Hatchback hard to open in cold weather??

I smeared some white grease on the rubber, metal on hatch and the strut arms, works much better now and does not stick upon initial opening. (amount of grease: very thin) A normal Winter problem.

 

Try this before you try anything else: Remove the screws holding the rubber cover and use charcoal lighter to remove all remnants of rubber from the switch. Cut a new piece of rubber from an inner tube and replace the old rubber cover. A very inexpensive fix that worked like magic on our Prius which had been having trouble with the hatch latch for several years. As others have said, the rubber covers are flawed and melt into the switch causing it to stick partially closed and partially open. Removing all remnants of the rubber solved the problem for us.

 

Yes...I have the exact same problem. I went out this morning and could not get the hatch to budge because I could not push in the hard rubber piece far enough to get it open. I understand completely. I recently purchased my 2007 Toyota Prius. I think I am going back to the Toyota dealership and see if they will do anything to fix this issue. When I get a warm day I have no problem opening the hatchback. I hurt my back the other day trying to open the hatch. My fingers were sore from trying to get the rubber piece or whatever it is to give any with the cold weather. It has nothing to do with the struts. It's the piece you grab and try to press in to open the hatch. On a very cold day mine will not open. You need iron fingers to do this. I have a battery tender in the back connected to my car battery so I can't drive unless I get the hatch open since there are wires connected to the battery tender. It is definitely a Toyota problem but they act like it doesn't. I would have thought Toyota would have been more reputable.