If it's still under waranty, take it to the dealer and get it on record ASAP. That is how our rear hatch began the self destruction of the motor that (no longer) opens and closes the rear hatch. We didn't take it in while under waranty and the electric motor is about $1200 just for the part.

 

It's not under warranty any more (it's a 2008) and I forgot to mention that this is NOT the power rear door, so I think you mean a different motor.

There should be a switch or maybe the latch itself has a switch that tells when the door is closed. I think that's the switch I need to look at. I just need to know where it is and how to get to it.

 

I don't know of any individual switch in the tailgate, I think its built into the locking motor at the bottom of the tailgate. I'll send you something that shows how to get at the motor itself.

 

Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing. Rats, I have to pull off the rear interior panel again... probably breaking some more clips. Do we know of a source to get replacement clips instead of having to buy them in lots of 10 from the dealer?

Thanks!
Bryan

 

Just sent the PM's, I don't know where to get the clips (you talking about the white V shape clips that hold the panels to the tailgate or the white push pin type ones?). I need about 5-6 of those pins :lol: I been borrowing them from other parts of the car to secure panels back together :facepalm:

edit: From PM I sent cassb (to let other people know if they run into this problem). There are a few pins that send a signal to various ECU's about the latch position (being open vs closed/overclosed/partially closed), and other various switches. That probably controls the car "knowing" if the door is open or closed. It is part of the tailgate locking motor.

 

You should be able to get the trim panel clips form any good auto parts store Napa have them in packs of 7 how ever they may sell the individually in store.

 

Thanks, that's good to know. I'll check, although American stores may be different from Australian.

 

Are you sure it's the rear door warning and not the rear glass?

Yesterday I was loading some stuff in the back and opened the glass (not the entire door). Later in the day I got the warning after opening and closing the rear door a number of times. Turned out it was the glass that was not latched completely. Closed the glass again making sure it was latched properly and all has been well since.

My take is I didn't get the glass latched securely and opening and closing the rear door caused it to pop loose.

 

I did check both the glass and the door and both are latched. I'm not sure though, what the warning means when it says "Back Door"... maybe it does mean just the glass? Is there a switch in the glass latch too?

 

I think I got it fixed at lunch time today. I took off the back inside panel and removed the latch mechanism. There are two parts to it. The metal part that bolts onto the door, and a plastic part that is fitted with one small screw onto the metal part. The metal part contains the contact points for the switch to tell when it open or closed. Since there is grease in there for the moving parts, the grease can get on the contacts. I used some brake cleaner and fine sandpaper and cleaned them and put it back together. It seems to work correctly.

Now... one problem in putting it all back together. I lost one of the white clips on the left side panel inside the door and can't get it out! I hear it sliding in there when I open/close the door, but can't for the life of me find out where the heck it is in there. Somewhere near the upper left corner of the door, but I've stuck wire and tools in the little holes and can't touch it. It's going to drive me nuts hearing it sliding around in there when you open the door, so I have to get it out. Help!

 

Now... one problem in putting it all back together. I lost one of the white clips on the left side panel inside the door and can't get it out! I hear it sliding in there when I open/close the door, but can't for the life of me find out where the heck it is in there. Somewhere near the upper left corner of the door, but I've stuck wire and tools in the little holes and can't touch it. It's going to drive me nuts hearing it sliding around in there when you open the door, so I have to get it out. Help!

Glad to hear you got it working :thumbsup:

Now as for how to get that clip.... I warned you in the PM about those stupid things :lol:
I have no idea how to get them, because I have 2 in the top section (below spoiler) rolling around every-time I open the tailgate. :headbang:

 

Please share PM

Hi,

I'm having the same issue with my 2010. Sweeneyp I get a copy of the PM that helped user "cassb" solve their issue?

Thank you.

 

:welcome: to TN!

:gotpm:

 

Sweeneyp, I'd love that PM too...wife is having the same issue with her 2011 Highlander LE.

