After 7.5 years mine are weakening in that they do not open the hatch all the way. I can manually shove the hatch fully open and the struts will hold it (for now) but I have visions of one day they just give way while I'm leaning inside. So are there suitable aftermarket struts available available from AutoZone, O'Reilly's, etc., or are these another Toyota-only item?
I'm pretty sure those can be recharged (perhaps at the dealer). It's a common problem with hatchbacks and SUVs. Mine are beginning to get a bit weak, so I will be asking around soon. Someone else on here can probably give you a more thorough answer.
this is why I'm glad I don't have power seats or a power rear hatch, just one less thing to go wrong. instead of a $500 repair with a power hatch you are probably looking at around $50 for either the dealer to recharge the old struts or to buy new ones and throw them on yourself.
anybody ever figure out which model of Strong Arm Lift Supports the gen II Prius hatch needs? Advance Auto Parts lists 54 different lift supports by Strong Arm, I have my car entered but they don't give any as an "exact match" so I'm a little stumped, any help would be appreciated.
