There are one or two others that have reported this issue. I recall one looked like there was some scuffing on the trim which could possibly explain why it cracked. Does not seem to be a prevalent problem.
IMHO; this should be covered under your 3-year, 36K-mile bumper-to-bumper factory warranty - unless the dealership can point to some sort of abuse or impact damage. (ie. bumper dings, where someone tapped your bumper while parking or garage door came down on it.)
Taking it in this Saturday so we’ll see. I close my hatch from the inside pull handle so I don’t scratch the black trim. So it’s not from my hands putting pressure on the trim when closing as some others mentioned. Has anyone else with this issue contacted Toyota already I wonder? I’m sure when dealers start submitting claims a bell rings somewhere at Toyota HQ.
Unless there is some sort of contact damage, I can envision the trim cracking if the the hatch is repeatedly slammed shut. Like you, I use the inside pull handle to close mine and I'm careful to not slam it shut. I recall at least one member having it covered under warranty.
In a way not surprising this happens especially if you grab it from the top to just slam it down. The way the 5th gen liftback closes compared to our 3rd gen is a little odd, if you aren't careful it sure does seem to generate a ton of speed and force near the end of the travel right before it latches back on whereas our 3rd gen seems a little more composed in that regard..use the inner handle (another annoyance that the 5th gen only has one while our 3rd gen had 2 one of each end) and just take your time bringing it to a close, it doesn't require much force like a hood..
