When I purchased my 06 LC it had the velco "fix" for the broken center console top lid latch. I got tired of the lid opening up when I'd go over the road humps in my neighborhood so I wanted to find a replacement latch. As we know, the latch is not sold separately by Toyota and you have to buy the whole lid at over $200 to get a replacement piece. Here's my fix for under $30.
1. Order a replacement latch from eBay. I grabbed this one:
2002 - 2006 Toyota CAMRY Lexus ES300 Console Armrest LATCH SET black upper latch | eBay
2. Remove the four screws holding the lid on:
3. Gently break apart the plastic interior from the leather cap. I used the trim removal tools I purchased from Northern Tool during my lock actuator motor replacement. Just go slow and make your way around the edges. Note the picture in step 6 to see how many and what kind of joints you are breaking:
4. Remove the two screws holding the old latch and install the new latch:
5. Dry fit the plastic back on a few times. It's snug around the latch and you want to be sure you can set it properly when you've got your adhesive applied:
6. Put a small amount of your choice adhesive on all of the little broken joints. I counted about 27 of them. I used the JB Weld I had left over from the lock actuator fix:
7. Apply a clamp or weight and let the adhesive cure. I used the heaviest book I had handy:
8. Reattach the top lid and enjoy a top lid that will actually stay latched...until it breaks again:
1. Order a replacement latch from eBay. I grabbed this one:
2002 - 2006 Toyota CAMRY Lexus ES300 Console Armrest LATCH SET black upper latch | eBay
2. Remove the four screws holding the lid on:
3. Gently break apart the plastic interior from the leather cap. I used the trim removal tools I purchased from Northern Tool during my lock actuator motor replacement. Just go slow and make your way around the edges. Note the picture in step 6 to see how many and what kind of joints you are breaking:
4. Remove the two screws holding the old latch and install the new latch:
5. Dry fit the plastic back on a few times. It's snug around the latch and you want to be sure you can set it properly when you've got your adhesive applied:
6. Put a small amount of your choice adhesive on all of the little broken joints. I counted about 27 of them. I used the JB Weld I had left over from the lock actuator fix:
7. Apply a clamp or weight and let the adhesive cure. I used the heaviest book I had handy:
8. Reattach the top lid and enjoy a top lid that will actually stay latched...until it breaks again:
