{"id":208310,"date":"2026-08-22T02:24:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T09:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/?p=208310"},"modified":"2026-08-22T02:25:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T09:25:41","slug":"tailgate-cable-symptoms-replacement-cost-and-how-to-fix-a-broken-one-quickref","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/tailgate-cable-symptoms-replacement-cost-and-how-to-fix-a-broken-one-quickref\/","title":{"rendered":"Tailgate Cable: Symptoms, Replacement Cost, and How To Fix a Broken One"},"content":{"rendered":"\nReading Time: <\/span> 5<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

Your tailgate takes more abuse than almost any other panel on your truck or SUV. It gets loaded with lumber, sat on at tailgate parties, stepped on during bed access, and slammed shut a few thousand times over the life of your vehicle. Two small steel cables carry all of that weight, and when one lets go, the tailgate drops, the latch binds<\/a>, or the whole panel hangs crooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tailgate cables<\/a> are cheap, they’re widely available, and most drivers can swap them in under an hour with basic hand tools. Here’s what they do, how to tell when yours are failing, and what to look for when you buy replacements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tailgate<\/a>
Replacement<\/a> tailgate cable available on CarParts.com. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Is a Tailgate Cable?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A tailgate cable, sometimes called a tailgate support cable or tailgate strap, is a short length of braided steel wire with a formed loop or hook on each end. Most trucks and SUVs use a pair, one on the driver side and one on the passenger side. The cable connects the inside edge of the tailgate to a stud or bracket on the bed side, and it stops the tailgate at a horizontal position when you open it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Older trucks used flat metal straps or chains. Modern applications almost always use a vinyl-coated or plastic-sheathed steel cable, which resists rust and keeps the cable from scratching paint. Some Jeep, Nissan, and Toyota SUV applications use a similar cable on a hatch or liftgate assembly<\/a> rather than a pickup bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a>
A-Premium<\/a> tailgate cable available on CarParts.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Does a Tailgate Cable Do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The cable does three jobs at once. First, it acts as a stop, holding the tailgate level with the bed floor so you can slide cargo across it. Second, it carries load, supporting whatever weight sits on the open tailgate. Third, it protects the hinges. Without a working cable, the tailgate swings down past its designed range and puts all the stress on the hinge pins<\/a> and the latch assembly<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This last point matters more than people realize. A hinge or a latch costs a lot more than a cable, and bent sheet metal at the tailgate corner<\/a> isn’t cheap to fix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signs of a Bad or Broken Tailgate Cable<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cable failures are usually visible, but the early symptoms are easy to ignore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n