Pop & Lock Custom Tailgate Lock - Power - Black

This is an excellent product, however when I opened the box it was plain to see there was no split loom covering over the supplied wiring harness. etrailer was very apologetic and was willing to send me the split loom or credit me the cost of the covering. ($6) Plus they were available to answer the phone on a Saturday!

The installation video posted on this site was very helpful. My particular vehicle is an access cab, so there were a few differences. No need to go beyond the driver side kick board covering to find the correct wires for connection. I also drilled my own hole and used a 1/2" grommet in the bottom of the tail gate for a cleaner install. One tip I would suggest is to find a block of wood equal to the gap between the tailgate and body of the truck for drilling this hole. I noticed on the video the technician did not do this. Very important if you want a clean hole in the metal.

Product works as advertised. Not going to lie, I was upset with the lack of split loom covering on the wiring harness. Overall I think etrailer.com is a great source for parts and information.

-Mark97813

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Patrick B.

9/3/2013

Pop and Lock recently changed these kits. They no longer include the wire loom. Per the requests of many installers, they opted for a heavy jacket around the wire rather than a corrugated loom that for some was making installations slower. A smooth jacket is easier to to snake through tight areas than a corrugated loom. Once we were aware of this change, we got the ball rolling to update our photos and shortly we will have all of these listings updated.

Mark L.

9/7/2013

Thanks for the update Patrick!

Mark L.

9/1/2014

Still working as well as the day I put it in - Mark

by: Ronnie 07/19/2023

Toyota Tacoma

Ordered this product on recommendation from a friend and the good reviews was a plus. The kit contained everything for installation and instructions made it simple.I installed it on a Toyota Tacoma that had a bed cover and never had a tailgate lock and worked perfect to keep others from opening the tailgate and see what tools was in there. The kit works with the passenger door lock and very simple to install. A awesome product at a fair, price been working over a year now with no issues.1627259

it is an good lock for the tail gate it you have a one of the hard top bed covers but, you have to do a little modification to it. Ok just by installing to with the one screw (using a lock nut) if you apply enough force to the tail gate handle it will move from its place and the gate will open (Pop&lock needs to fix this problem). What i did is i use tie wraps to hold it in place so if you force the tailgate handle it will not move. I thinking on making a better modification but for the time being this works fine.114364

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I installed this lock on my 2013 Tacoma 4x4 Crew Cab. The lock was easy to install and took about 4 hours (taking my time). The Pop a Lock kit contained all the hardware required for the install and there was no surprises. The lock works well! I'm really glad I bought this. 96819

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by: Periklis11/22/2023

Only 80 % installed wiring diagram not clear enough to hook up to work.1695183

Jenny N.

11/22/2023

To be honest I agree that the written instructions could be better. I have included a link to a video install on a 2012 Toyota Tacoma to help.

Helpful Links

tv-install-pop-and-lock-2012-toyota-tacoma-pal8521.aspx

Readers: I think the following is very useful information. Perhaps a bit wordy, but you should consider......& take the time to read. It might answer a few questions that I had myself before purchasing the product.

Product is high quality, very simple to install, and functional. Locking function is simple: It extends and retracts a steel bar to either allow or obstruct the movement of OEM cam which pulls the rods which acuate the side tailgate latches. Absolutely everything is included in kit for a one-stop installation (no need to run to hardware store to aquire missing parts...)

Video provided by eTrailer.com is extremely accurate. A novice installer would benefit from the instructional. Even an experienced tech would appreciate it.

My truck is a '10 Tacoma w/ Extended Cab (the model where the rear doors open "backwards"). The factory power wires are located behind the front kick-panel, not under the floorboard. ...should be obvious because there are no power locks extending any further back than the front door. Therefore, remove the floorboard edges for routing the wires to the front, but don't look there for any OEM wires to splice into because they don't exist until you reach the front kick-panel. It's a maze of wires, but with some evaluation, common sense, and process of elimination, you'll find the Blue-Black and Blue-Red wires. (Side note: The Blue-Red looks a bit like Blue-Pink).

