What To Do If Your 2014 Audi A4 Trunk Won’t Open

The most common reason a 2014 Audi A4 trunk won’t open is an accidentally enabled “valet mode”. Simply switch it off to open the trunk.
Written by Abbey Orzech
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
The most likely reason your 2014 Audi A4 trunk won’t open is that the car’s “valet mode”, which restricts trunk access, has accidentally been switched on. If that’s the case, simply press the “valet mode” button in your glovebox to regain access to your trunk. 
Access to our vehicles’ trunks may be something we take for granted until we’re standing in the grocery store parking lot with now-melting frozen items. Happily, there is usually a pretty simple solution when you can’t get into your trunk that involves little else but pressing a button. But accidentally enabling “valet mode” isn’t the only reason a trunk can get stuck.
Here to help you through the ordeal of a non-opening trunk is
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What to do if your 2014 Audi A4 trunk won’t open

If you’re faced with a 2014 Audi A4 trunk that won’t open, you can try a few at-home remedies before scheduling a service appointment at your local Audi dealership.  

Most common cause: valet mode accidentally activated

The most likely reason for your stuck A4 trunk is an intentional security feature restricting access to the vehicle’s trunk—valet mode. As the name may imply, valet mode can be enabled when you hand your keys over to a valet or otherwise loan your vehicle to someone else to keep wandering hands from traversing where they shouldn’t. 
In the 2014 Audi A4, valet mode is activated by a button in the upper right-hand side of the glove box. It’s easy to forget once you’ve turned it on, but it could also have been switched on by accident if your glove compartment houses many items and one of them bumped the button.
You’ll see a red light on or near the button when activated. If the red light illuminates, indicating an activated valet mode, press the button once to deactivate it. The light and the security feature should turn off and give you access to your trunk again. 

Other possible causes

If you open the glove box to find nary a red light in sight, you’re dealing with a different beast. An array of problems, from electrical malfunctions to a dead key fob, could cause the trunk of your 2014 Audi A4 to remain closed. Check for these issues if valet mode is not activated:
  • Broken key fob: Try the trunk switch inside your car’s cabin rather than just the key fob button. If it works, you’re likely dealing with a key fob malfunction or a dead key fob.
  • Faulty door switch: On the other hand, if your key fob button works but the interior switches do not, you’re likely dealing with a trunk switch malfunction.
  • Electrical malfunction: Anything from a blown fuse to incorrect wiring could lock your trunk.
  • Broken latch: If the trunk switch actuators make noise but the trunk lid does not pop open, the issue may lie with a broken trunk latch.
Unfortunately, these issues aren’t as easily remedied as the valet mode switch. If you believe one of the above problems to be the reason your trunk isn’t opening, schedule a service visit at your local Audi dealership. An Audi technician will be able to give your A4 a once (or twice) over to diagnose the issue.
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How to manually open a 2014 Audi A4 trunk

No time to wait for the dealership? That’s okay, there are ways to open your 2014 Audi A4’s trunk manually. 
If your A4 trim comes with rear-folding seats, fold those down to access the emergency release lever in your trunk. It should glow in the dark and be easy to spot. 
However, if your A4 has fixed rear seating, you will need to carefully pull the left side of the rear seat until it slides out of place enough to reach the trunk latch release cable. Next, remove the adhesive tape holding the cable in place, then pull the cable out until the trunk lid is released. 
Another option is calling in a locksmith’s help and tools to shimmy the trunk release open, but be aware that this can cost around $150 or more. It may be worth it to maneuver the rear seats before resorting to the locksmith. 

Cost of trunk repair for 2014 Audi A4 

Exactly how much repairing your 2014 Audi A4 trunk will cost you depends on the reason for its malfunction. 
Just the part for replacing a faulty trunk latch can run between $65 and $255 and you’ll need to add in around $100 for labor costs depending on where you purchase the part from and who makes the repairs. 
Electrical issues tend to rack up the repair bill as well. Their remedies typically get priced around $230 to $250, depending on the nature of the issue. 
If you require an entire trunk lid replacement, like you may be if you get into an accident that crumples the car body, just an Audi OEM part alone can cost around $260. Labor costs are sure to increase that bill, but having a solid car insurance plan with
collision coverage
can help make those costs more manageable. 

How to save on Audi A4 insurance

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