My 2001 needs a tail gate latch handle…again!!

I think this is the 3rd one that shit the bed!!

anyone have same experience or recommend what brand to get? They range from $12-$109….I shud just buy 3 at a clip n keep em at the ready!!

 

Two tips:

1) Handles break when you don't lube the damn tailgate mechanicals, something you should do at least once every couple of years depending on your climate and use.
2) If you buy aftermarket garbage chinesium parts on Scamazon and Fleabay, you're gonna go thru this time and time again and spend far more than OEM over time!

I highly recommend you find a used genuine OEM part on fleabay or at the local junkyard OR go buy a new OEM unit, part number for '01 appears to be 690900C010 or sometimes stylized as

$15 69090-0C010 For Toyota Tundra Truck 00 - 06

69090-0C010, and you should be able to run the same numbers thru eBay to find used parts if you don't want to spend the coin on new.

Better yet - hit your local junkyard or find a part through car-part.com

 

Outstanding!!
Thanks!! I will definitely keep up w lubing mechanicals of handle!!

 

It's usually not the handle that causes it. It's lubing the latches on either side of the tailgate, from the inside and outside.

 

Mine was taking a lot of effort to drop the tailgate, and I knew that if I didn't lube it, something would break. So before that happened i pulled the access panel, cleaned all the pivot and friction points, lubed with some white lithium grease, and now it opens and releases the tailgate with just one finger. Took about 20 minutes.

 

Bought 2 handles to keep one on hand in case in happens again. Will definitely keep an eye on lubing mechanics n linkage of system. And I reinforced the new handles where they always seem to break…along the inside angle of plastic handle.

 

The cheap ones have no glass fiber in the plastic, you can twist the entire assembly by hand. The OE ones are glass fiber reinforced. You can make the cheap ones last by only grabbing the passenger side of the handle.

 

Thanks

 

I had a similar issue on my 01 Sequoia, it broke 2 times the night before a trip (not sure why during the hot summer vs cold winter nights). It was always the plastic piece that was connected to the latch release cable. I never thought about reinforcing that part, but it makes sense. I just put a pair of needle nose pliers in my door pocket to release it.