Hatchback/liftgate Hinge problems of the 2013 Toyota Highlander

The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while attempting to close the liftgate, the contact was unable to close the liftgate. The contact had not activated the power assist liftgate motor. The contact used force to close the liftgate. The contact stated that the failure had first been intermittent; however, the failure had become more frequent. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with an on/off switch for the liftgate power assist however, he had turned the assist feature off. The contact had previously had the liftgate motor replaced by a dealer under a manufacturer’s extended warranty program. The contact had taken the vehicle back to the same dealer to have the failure addressed. The dealer diagnosed the failure and determined that the liftgate motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.