2007 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Latcheslockslinkages Problems

HANDLE/LOCK ON REAR HATCH IS FAULTY. MECHANISM ON THE HANDLE/LOCK OF THE REAR HATCH OF 2007 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WILL NO LONGER ENGAGE TO ALLOW HATCH TO BE OPENED. PROBLEM HAD BEEN INTERMITTENT, NOW IS MORE PROBLEMATIC. CANNOT OPEN REAR HATCH TO ACCESS THE CARGO AREA OF VEHICLE. DEALER SERVICE DEPT ACKNOWLEDGES THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE. LOTS OF SIMILAR ISSUES FOUND ONLINE. THIS HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ISSUE YET. *TR

THE FIRST OF MY 2007 4RUNNER DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLIES FAILED JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. FOR THE SECOND ONE, MY DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE HAS JUST OVER 80,000 MILES AND THE 3RD OF 4 DOOR LOCKS HAS JUST FAILED AND BEEN REPLACED. I BELIEVE THIS DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY IS OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN FLAW AND IS NOT AN ITEM I WOULD EXPECT TO FAIL AT ALL OVER THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE, EVEN ONE, MUCH LESS THREE OUT OF THE FOUR. MY CAR IS GARAGE-KEPT AND DOES NOT EVEN COME CLOSE TO RECEIVING ABNORMAL USE. *TR

THE REAR DOOR OPENING HANDLE HAS MATERIAL THAT HAS MELTED MAKING IT ALMOST ALWAYS IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE DOOR. I MOVED LAST AUGUST FROM TEXAS TO SOUTH CAROLINA AND APPARENTLY THE MATERIAL TOYOTA USED IN IT'S 2007 4-RUNNERS CANNOT HOLD UP TO THE TEXAS HEAT. THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOR TOYOTA WHICH COVERS THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I PURCHASED DENIED PAYING FOR THE REPAIR STATING THAT MY REAR DOOR CAN BE OPENED SOME OF THE TIME!! THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION & I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET MY DOGS OUT OF THE REAR DOOR ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS..FORTUNATELY NONE OF THEM LIFE THREATENING YET. *TR

1-THIRD ROW SEAT SLAMMED DOWN DURING RELEASE FROM HOOK AND BROKE UNDERSEAT COVER 2-IT HAPPENED ONCE AND COULD HAPPEN IF SOMEONE UNFAMILIAR WITH SEAT TRIES TO LOWER THE THIRD ROW TO SEATING POSITION. UPON RELEASE FROM THE OVERHEAD HOOK, THE SEAT, DUE TO ITS OWN UNSUPPORTED WEIGHT, COULD PIVOT FREELY AND FALL ON THE OPERATOR'S HAND OR ARM, CAUSING INJURY. 3-THE BROKEN PART WAS REPLACED BY DEALER UNDER "GOODWILL". THE BROKEN PIECE OF THE UNDER SEAT COVER IS AVAILABLE. *TR