Trunk door keeps popping open with bumps on road

[somerandomguy1]

Good afternoon,

The trunk door pops open on this 1990 toyota corolla with the bumps on the road. Then when I close the trunk door it takes a couple of tries and bending the latch on the trunk. Here are some pics:

Thanks

 

[AutoMechanic]

The latch base looks messed up like it’s been dented up. My guess is that would be the problem.

 

[somerandomguy1]

What could be done about the latch base being messed up?

 

[atikovi]

Duct tape will fix that.

 

[EA82]

lube that baby a little bit.

 

[samven]

The latch nose is worn and the engagement surface thats suppose to hold it closed is worn down and the bar is worn thin so it can slip between the latch hook. You could put a bit of weld on the hook nose and the mating surface between the hook and latch and file them smooth but with the hook closed up another 1/8" or so.

 

[dishdude]

That latch design looks like something from the Soviet Union and the strike looks like it's from a Cuban '57 Chevy,

 

[dishdude]

The latch base looks messed up like it’s been dented up. My guess is that would be the problem.

Latch base? It's called a strike. Reminds me of a time I was test driving a car and I commented there was no tach. The salesman was like a what? I described a tach and he said "oh you mean an RPM monitor!"

 

[AutoMechanic]

What could be done about the latch base being messed up?

Probably will need to be replaced. We hand things like this to the body shop lol. So I’m not too sure how they usually go about fixing them.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Latch base? It's called a strike. Reminds me of a time I was test driving a car and I commented there was no tach. The salesman was like a what? I described a tach and he said "oh you mean an RPM monitor!"

I was going to say that but for some reason I kept thinking that wasn’t the striker .

 

[spasm3]

You are going to have to pound that back into shape. Or cut it out and weld in one from the junkyard

 

[dishdude]

Welding? A bungee can solve all OP's woes.

 

[01rangerxl]

It looks like someone tried to pry their way into the trunk, causing all that back panel damage, plus probably wearing out the last bit of grip the latch had.

You at least need a new or less worn latch and to adjust the striker to compensate for all the damage back there. Might need to try to pry the back panel back into shape a bit.

 

[Gimpy1]

From the pics that rear body panel looks like its been pushed in has this can ever been in an accident? If you look at the rear right corner and follow the panel to the left it looks bowed inward towrs the front of the car. The striker is messed up to those are easily replaced and some lube wouldn't hurt.