You’re standing in the parking lot with your arms full of groceries, and your trunk refuses to budge. You pressed the button. Nothing. You tried the key. Still nothing.
A trunk that ignores both the button and the key is annoying, but there are a few things worth checking before you assume the worst. Most of the time, it’s something simple.
Is Your Trunk Stuck in Valet Mode?
Before you start taking things apart, look for the easiest explanation. Many cars have a valet mode that locks the trunk. It’s meant to protect your belongings when someone else parks your car, but it can get switched on by accident.
Check your glove compartment for a small switch or button with a trunk symbol. Make sure it’s not in the locked position. This takes five seconds and fixes the problem more often than you’d expect.
Figure Out If It’s Electronic or Mechanical
Here’s a quick test that tells you what you’re dealing with.
Press your trunk release button, either on your fob or inside your car. Listen carefully to the trunk area. Do you hear anything?
| What You Hear | What It Means |
| Click or whirring sound | Electronics work fine. The latch is stuck. |
| Complete silence | No power getting through. Check your fob battery or fuse. |
This one test saves you from checking things that aren’t broken.
If Nothing’s Happening, Check These
Dead Key Fob Battery
Dead fob batteries cause most trunk release failures. If you have a second fob, try it. If that one works, you just need a new battery. Most fob batteries cost a few dollars at any pharmacy.
If your key fob isn’t responding at all, a dead battery is usually why.
Blown Fuse
Your trunk runs on its own fuse. Pull out your owner’s manual and find the fuse box diagram. It’ll show you which fuse controls the trunk release.
Pull that fuse out and look at it in the light. There’s a thin metal strip inside. If it’s broken or burned, replace the fuse.
Broken Wiring
Sometimes a wire breaks where the trunk hinges. The constant opening and closing wears through the insulation. This one’s harder to spot since the wires run through tight spaces.
If You Hear Clicking, The Latch Is Stuck
You pressed the button and heard a click or whirr, but the trunk stayed shut. The signal’s getting through fine. The latch is jammed.
Dirt, rust, or a tiny misalignment can cause this. Try having someone push down on the closed trunk while you hit the release button. Sometimes that pressure frees it. You can also try pulling up on the trunk lid while pressing release.
Spray some penetrating lubricant around the latch area if you can reach it. Work it back and forth with a screwdriver. Sometimes it just needs oil and movement.
Opening Your Trunk from Inside the Car
Every car made since 2002 has an emergency trunk release inside the trunk. It’s there so nobody gets trapped. Most people forget this exists until they need it.
This is how to get into a stuck trunk from inside if your buttons and keys aren’t working.
Reach the Emergency Trunk Release
You need to access your trunk from inside the car. Fold down your back seats. Most cars have a lever or latch that drops the seat backs forward. Some have a small access door instead.
Look inside the trunk area for the release handle. It glows in the dark and it’s usually bright yellow or green. Most look like a T-shape or a loop.
Pull the Emergency Release Handle
Pull the handle. It releases the latch through a cable, bypassing all the electronics. The trunk should pop open right away.
If the Emergency Release Doesn’t Work
Sometimes the cable breaks or comes loose. Pull the handle and nothing happens? Both systems have failed. The cable probably detached from the latch or snapped somewhere.
Different Cars Have Different Problems
Not all trunks work the same way. Here’s what you might run into:
| Vehicle Type | Common Issue |
| Sedans & Coupes | Back seats might not fold down. Harder to reach emergency release. |
| SUVs & Hatchbacks | Multiple release points like handle, button, and key. Try all of them. |
| Luxury & European Cars | Power latches with solenoids. More electronics that can fail. |
If you’re dealing with a luxury car that has soft-close or hands-free features, the actuator or solenoid might have failed. These systems have more moving parts.
Simple Trunk Maintenance That Prevents Failures
Once you get it open, some simple maintenance helps prevent this from happening again.
Clean the latch area every few months. Wipe out any dirt, then spray a bit of silicone lubricant on the moving parts. Check your fob battery once a year. Don’t slam your trunk shut. A firm close works fine, but slamming can bend the latch or knock things out of alignment.
Your Options After Troubleshooting
You’ve worked through this list and your trunk’s still locked. Or maybe the emergency release cable broke. Or your car’s a coupe with fixed rear seats, so you can’t reach the trunk from inside.
If you’re locked out and need to access your trunk, someone who works on car locks can get it open without damage. They have the right tools and can tell you what broke and what needs fixing.
Sometimes it’s a cheap fuse. Sometimes the whole latch assembly needs replacing. Sometimes it’s just a cable that popped off.
Quick Recap Before You Call for Help
Most trunk problems have simple causes. Check that valet switch first. Test your fob. Listen for sounds when you press the button. Try the emergency release if you can reach it.
If none of that works, or if something broke, you’ll need help. But at least you know what to check and what the problem might be. If you need someone right away, you’ve already ruled out the easy fixes.