 

rear door ajar warning

My Toyota Certified 2010 Highlander developed the same problem at 54K miles.Very annoying. Quoted $560 to fix at dealer. I complained vocally to Toyota and also reported it online. Toyota agreed to cover cost of repair. It probably helped that I am a loyal customer of the dealer and have purchased 4 cars from them. I do believe that Toyota should fix this known defect without having to go through the hassle of making a formal complaint to Toyota. THAT type of service makes for loyal customers! I hope that Toyota monitors this site and pays attention.

 

sweeneyp, can I get that PM too? Mine just started doing it.

Thank you.

 

I don't have access to my file hosting site right now (its domain is blocked at work :facepalm so I'll get it to you later tonight. If you don't hear from me sometime tonight, PM me and remind me :thumbsup:

 

I have the same problem with my 2010 Highlander SE 4WD. I'm pretty sure it is the rear door and not the rear glass because there is a seperate warning for each and it displays the Rear Door.

My model has a small entry point near the lock mechanism so I didn't have to take off the entire back gate panel (phew). There are three bolts to unscrew that hold the lock mechanism and I was able to wiggle the entire mechanism through the entry point. It has an electrical connection held by push lock that is easy to seperate.

Once I had the lock mechanism out, I sprayed it with goo gone, a rag and then compressed air. I cleaned it as well as I could. I then reinstalled it and took it for a test drive. It stopped dinging with the door open warning!! I thought I was good to go but later in the day it started again... and now it happens even more. Before it was just on bumps and curbs (or sometimes turning left), but now it happens almost constantly. I'm pretty sure I need to replace the part.

I've tried to find the part by searching online and the lock mechanism appears to be called an actuator. When I try to seach for the actuator, all I can find is the front and rear door actuators (driver and passenger). I can't find one for the back gate. Does anyone have a part number for this or a link to the part?

EDIT - think I found it here: http://www.villagetoyotaparts.com/showAssembly.aspx?ukey_assembly=322543&ukey_product=2232025

It looks like it is part # 69350 in that diagram. It is $205, ugh. I'll see if I can find it for cheaper and psot again if I do.

EDIT #2 - I found it for $189 here: http://www.toyotamcdonoughparts.com...CK-ASSY--BACK-DOOR-COMFORT-PACKAGE-WITHPOWER-BACK-DOOR/43199261/6935028160.html

EDIT #3 - $165 here: http://www.toyotapartsoverstock.com/p/__/LOCK-ASSY--BACK-DOOR/4060676/6935028150.html

Before I purchase, I think I will try to clean it again. I hate to replace the part if all it needs is a good cleaning...

 

Rear door warning when it's closed Reply to Thread

I am having same problem with my 2011 Highlander rear door locking mechanism saying that it is open but is actually closed. I took the locking mechanism out - the metal part and the plastic part attached by a small screw as described by cassb. Do you have to separate the metal and plastic apart to clean and sand the contacts inside the locking mechanism? Or was the contact on the outside of the metal part. I am unable to remove the small screw because thread-loc was used. I plan to drill through it but wanted to confirm that the contacts are inside before doing so.

Thanks.

 

I am having same problem with my 2011 Highlander rear door locking mechanism saying that it is open but is actually closed. I took the locking mechanism out - the metal part and the plastic part attached by a small screw as described by cassb. Do you have to separate the metal and plastic apart to clean and sand the contacts inside the locking mechanism? Or was the contact on the outside of the metal part. I am unable to remove the small screw because thread-loc was used. I plan to drill through it but wanted to confirm that the contacts are inside before doing so.

Thanks.

I was never able to identify the contacts but I sprayed a bunch of goo gone inside both parts after separating them. I then sprayed it liberally with compressed air to clean it further.

After I first did this, the warning went away for about 10 minutes then came back even worse. I thought I broke the part because it got really bad. I took it apart one more time and sprayed it more with compressed air and cleaned it with a paper towel as well as I could. This time it worked! I did this over a week ago and it hasn't happened since. Good luck!

