2007 prius trunk hatch release rubber piece melted

Same model... and exactly same thing for me. Here in Northern California.

 

Toyota just told me that they will reimburse me for the melted cover I had replaced at the dealership. I am sure that being a knowledgeable consumer from what I learned on this site played a big role in the decision.

Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
In the interest of maintaining your patronage as a Toyota customer, and in response to your appreciation of our product, we are willing to offer a one-time offer to reimburse you $221.09 for the rear door handle repair.

 

This seems to be the normal response on this issue, I also got money from Toyota for the repair. YMMV depending on how much they are willing to offer you.

 

Hello! I also live in Florida, and have the same issue with the trunk latch on my 2007 Prius. It started when the car was about 3 years old. When I checked with the dealership, was told the replacement would run around $200. For that price, in this economy, I chose to live with it. The melted rubber latch is now dripping onto my rear bumper, requiring constant awareness so I can remove the tar-like mess before it hardens. It seems this is happening a lot in Florida and other hot climates. I'd consider this a design flaw in the car. If you're marketing the car in tropical climates, an exterior part should not be vulnerable to the standard temps of that region. Toyota is usually good about recalls, but I feel they're dropping the ball here. I'd encourage everyone having this problem to write/call Toyota Corporate and make your voice/concerns known.

 

Recall? No way Toyota will issue a recall for this. There's no safety concern. Hence, nothing will be done to correct the concern. Toyota might pay for it if you ask though.

 

I agree that this is a cosmetic issue, not safety; and Toyota is not going to recall cars over this. As previously stated though, you might get a break on the repair price if you have been having your car serviced regularly at Toyota dealerships.

Or you could pay ~$70 for the switch and DIY as per my thread:
How to Replace the Hatch Opening Switch | PriusChat

 

Just recently, my 2009 Prius' trunk door latch became black, gooey, rubbery mess. It is five years old and kept in my garage here in Central Florida. Needless to say, I am disappointed in this poor quality by Toyota.

 

Well, include this problem for 2009 Prius, kept in a garage....

 

Oh no!

 

I have helped a fellow member change out their switch the disassemble and reassembling work wasn't that bad, for those who want to tackle it yourself this is what I did to swap the switch out for a new one.

TOOLS NEEDED:
-plastic panel tool
-clear coat safe goo gone
- microfiber towel
- 10mm socket
- 10mm open wrench
- Philips screw driver

PART:
new hatch switch Toyota part # 84905-47010


step 1. before starting any mobile electronics work, disconnect negative terminal


step 2:
using plastic panel tool remove lower plastic hatch cover ( start from the side by the "hump" of trim) & remove any stubborn light green clips with a metal trim tool and place back on plastic cover



step 3: disconnect switch harness & remove 4x 10mm nuts holding outer plastic trim ( sorry no photos )
step 4: push switch harness grommet outwards and remove outer plastic trim


step 5: after outer plastic trim is removed from vehicle, remove 5x ( 2x from the switch 3x from metal plate ) Philips screws to disassemble switch assembly. NOTE: The plastic melted so bad I had to use goo gone & plastic panel tool to try the old switch out without scratching the car


step 6: assemble new switch and reverse previous step



reassemble vehicle & reconnect negative terminal! stand back and start rubbing that new switch feeling brand new again, Install time APPROX 1 HOUR ( 45 Mins spent getting the tar off the car)

hope this helps for those who are experiencing the same issue for those with any questions feel free to Pm me as i am always here to help but I do not monitor this thread.

Before :

After:

 

I had the same issue with my 2007 Prius. Handle simply turned to goo. I would have lived with it, but in the winter it freezes solid and you can't depress it to open the truck.

I contacted my local dealer in Edmond, Oklahoma - Bob Howard Toyota - they said it's a common complaint. The repair was $218. I contacted Toyota via their 800# and they 'opened a case' and then called me the next day to tell me they wouldn't cover the repair and I was on my own.

The car just rolled over 100,000 miles. I'll be trading it in for a new car soon - it won't be a Toyota after this. They know they used an inferior part and don't care to make it right.

 

This is really the first time I heard Toyota deny help on replacing this switch. Many posts have mentioned Toyota assisting. I also contacted Toyota and they used the exact same language but I was able to get $500. I think Toyota has been very generous in assisting with this matter.

Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
In the interest of maintaining your patronage as a Toyota customer, and in response to your appreciation of our product, we are willing to offer a one-time offer to reimburse you $500 for any future repairs or parts purchase from an authorized Toyota dealer.

 

or you can just purchase the part and replace it yourself its not that hard swaping the switch out and the part itself is pretty cheap

 

I see this is a pretty old post but I'll reply anyway. Same problem on my '07. I ordered new switch assy from dealer for about $70. You get a new switch, attached wiring harness and new rubber gasket piece. Biggest problem was removing cover on inside on hatch lid. It wasn't obvious how to remove it. Just grab it by the edges and pull it off. All of the clips were undamaged and it was easy to pop it back in place after the job. Once I figured how to remove the cover, the job of replacing the switch and harness only took about 30 minutes.

 

Just chiming in...I have a 2007 and have the same problem. Sticky mess in the summer and near impossible to open the hatch when it's cold and gets hard in the winter. Definitely a defect with these rubber handles. I will try contacting Toyota and see what they say.

 

Just worked your magic on my '06, and we both feel great! Thanks so much for the recipe. All I Added was Shoo Goo

 

apparently, Toyota used the same lousy rubber on scions.

I bought a new handle from ebay for a decent price and replaced when I changed my tag bulbs.

 

Yep, both of my 2007 Prii have the melting rubber on the hatch handle. I have the non-sks part and will cut and solder in the new switch this weekend on one Prius (wife's) first, will do mine next. Cost for the part was <$50 from an online toyota parts store.

I've driven a few different brands of cars and I have to say, Toyota is my favorite, in terms of reliability and maintenance cost.

You have to be dumb to say you'll stay away from Toyota because of the melting hatch handle issue on a batch of Priii.

 

I removed the microswitch from the old handle and put it in the new handle to avoid any soldering or removing the possibly seized screws for the locking button. you might be able to do that too. some clever gentleman on this site did that and posted about it.

 

Having the same problem with my 2008 model. Just happened to have a plastic cover that almost fit perfectly. Only had to shave a little plastic off the long side of the switch housing. Made a gasket out of some tool drawer liner. Used a small sized wood chisel which worked very well to remove the bulk of the goo, then used flux remover which easily washed away all remaining goo. Flux remover can be harmful to some plastics but did no harm to the plastic used in this switch nor did it damage the surface of the rear panel.