Hey everyone,

I've been a long-time lurker here and finally decided to make my first post, hoping to contribute and also seek some assistance from this knowledgeable community.

I'm facing a perplexing issue with a 2012 RX350, specifically with the power lift gate. It's completely unresponsive – no beeps or any signs of life when I press the button. Interestingly, I can open it manually by getting into the trunk and releasing it mechanically. Once it's open, pressing the button does cause it to beep and then close.

One temporary fix I found was performing a "battery-hard reset." This seemed to solve the problem momentarily, as the gate opened normally afterward. However, this fix was short-lived; within 20 minutes, the lift gate was back to its unresponsive state.

Has anyone here encountered a similar problem or have any insights on how to troubleshoot this? Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help! 🙏

 

I had the same issue with my old 2010 RX350. I replaced the rear hatch motor with a $80 used lift gate motor I got off Ebay and that solved my problem. The rear hatch still works today about 5 years later. I know the person that owns my old RX350.

I believe that these lift gates motors fail due to the rear supports struts going bad and the motor needing to work harder to open the lift gate. My old 2010 rear hatch support struts were both worn out when my motor went bad; so I assume that the lift gate motor burned itself out trying to solely lift the hatch.

In your case, you may have worn support struts that prevents the lift gate from opening the rear hatch, but the motor still works to close the hatch since it has gravity working on its side. Therefore, you may only have to replace the support struts to solve your issue.

 

StrongArm makes some of the best hood and tailgate struts in the business. My wife's 2015 RX350 got a pair of their hood struts several years ago, and it will get a pair of their tailgate struts when it needs them.

 

This is the correct part?

 

Yes, it seems like the motor I bought. Very expensive new, hence why I went the used salvage motor route.