2004 RX 330 back hatch won't open
 

Tried to open the rear hatch with the key. No lights flashing. No beep.

Dead.

Tried to open it with the switch under the steering wheel. No lights flashing. No beep.

Dead.

I have an appointment at Lexus but this sounds like warranty stuff to me -- sudden death of rear hatch? :egads:

Lexus informed me there is no manual way to open the trunk.

Anyone have insight? Is this a warranty issue? Can I somehow manually open the trunk?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Both methods you described use the power door opener. You don't have to use the power door feature - just unlock all of the doors and then grab the button right above the license plate. The button will release the door and you can pull it up manually.

Also know that there's a switch in the frame of the glovebox that disables the power back door. It's possible that switch got turned off, and that would kill that feature from both the key remote and the button on the dash. To find the switch, open the glovebox and then look at the left side of the frame for a push button. If the button is out, the power feature is disabled.

Of course, all doors have to be unlocked for the power door buttons (remote and dash) to work.

If it's broken, of course it's covered under warranty.

But I can't imagine anybody at Lexus saying there is no way to open the rear door manually. (After all, the power rear door is technically an option.)

Check the cutoff switch in the glove box, as mentioned above, and check the fuse, and by all means be sure that the door will open manually (the side doors have to be unlocked, of course). If you can't do it manually, then maybe the problem is mechanical rather than electrical.

However strangely, not so in my 2007 RX350. I've been able to open the rear power door with the other doors locked and alarm on, despite stated otherwise in the manual. I know this can be achieved by changing the LPS setting (standard is doors need to be unlocked first), but my RX350 came from the dealer like this.

There is no manual latch on the liftgate. If you unlock the doors with the switch on the driver's door, then press the rubber pad that serves as the (electrical) liftgate latch over the license plate, and lift it up, it should open manually unless there is a mechanical problem with the latch itself. That is definitely a warranty item.

If your power liftgate is not operating, opening and closing it manually will reset the body computer that controls its operation and normal function should be restored. In over three years, I've had that happen twice - but it's one of those things that won't fail on the service drive. If it happens again, I'll let the dealer change out that body computer before I run out of warranty, because it was a known issue on early 330s.

Thank you!
 

You guys are geniuses! I'm really ticked off at the dealer for telling me the rear hatch couldn't be opened manually :mad:

I unlocked the doors and tried the button in the glove box (boy, it was hard to find!). It was in. I tried pushing it out and back in -- still dead.

Then I took the advice of the last poster and opened the door manually (I couldn't find the latch before -- so thanks to all of you who told me where it was -- above the license plate).

I manually opened the door. Still dead.

I closed the door -- I heard the motors working. Then I tried it with the key

AND IT WORKED.

I am taking it in tomorrow for the clips under the console recall and will ask them to note the door problem and ask them to check the body computer to see if it needs to be replaced under warranty.

Thanks to all of you -- I'll lay odds the dealer would have charged me a few hundred to "fix" this problem.:woot:

The '04 330s (and I think the 05s and 06s also, but I'm not sure) cannot be set to allow the key buttons to open the rear door before the side doors are unlocked.

On the 350s (and maybe the '06 330s), the car can be set to allow the rear door button on the key to open the rear door while the others remain locked. I believe these cars can also be set to emit zero beeps (wouldn't that be nice).

The rest of us will have to continue to unlock the doors with one push, then use the other button to open the rear door while we listen to it beep at least twice.

Update
 

Took the RX in today to get the center clips fixed on recall.

Told them of the rear hatch problem and suggested a computer problem.

Result?

1 hour later I got my car back with a NEW computer (cost $500 to Lexus) and new clips ($40 I think).

Thanks for your help guys -- I'd have hated to pay for that out of warranty.

Yes. The liftgate can be opened on my RX350 while doors are remain locked.

Which of these TSBs address this problem:
BO004-06 REAR DOOR STAY IMPROVEMENT
EL002-04 POWER BACK DOOR INOPERATIVE

I don't think any TSB addresses the problem posed by the OP.

His rear door would not open and it was eventually diagnosed as a "computer problem," which is pretty rare. (We all thought he had the switch in the glove box set incorrectly.)

The intermittent operation of the power back door (PBD) is EL002-04. Solution, as mentioned above, is replacement of the PBD ECU. It applies to 2004 RX 330 only.

This has happened a few times to my GF's 2004 RX, I'll have to get the dealer to check it out too.

2005 RX 330 back hatch closes but doesnt open
 

Pls my rear boot doesnt open if i press the button on the remote key bt if i open it manually and uses the remote key to close it,it does close.What could the problem be?

Also know that there's a switch in the frame of the glovebox that disables the power