 

Thanks to cassb I got this thing fixed following cassb instructions. If the dealer had fixed this problem they would probably have replaced the whole part. Simple fix. Took about 30 minutes. Than cassb.

 

Hi,

I am also having the same issue with my 2010. Sweeneyp Can I get a copy of the PM that helped user "cassb" solve their issue? If I could get a copy of the wiring diagram for that switch it would be helpful too.

Thanks much

 

There is apparently 2 types of latches for the rear hatch. One for power lift and one for manual lift. I have a manual lift and the latch has 3 contacts in the connector. I was able to shake the hatch when it was closed, and get the warning to flash on and off. After removing the latch assy, I separated the plastic actuator part from the steel latch and found grease only on the plastic pin that moves the copper strap when the latch goes to the full closed position. this grease is necessary to reduce wear on the plastic pin. The ohmeter showed the switch working ok, so I reassembled the latch and reinstalled it.
With the hatch open, I used a phillips screwdriver shank to simulate the striker and moved the latch to the full closed position. No amount of jiggling would cause the warning to come on. The problem was the latch was never going to the fully closed position. Toyota made no provision for latch or striker adjustment, so I removed the three latch mounting bolts and slotted the holes with a round file, about .030" so I could move the latch closer to the striker. That did the trick and it works fine now. I suspect the reason that it latched ok for 4 years, and then started to act up, is caused by the rubber bumpers on the bottom corners of the hatch getting less pliable as they age.
Thanks to the comments on this thread, I decided to check it out before giving the dealer over 500 bucks to replace a perfectly good latch.

Update: The Real Fix.. 500 miles later the problem came back during left turns. I isolated the problem to the latch by disconnecting the connector and driving around. I again removed the latch and separated the plastic actuator from the steel latch assembly. When looking inside the latch you can see the copper strap that is the switch. At the back end, the strap lays against a copper pin when the latch is open. As you close the latch you will see the plastic pin move the copper strap (looking thru the front end) and looking thru the back end you will see the end of the copper strap move away from the copper pin when the latch is fully closed and locked. At this point there should be at least .030" ( about 3 credit cards thick) clearance between the strap and the pin. Mine had about .005 (the thickness of 2 sheets of paper). Unlock the latch by moving the little silver lever. With the latch unlocked I slid a small hooked awl in the back end between the strap and the latch wall. by twisting the awl I bent the middle of the strap toward the plastic pin slightly. Now when the latch was closed the end of the copper strap moved away from the copper pin about .030". I reassembled everything and went out for a test. No more problems.

 

Can I just disconnect the rear hatch Warning?

Update: The Real Fix.. 500 miles later the problem came back during left turns. I isolated the problem to the latch by disconnecting the connector and driving around. I again removed the latch and separated the plastic actuator from the steel latch assembly. When looking inside the latch you can see the copper strap that is the switch. At the back end, the strap lays against a copper pin when the latch is open. As you close the latch you will see the plastic pin move the copper strap (looking thru the front end) and looking thru the back end you will see the end of the copper strap move away from the copper pin when the latch is fully closed and locked. At this point there should be at least .030" ( about 3 credit cards thick) clearance between the strap and the pin. Mine had about .005 (the thickness of 2 sheets of paper). Unlock the latch by moving the little silver lever. With the latch unlocked I slid a small hooked awl in the back end between the strap and the latch wall. by twisting the awl I bent the middle of the strap toward the plastic pin slightly. Now when the latch was closed the end of the copper strap moved away from the copper pin about .030". I reassembled everything and went out for a test. No more problems.

I took this all apart on my 2011 'HL but couldn't follow your terminology or maybe our parts were different. But I did figure it out! Getting the screw out without ruining it was tough but possible. I used the correct driver size and one hand to push in hard and the other to turn very carefully. Bending the flat spring contact was tricky with a mix of tiny tools but I lucked out. I won't miss the weeks of that dang alarm going off. It had one guest climbing up the wall. Somehow, I don't think this fix will last forever, as the metal is just getting fatigued.

