You don’t realize how much you utilize the trunk of your car. It is the most trusted part of the car that carries the bulk of your life. From the baby’s stroller to the weekly shop from Target, the trunk is the holding bay for many things in our daily routine.
But what happens when you have your hands full and the trunk lid doesn’t budge? After stuffing your goods amongst the passengers of your car it can leave you feeling frustrated as to why the trunk has failed and what you need to do to rectify the issue.
We have researched why things like this happen especially with the Subaru Outback. This will make you feel better prepared if this were to ever happen to you.
There could be a few reasons why the trunk won’t open on your Subaru Outback. Some of the more common faults are a dead battery, broken/failed trunk latch, and key fob fault.
Any of these issues can make you frustrated so stick with us whilst we take a closer look at why this can happen and what to do to find your solution.
Before you can solve the problem and get the trunk open you are going to need to figure out what the underlying issue is.
Having a dead battery always comes at the most inconvenient times! Let’s be honest, there is never a convenient time to have a dead battery. If you are standing outside your car and find that it isn’t only the trunk that has locked you out but the entire car won’t open then you, my friend, are looking at a dead battery.
This is where having an older model Subaru comes in handy as the doors also have manual locks. Unfortunately, the newer versions don’t support manual locks and only have an automatic locking system.
If you can get into your car then try the ignition, you will notice that the engine won’t tick over if the battery is dead.
Firstly you must ensure that you and your passengers are safe and away from any busy roads or traffic. Next, you need to charge the car battery. Time to call the cavalry!
Now is the best time to call in those favors from your friends/family members. They can assist you to jump your car and get your battery charged.
Now I would suggest that jumper cables are an essential item to carry around with you but as they would usually be stored in the trunk (which you cannot open) this suggestion is pretty useless. So when you get some help make sure that you have some jumper cables to hand.
Ensure that the leads are attached to the corresponding ports on the battery (positive to positive and negative to negative) to start the engine of your friends’ car, allow it to run for a while, and then this should give your car enough juice for you to unlock the doors.
Once you are inside, start your car and then you can release the jumper cables. It is advisory that you take your Subaru for a long drive after this to help charge the battery.
If you have knowledge of an engine and cars then you may wish to inspect why this has happened. Car batteries usually have a long life, going flat shouldn’t be a usual occurrence. To help matters you can ensure that all power is turned off before leaving the car.
Things like radio, lights, air-con, etc. can drain your Subaru Outback battery and leave you stranded yet again.
A failed trunk latch is never a good thing! If you have ruled out a dead battery then this could be your issue. Although not common amongst Subaru Outback’s it can happen.
Locks and or latches can become faulty for many reasons. Maybe you have been using the trunk frequently, closing it a bit too harshly, or even driving on extremely rough terrain can all add damage to the trunk locking mechanism.
If you have a broken latch then the following may happen:
Initially, a broken lock will need to be replaced. However, first, you need to locate the locking mechanism to ensure that this is 100% the issue. No point fixing something that isn’t broken, am I right?
To locate the lock, you will need to remove some of the Outback’s paneling and determine whether it is broken or just sticking. This is a bit of a job so you will probably be better off doing it at home or asking a professional to take a look for you.
If the issue is with the lock then you will have to buy and install a new one.
It is common to have a key FOB with most cars and the Subaru Outback is no different. Using the FOB can automatically open and start your car. If you find that your car is starting fine then it is clearly not a battery fault.
If you don’t hear the click from the trunk latch then it probably isn’t broken.
This would lead us to believe that it is the actual FOB itself. Now the life of a car FOB can be interesting. It can be found rolling around in a handbag or squished in the back of your jeans either way these little things can get damaged.
The main causes of FOB failure could be – batteries need replacing, wiring inside the FOB is loose or it is in need of reprogramming.
Firstly you need to identify what is causing the malfunction of the FOB. I would start with replacing the battery if you have no joy with that then it may be worth asking a professional for their opinion.
If you are confident, you can inspect the wiring or look at reprogramming the FOB yourself but if you are not sure then your local garage will be able to help.
If your Subaru has a liftgate that has failed then you may have to run through the reset process in order for it to work fully again. See below for a step by step guide to help you reset the system:
If you are still having trouble then our recommendation would be to seek help from a professional as there could be something else underlying.
You can open your Subaru Outback manually. Locate the small plastic square by the latch from the inside of the car (pull down the back seats first) this can be moved upward to manually open the hatch.
Please note that this is only for emergency use and should not be used on a regular basis as it could damage.
As mentioned above there is a step-by-step guide on how you can reset the tailgate. There is however another way you could reset it.
Once the liftgate is open, hold the rear liftgate close button in and wait for it to beep 4 times. Continue to hold this button in and then let go. You should now be able to close the liftgate.
The option to turn off the liftgate can come in handy if you are in an area where the ceiling is lower than usual. There is a 3/4 setting that allows the liftgate to open but not to its maximum height.
A power liftgate is an automatic hatch that can open and close. You can activate it by pressing a button inside the car or on your key FOB. If you have an older model of Subaru then the liftgate will only work if the car is unlocked.
Your Subaru Outback trunk won’t open and there are a few things that could be the cause from a dead car battery, faulty key fob, or even a stuck trunk latch. All three issues can be quickly and easily diagnosed so that you can deal with getting them repaired and get you back on the road.
Hopefully, we have helped you find the fault with your Subaru Outback trunk. There is nothing worse than finding a problem with your vehicle let alone a space that is used so often!
It is never a good time for this fault to occur and it usually happens when you have your hands full with shopping bags!
I hope this article has shed some light on what can cause these failings and how to rectify the problem. All tips mentioned above can be completed by you even if you have little car experience but if you find that the problem is persistent then you will need to turn to a mechanic.
