RAV4 power tailgate retro fit

[Leon Roadley]

Hi. Just bought a 69 plate RAV4 Hybrid, Icon model. I traded in a 64 plate RAV4 Icon. The previous car had a powered tailgate and I do miss it. I have quotes of around £1700 pounds from UK ( mobility companies really) but a quote from Hansshow for a kit from China @$399 plus fitting. Any experience of retro fit and reliability would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks. 

[Avalon]

Retrofit kits are £200-300ish inc VAT from China before discount (Ali-Express) it’s a pretty simple and straight forward fit, several videos on YouTube show you the step by step process.

As you’re doing it anyway, adding a kick sensor is quick and easy too.

[Leon Roadley]

Thank you very much for the reply. I have seen the videos and tempted to DIY, but getting on a bit these days. I can get it fitted for £280, by an Installation Engineer that normally fits the same kits to Teslar cars, but not to a RAV as yet. The question really is reliability. Don,t want to have fitted and hole cut for opening button etc, then only last a month or so and not able to open my tailgate. Have you had a kit ? how long did it last ?  The company in China ( Hansshow) very helpful, but if a component fails, I think the best I would get would be a replacement component. My wife thinks I should learn to live with the standard manual opening (-:  

[Avalon]

You shouldn’t need a hole cut - the blank ‘button’ cover should pop out in the switch panel on the dash and the switch pops in, everything else will just be removing trim panels and running cable etc. as per the video. In terms of reliability I haven’t personally used a tail lift kit, but it’s pretty simple technology and well within the capabilities of Chinese manufacturing - most of the UK supplied kits will likely come from China anyway at this point. I wouldn’t expect them to be inherently unreliable.

[Leon Roadley]

Thank you for your help.