Without sounding conceited, I consider myself an expert installer. The project took me about 1 hour (with the majority of time taking care to do a quality job of routing the Pop-Lock power wire from tailgate to the front.) In order to assist your customers, I wish to comment on two alternatives in my installation:

Instead of drilling a new hole in bottom of tailgate as video describes, utilize the existing camera wire loom. Take some time to unlatch the support clips and carefully cut the loom open. It's a tight fit, but with enough patience, the PopLock wires can be inserted into the OEM camera wire loom and follow the same route. This results in a very clean and professional looking installation.

The second alternative was to splice the Pop-Lock wires into the PASSENGER side Blue-Black and Blue-Red wires instead of the Driver side. Reason is Functionality: Most vehicle owners have the OEM Remote Transmitter to lock/unlock the doors. We expect only the driver door to unlock with one click, and the remaining doors to unlock with two successive clicks. I wanted my tailgate to follow this same pattern. I didn't want my tailgate locking / unlocking every time I pushed the buttons. Even if you try to be slick and unlock the driver door by old-fashioned insert-key-into-lock-cylinder-and-turn..... wrong. The door-lock cylinder mechanism has a sensor and will send an unlock signal to the Pop-Lock regardless.

Final Comment: I love it. I have a higher comfort level knowing my items are more secure, and that the tailgate latch is completely unmodified from the outside, meaning no interference with the OEM camera, either. Pop-Lock is well worth the investment.116146

Schrimp

2/10/2015

So its been about a year since installation. It works great: Absolutely nothing negative to comment. I like how the tailgate unlocks in synch with the passenger door needing 2 successive clicks from the keyless transponder - note that I wired it into the PASSENGER side OEM wires. There is no electrical interference with the Pop-Lock wires running in the same loom as the OEM camera wire the camera image remains clear. The Pop-Lock gives a nice solid clack sound when activated some people might find this sound objectionable. But it gives me the comfort of knowing the mechanism moved. Just by adding some sound-deadening material to inside tailgate can silence the clacksound, if desired. It is a strong unit piece. I tried pulling hard on the tailgate handle for simulated criminal tampering... I think the door handle would break outside before the inner workings would fail. Wonderful product!

This product was used on a 2013 Toyota Tacoma 2wd 4 door Prerunner. Awesome product and I love the video, just a "breeze to install" said my son who spent about an hour. What I like about this lock compared to the key lock is obviously no key, but you can lock yourself in while camping, you know in case a bear gets a little curious. We used loctite on the bolt threads based on other reviews and also he choose to route the wire harness straight up the center channel panel instead of going through the engine compartment and used silicone to fill and gaps. I will definitely come back to eTrailer, their customer service is great, the shipping was fast and the website was easy to maneuver. 89808

Jim J.

7/22/2014

awesome product...thanks again

Great product, highly recommended if you need to lock your tailgate. Much more convenient than carrying an extra key plus there are no ugly aftermarket parts showing.

Installation was easy thanks to the etrailer video. Can be challenging (but not impossible) to do by yourself so having a buddy would be worth paying them a few beers.

Like other reviewers have said, it does make a bit of noise when the mechanism opens and closes but it is not a deal breaker for me. Be sure to put the lock washer in, I can see how the bolt will come loose after repeated use.66815

Andrew

2/19/2014

Yes I still like the lock, it works the same as when I installed it, just great!

The product information says installs in minutes, not true, installs in a hour if your proficient with your hands and autos. I had a little trouble with the wiring instructions, but received excellent tech support, which cleared things up and the installation went flawlessly. The product works great, but will see if it holds up to long term use. I would recommend this product to anyone wanting to put a lock on the tailgate of their truck, what a great convenience instead of a keyed lock.88323

Jeff

7/10/2014

Update its been a year later and this product works great, no problems.

Great idea! One central power lock installed inside the tailgate. Easy to install from mechanical point of view. Instruction is very clear at this step. Unfortunately wiring hook up is very unclear in installation instruction. NO pictures or drawing. I've spend 3 hours to figure out where to hook-up the power lock. Once I've installed is working great!!! I love it. Stan17353

Jim

7/14/2013

2013 Toyota Tacoma Dual Cab: My son installed this in an hour, choose to not go through engine compartment with wiring rather straight up to center channel. I used loctite on bolt. Works like advertised, fast shipping. I will do business again. ThanksJim

