# 05 Chevy Colorado Crew Cab Tailgate wont open

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/05-chevy-colorado-crew-cab-tailgate-wont-open/86497>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [August 9, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/05-chevy-colorado-crew-cab-tailgate-wont-open/86497 "2014-08-09T03:13:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rlyles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/50afbb/32.png) [@rlyles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rlyles)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/05-chevy-colorado-crew-cab-tailgate-wont-open/86497/1 "2014-08-09T03:13:31Z")

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I have an 05 chevy colorado and I cant seem to get the tailgate to open. When you pull the handle to open it, you feel a slight click like you would if it would open but it wont budge. Ive tried pushing into it and pulling, ive had someone sit in the bed and push while i pulled and nothing is working. Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2014, 5:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/05-chevy-colorado-crew-cab-tailgate-wont-open/86497/2 "2014-08-09T05:10:20Z")

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Is the inner sheet of metal attached via a row of screws around the circumference (a common tailgate design)? If so, removing the inner panel should give you access to the latch workings. Typically, there’ll be a central mechanism that pulls two metal rods, one on either side, to release the latches. One of yours may have somehow become unattached.

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**Author:** ![rlyles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/50afbb/32.png) [@rlyles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rlyles)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2014, 5:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/05-chevy-colorado-crew-cab-tailgate-wont-open/86497/3 "2014-08-09T05:38:21Z")

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I checked that. It was the main mechanism that was slightly out of place. I got mad when trying to figure the thing out and hit it… and now it works just fine, but thanks for helping

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**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2014, 5:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/05-chevy-colorado-crew-cab-tailgate-wont-open/86497/4 "2014-08-09T05:44:33Z")

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When faced with a problem just get a bigger hammer.

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2014, 8:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/05-chevy-colorado-crew-cab-tailgate-wont-open/86497/5 "2014-08-09T08:48:13Z")

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In the Air Force we called that “brogan maintenance”. As in “hit it with a shoe”.  
Congratulations. I hope the fix holds permanently.