Watch the video that I just put together - tell me what you thinks from safety point of view can we knock some $$ from Toyota:
back door latch missing on 200 vs 100 and 80
- Thread starter skhochay
- Start date
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MScruiser
obsessive-compulsive oppositional-defiant wise-ass
Here is something interesting:
My rear hatch latch mechanism broke on my way home from buying the truck (a 2011).
I too, noticed, and also found it strange that there was no way to exit the vehicle from the rear interior. I didn't think a car could pass safety inspections without that?!
I called @beno , and he shipped me a brand new mechanism. Now heres the funny thing: the new mechanism came with a piece of colored (either yellow or orange (I don't remember)) 550 paracord that was attached to the inside of the mechanism. I found that if the lock was engaged, you could pull the paracord, and the latch would unlock. My 2011 broken mechanism did not have this feature.
So, I can only assume that you could drill a small hole in the rear plastic panel covering the latch, and have the paracord poke out, and looped, so you can grab and pull in case of an emergency.
Now, what, or why did Toyota start pulling that emergency cord on the mechanisms, and what do they expect you to do with the cord???
My rear hatch latch mechanism broke on my way home from buying the truck (a 2011).
I too, noticed, and also found it strange that there was no way to exit the vehicle from the rear interior. I didn't think a car could pass safety inspections without that?!
I called @beno , and he shipped me a brand new mechanism. Now heres the funny thing: the new mechanism came with a piece of colored (either yellow or orange (I don't remember)) 550 paracord that was attached to the inside of the mechanism. I found that if the lock was engaged, you could pull the paracord, and the latch would unlock. My 2011 broken mechanism did not have this feature.
So, I can only assume that you could drill a small hole in the rear plastic panel covering the latch, and have the paracord poke out, and looped, so you can grab and pull in case of an emergency.
Now, what, or why did Toyota start pulling that emergency cord on the mechanisms, and what do they expect you to do with the cord???
I haven't seen an SUV with an internal rear hatch release for some time. May be a liability thing. If you have a kid in the third row screwing around, open the tailgate, and fall out.
I have a button on my LX key fob that opens the back.
