[FKHeath]

it could also be the "sensor strips" that run down each side of the interior door. Check those for damage/debris.

The check for excessive force needed to open the hatch is purely done by the mechanism -- more power needed than usual. There are no sensor strips on the RAV4. You can prove me wrong by posting a picture of these sensor strips and how you check them for damage and debris (cleaning).

 

[FKHeath]

Maybe read the owners manual before being so quick to call someone incorrect.

I stand corrected -- sort of.

1. As WSCAN says, they only function when closing and something is pinched between the body and the hatch. The OP's problem is opening, not closing. There are sensors that detect an overload when opening; that is the OPs problem, not the pinch sensors.

2. As reported in this thread (https://www.rav4world.com/threads/2020-liftgate-hinges-and-toyotas-responses.327021/#replies), when the old bend hinges were removed, they were extremely stiff to operate. Thus one must lubricate the hinges from time to time. I speculate that moisture is getting inside the hinges and they are rusting.