Is there a wiring diagram? I would be just fine being able to lock and unlock the door. Screw the Warning messing with the display.

Ron

 

Hey Sweeneyp, can I get that pm also, my 2011 is having the same issue, just went out of warranty and dealer wants almost $800 lol crooks.

 

Well I removed the back panel twice and cleaned the latch as described by cassb and the problem returned in a short while. I then removed the hook to which the latch connects and turned it around. That also worked for a while. I then manually tripped the latch to the closed position and let the latch rest on the hook as if closed and the warning light went out and stayed out. Left it that way for a day or so. That proved to me that the latch was not closing all the way. So here what I did to so far to fix the problem. Facing the door opening I took a hammer and hammered the hook a little to the right (toward passenger side) to close the latch more and that so far appears to have resolved the problem.

Hope this helps guys.

 

I have the same situation like yours but mine got never fixed. I am wondering if I should just disconnect the electric connection so that I don't hear that annoying noise. My door locks just fine.

 

Help please

Not sure if anyone is still following this threat but...
I am having a similar problem to the originally stated warning coming on the display panel (and interior lights coming on) that says the LEFT rear door is open when it's not? I'm driving along and the warning/beep keeps flashing and lights come on and off like the rear door switch is bad or something. Where is the switch that tells the car that the door is closed?? This only happens when driving around a sharp right hand curve. I have double checked and the door is closed securely and there is nothing in the click switch that should be sensing door closed. Does anyone know if there is anything that would be activated when going around a corner??

 

Thanks for posting this information. The "back door open" message displayed on our Highlander although we were certain the door was shut. We took it to the dealership and they said the rear hatch was bent and recommended a trip to the body shop. I followed your suggestion and cleaned the limit switch and bent the contact a little to increase the amount of pressure it applied. We haven't had the message for a week now, which included some bumpy roads. Thanks!

 

SP, is this a sticky and/or in the FAQ section?

 

^ is now

 

Fixed!

Thanks to info gleaned from this forum, I successfully eliminated the rear door warning problem on my 2010 Highlander. The occurrence of this problem had become so frequent that it was almost unbearable (I noticed that it gets worse with higher temperatures) so I was forced to seek out a solution. My search brought me to this forum.

I was able to remove the latch assembly from the tailgate without removing the full back panel thanks to the small access slot just above the latch assembly (just had to pop out a small plastic cover). Once I detached the cable harness I wrestled the assembly through the access slot then removed the screw that fastens the mechanical latch assembly to the electrical piece. This screw was stuck tight so required removal using needle nose vise grips which effectively destroyed the screw. So, I then had to drill out the hole that accepts this screw and self-tap it with a new similar-sized screw.

On to the real repair: On the electrical piece of the latch assembly is a tiny copper clip into which a metal tab fits when the latch is closed. I simply bent in one side of this clip using a small nail. This ensured that the two sides would have tight contact when the metal tab was pressed into it (when the latch is closed) to ensure the circuit stays closed.

One hiccup during re-install was that I forgot to tighten the screw before re-installing the assembly in the lift hatch. The result: the first attempt at opening the rear door resulted in the electrical half of the latch assembly detaching from the mechanical half of the latch assembly while inside the lift door. So, I now had a rear hatch that was stuck in the closed position. I had to find and toggle the metal tab in the latch assembly that manually opens the latch to re-open the lift door (which required awkwardly hanging through the rear glass opening and fishing for the metal tab through the small access panel opening with a coat hanger).

Thanks to all who contributed their knowledge and experience here. Very helpful.

 

Hi, I'm having the same issue with my 2010 Highlander. Sweeneyp, can you also send me a copy of the PM that you sent "cassb" with the fix?