Hi all, The previous owner of my prius broke the plastic piece above the license plate. This is the piece that I believe houses the backup camera and has the latch for the back hatch. Anyway I have tried to repair using super glue - and I keep breaking it by pulling up on it when lifting the hatch. Anyone have a solution for this? The plastic seems pretty flimsy and I can't believe that it is set up this way. Also - is there a release button for the hatch inside the cabin? I can't seem to find one if it exists. Thanks, Rob
It’s a pretty common problem. Search around and you will find the solution. As far as opening the hatch from the inside the procedure is in the owners manual.
Mine broke trying to open tailgate on a 10 Degree Fahrenheit night. The door was frozen and the plastic part broke easily. The part was 350$ or so. I could not quickly find one online in salvage yards. Ended up using duct tape. I have since seen two other cars similarly using duct tape, One parked next to my car just yesterday.
It's called a rear hatch garnish and it was not designed to be a handle for lifting the tailgate. They made it in a way that the button should be pushed to release the hatch lock and then the hatch should be lifted from the bottom. There are many threads through here talking about it. Amazon sells a black, non painted, reinforced one starting at about $50.