Good product, and it worked!! Its loud when it operates and it rattles when you close the tailgate. but nothing that a fabricated bracket and itssome sound deadening material can't fix.. Overall its worth it.62929

J. T.

7/22/2014

Going great, no complaints.. Excellent product, recommend it to all my friends with a Tacoma. I still dont know why Toyota doesnt use that as an option.

by: Hunter07/18/2019

Installed over a year ago and still works great! Pretty simple to install, going to need more zip ties than they gave you but other than that the instructions are easy, and there's plenty of helpful installation videos [online].671753

Hunter

8/5/2020

Been a year and it still holding up great, unlocks every time and hasnt needed any help as of yet.

by: Armando 04/28/2021

This electric lock is so much better than changing the tailgate lock! Easy to install, super easy to use, no extra key to carry/use and well made. I purchased a key tailgate lock when I first bought my truck and after 4 years it disintegrated! The quality just didn't match the OEM. This product doesn't require a new handle it works with the original equipment - I'm super happy.1024489

I received my order promptly as usual with etrailer.com. The installation took me about an hour and a half (including the run to the hardware store for some grommets). Following another reviewers suggestion, I ran the cable up the pasenger side. There is a large rubber plug under the right front seat which I ran the cable through. It routed under the carpet into the scuff plate well and forward to the kick panel. The wires are the same color code as the driver side, so the connections were easy. The lock now works when the passenger doors are unlocked.327034

by: Jeff 01/19/2021

Due to my mechanical aptitude and love for anything maintenance related , I installed the electric lock kit with ease. (Instruction were easy to follow)
The product has been performing flawlessly and is a great way to upgrade your cargo box on your truck.
I would definitely recommend this product to family and friends.939668

This product is simple to instal and i have no handy mechanic experience. The video provided by etrailer is good but there is an easier way to get the cable inside the cab to get the wire connection. Underneath the drivers side on a 2013 tacoma trd double cab there is a wire cap that is just beneath the drivers side where u need to connect the pop & lock wiring. If etrailer can research and edit their video for the new 2013 tacomas it will get a 5 star rating. 89797

I installed on a 2009 Tacoma 4dr TRD and followed Schrimp's logic and the tutorial video and had it all working within an hour. Can't really put it any simpler then that. To get into the cabin though on the passenger side though I ran it through a tube that runs from in the cabin to the engine block and wrapped electrical tape to recreate a seal.

All in all, love the fact my tailgate locks up now and didn't have any denial and failures along the way.555838

I rcvd my order within a few days. The tailgate lock was very east to install. I actually youtubed it but bcz of the lenght of cable I was able to run it along the camera line making the install look clean and stock. Thank you for this amazing product!182396

by: Kerry09/11/2021

Works great.

The wiring system is not simply installed on a Tacoma, took rigging to fit through the tailgate.

The instructions were poor. Was not obvious what side of the Tacoma the wires should be run through, and was not explained adequately in the instructions.

But found videos that explained better.1149401

by: Kevin01/19/2019

This electronic tailgate lock has been excellent for over a year already. Would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone in need of bed/tailgate security.598843

by: Donny K06/21/2019

Toyota Tacoma

The pop and lock has worked awesome for the past year.
It makes a good noise every time I hit the button so I never have a doubt that it’s locked.
I called support when I was installing because I had 1 question about the wire in my Tacoma and there was no wait to speak with someone and they knew exactly what they were talking about, which are both rare when calling support.
I give this 2 thumbs up!
660970

Installation when just as outlined in the video. Works as expected. Convenient, easy to use, don't have to carry another key, it's all good. With my tonneau cover I now have a secure place to keep things.539174

Good product but directions really suck.
Don't need to feed lines thru the fire wall as there is a wire feed bib located at the drivers ide door threshold on 2012 tacoma access cab models. Also wires can be found from wire bundle coming out of the door just to throw left of the parking break. Much much simpler than directions and not shown on 4 door video.433483

After reading many reviews I went a head and ordered one of these for my new 2014 Tacoma. To my surprise the install went really easy. I took the advice of others and went ahead and installed it on the passenger side so that it unlocks only when you unlock all doors on the truck. Start to finish it took about 2-1/2 hours. I can be done quicker but I took my time just to avoid and mishaps. I am really happy with this investment.142248

Using the online video the installation was very easy.1400719