Close to buying a Yeti, and up to yesterday had been focusing my attention on how it fits my needs as to how it drives etc.

Then, belatedly, checked out the rear seating boot and tailgate.

Was very disappointed and put off by the effort required to close the tailgate.  I am 6ft tall but found it took a  significant effort to close - and became hard work.

I'm surprised that this has not been raised as an issue on this forum before. I appreciate that with its high roofline the tailgate has to further to travel, and that is not helped by the fact that you have to pull it 80% + down before it's weight overcomes the gas strut resistance.

 

Any comments/suggestions welcome.

 

Remove the struts..................... 

Hi Stonyb1. I'm 6ft tall but I wouldn't describe the amount of effort required to close the tailgate on mine as 'significant' or 'hard work'.  It takes no more effort to close than I remember on my previous Roomsters and Berlingo.  I have to wonder if the previous owner the Yeti you inspected had changed the struts at some time for a non OE item.  They have occasionally been known to fail.

 

Try to view another Yeti and if you find the tailgate easier to close, then get the dealer of your proposed purchase to swap the struts for OE items as part of the deal.

I'm only 5'7" and never found the hatch difficult to close.

I don't find it any harder than our Octavia's hatch to pull down although you do struggle with the Yeti's hatch using one hand.

Edited 14 September, 20205 yr by logiclee

I think it's as much about technique as strength.  Being pretty much horizontal when open means you have to pull it down and towards the car (which is away from you) - I always used the pull strap and it did need a decent tug but was not especially difficult; my wife managed, even my 8yo daughter was able to close it.  We did replace the struts and after replacement it was more effort but still doable.  If it's very difficult perhaps a strut is damaged or the hinges need some grease?

Never had a problem and I am 74 years old with dodgy back and 5’ 7” tall. Suggests there is a problem with model you looked at - try another Yeti and see if that is easier then get dealer to solve.

It is noticable on mine if the tailgate is left open for a while (e.g. to keep the car cool on a hot day,) that more effort is subsequently needed to close it.

54 minutes ago, Trevor M said:

It is noticable on mine if the tailgate is left open for a while (e.g. to keep the car cool on a hot day,) that more effort is subsequently needed to close it.

 

My last one was like that.

It was the 'and became hard work' bit that got me, Lol.

 

If a second or two's effort to shut a tailgate is hard work......... Maybe a building job or kitchen fitting or some hard  physical labour might help overcome this issue.

 

No offence intended to anyone......... everyone has their opinion.

17 hours ago, weasley said:

I always used the pull strap and it did need a decent tug but was not especially difficult

 

I find using the pull strap is actually a bit awkward.  Firstly, it's closer to the hinge than just pulling on the outer/bottom edge of the tailgate, so the lever is shorter and thus the force required is higher.  Secondly, you can't pull it all the way down using the strap or you'd find yourself shutting your hand/arm in the tailgate as it closed*.  Doubly awkward for a 6-footer like me: I have to duck down in order to exert a continuous pull on the strap, and then pull my hand out of the way at the last minute.  It all seems a bit unnecessarily athletic.  It may be that the strap is primarily provided for shorter people.

 

Overall, for me, the strap is not the most simple or clever feature of the Yeti.  And the process is not made any easier if the catch is out of alignment, which isn't uncommon (AIUI there have been a number of service actions issued to address that).

 

I find it much simpler just to use the edge of the tailgate and pull it gently 90% of the way down before giving it a final wee shove to latch it closed.  The drawback with that is that your hands get a bit grubby, as the tailgate does accumulate road muck.  Which could be another reason that the strap is provided.  However, I don't find the actual effort involved in that excessive or onerous.  It's no worse than my previous car (Subaru Impreza), or my wife's Polo.

 

Whenever I see cars with self closing tailgates (usually seems to be a Volvo estate at the supermarket driven by a yummy mummy) my thoughts always follow sequence that goes roughly as follows:

1) Ooh look, that's swish

2) Hang on, have we as a species reached the point where we can't even shut a car door without help from an electric motor?

3) Well, I suppose if you've got your hands full with a baby or something**...

4) ...but shouldn't you put the kid in the car first, before trying to load eight bags of heavy shopping into the boot?

5) Oh well, each to his own.

 

* As a general rule I don't think that trying to close a door using a handle on the other side of the door to where you are is a particularly great idea.  Not as bad as trying to open it with said handle, though: I think that's called "breaking and entering".

** Although I don't think I've ever actually seen anyone trying to close their tailgate while thus, or similarly, encumbered.  I'm just trying to be generous.

I pull it down on the edge of tailgate followed for last foot by a finger on wiper spindle.
It is closing a lot better now tha it did 5 years ago when new.

I used the strap largely to avoid mucky fingers.

 

The XC60 that replaced the Yeti, and now the XC40 that replaced that both have power tailgates.  One way these really help us is on the school run - we have to drive to a drop-off zone, at which point the kids exit the car and go the to boot for their stuff.  They can open the boot but my son is too small to reach the close button, so if it's only him being dropped we can close the boot from inside the car.

Thanks for all the above replies - at least some understood the issue ......................
 I realised when I made the OP that I was probably over-reacting - just when compared to the Fabia it is an unaccustomed form of excercise, and as Weasley says, 'as much about technique as strength', and more is required than the simple Fabia technique !