2008 highlander rear door stuck

[talhofer]

Currently on a road trip to CO and using the 3rd row seat. We placed a small cooler behind the 3rd that bairly fits when we shuttle the rear hatch. It fits so tightly it seem too not allow the latch to disengage to open the door. We tested the opening and closing in our driveway but now since we locked and unlocked the doors the rear latch sounds like it is releasing but can't get the hatch open. We can't release the pressure between the hatch and the 3rd row by folding the rear seat because the cooler is blocking the release lever. Spent 20 min trying to find another wayto to release linkage under the 3rd row seat but no luck. Any suggestions to get the 3rd row down short of cutting the cooler?

[sweeneyp]

Originally Posted by talhofer

Currently on a road trip to CO and using the 3rd row seat. We placed a small cooler behind the 3rd that bairly fits when we shuttle the rear hatch. It fits so tightly it seem too not allow the latch to disengage to open the door. We tested the opening and closing in our driveway but now since we locked and unlocked the doors the rear latch sounds like it is releasing but can't get the hatch open. We can't release the pressure between the hatch and the 3rd row by folding the rear seat because the cooler is blocking the release lever. Spent 20 min trying to find another wayto to release linkage under the 3rd row seat but no luck. Any suggestions to get the 3rd row down short of cutting the cooler?

Sorry to hear about the problem...that situation is no fun
How wide is the cooler? there is a panel in the dead center of the tailgate near the locking mechanism on the inside that can pop off revealing a manual release. Is there anyway you can move the cooler enough to get to that?
If there is too much pressure pushing the door out to allow it to release, have you tried pushing the tailgate toward the front of the car from the outside while triggering the open button? might free the lock enough to allow it to disengage.
Besides that you might be cutting the cooler....
Hope this helps and good luck

[nitronate33]

^+1, i would push down hard on the rear hatch and then pull the lever at the point of the most pressure/compression you can get. maybe use a couple people, one to push the hatch down and one to pull the lever.

seems too that you should be able to have one person pull on the third row seat hard enough to allow someone else to slide the cooler to one side.

without pictures it is hard to see the situation, but a few sets of muscles should do the trick. i mean, it's a plastic cooler against a plastic rear hatch panel against a third row seat that will have SOME give. it can't beat out a couple men, that is embarrassing!

[talhofer]

Got the cooler out without having to destroy it. That relieved the pressure on the hatch but it still won't release. Popped off the inside cover on the latch mechanism but don't see (or feel) a manual release. When you try to open hatch from the outside you can hear the solenoid actuating but it won't release. Suggestions?

[sweeneyp]

Originally Posted by talhofer

Got the cooler out without having to destroy it. That relieved the pressure on the hatch but it still won't release. Popped off the inside cover on the latch mechanism but don't see (or feel) a manual release. When you try to open hatch from the outside you can hear the solenoid actuating but it won't release. Suggestions?

are you sure there wasn't a manual release, its not very big, but its there. The gears on the motor may have snapped preventing it from disengaging the lock due to the strain on it. Other than that I'm out of ideas sorry.
good luck

[talhofer]

Got it open! There is a metal lever in the latch assembly that was set all the way to the right side that I couldn't get any tools to grab. Then I remembered I had an old dental pick (yes the ones a dentist use to clean teeth) with a this curved pointed end. I got the thin pick end around the metal lever and reset the door mechanism. That allowed the outside latch to function once again. Thanks for the all the help.