stop the door would be enormous compared to the spots we used, hence the ability to crush the ice and break the door itself as reported.

rav4awesomeness · Feb 28, 2022

Fleegull said:
Agree I have activated it buy just using a bit of force near the bottom edge both going up and down.
This ice issue is right at the hinge where force needed to stop the door would be enormous compared to the spots we used, hence the ability to crush the ice and break the door itself as reported.

Agree, also..
Just wanted to say there is a safety / reversing feature..

It cant sense snow/ice in the groove, that would be overly sensitive...

ranger_dood · Mar 1, 2022

In a similar vein, it's quite annoying to me that the passenger doors are designed as such that rain collects on top of the door seal, which then drips directly onto the seat when you open the door. Also, the passenger side windshield wiper leaves a very large area of windshield unwiped in the upper right corner. Not an issue for the driver, but if you're a relatively tall passenger, half your view out the windshield is not cleared by the wiper. Seems like a lot of their design testing was done in areas that don't get precipitation of any sort (or strictly on paper)

A Warning from Reddit: Your Hatch Could Destroy Itself, and Toyota Doesn't Seem to Care

Ermghoti

SSlushbox

Blogson

ranger_dood

rav4awesomeness

SSlushbox

Fleegull

rav4awesomeness

ranger_dood

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