Q: My car thinks the trunk is always open

asked by on November 07, 2015

My rear gate is always open on my 2010 Toyota Highlander. And by that, I mean that my 2010 Toyota Highlander is convinced that the rear gate is AlWAYS OPEN. It is not always open and the computer cannot seem to tell when I close it. This vehicle has 65,000 miles on it so I will have it for a while. How can I make this madness stop? I’ve closed the gate so many times, I really just want the car to acknowledge that!

This condition is likely caused by the door latch not recognizing that the door is closed. This could be due to mis-alignment of the door, a faulty latch, or a faulty striker. Another possible cause is the improper closing/latching of the rear door glass. A local mechanic, like those with YourMechanic, can diagnose an alignment or electrical issue with the rear door/glass/latching mechanisms.

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