You are the first one that I have seen reporting this with a failing gas strut.Recently I have noticed the tailgate is harder to lift. It has a gas assist shock behind the taillight.
Has anyone replaced this shock?
It also assists in lifting/closingThe "shock" is a damper to resist fast movement. I don't think it does any "assist". You may be developing rust in the hinges. Or maybe you made the tailgate heavier by adding a liner, rug, light bar? Or maybe it's just life, I've noticed my basement stairs are a lot steeper than they used to be.![]()