If you’re having trouble opening your 2016 Honda CR-V trunk, it may be because you’ve accidentally turned on your vehicle’s valet mode—a function that locks your vehicle’s trunk before you turn over the key to anyone else who would be driving your car. Turning off valet mode usually solves the issue.
Valet mode isn’t the only thing that can stop your 2016 Honda CR-V trunk from opening, though. Here to explore all the reasons you might be locked out of your Honda CR-V trunk is car insurance
expert and CR-V sage Jerry
. We’ll show you how to get your trunk working properly again and how much that might cost you—and we’ll give you some tips on how to save on your Honda CR-V insurance costs
as well. 
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What to do if your 2016 Honda CR-V trunk won’t open
If your 2016 Honda CR-V trunk won’t open, you may want to do a bit of troubleshooting on your own before calling your Honda dealer. The issue may be related to your key fob or the trunk latch, but it could also be something that you can easily fix on your own.
Most common cause: valet mode accidentally activated
The most common cause of Honda CR-V trunk malfunction is the vehicle’s valet function being accidentally activated.
The valet function is a feature that allows you to secure your trunk and glove compartment before turning your fob over to a stranger—like a valet driver. It’s a handy feature, but it’s easy to forget that you’ve turned it on. It’s just as easy to turn it on accidentally by overstuffing your glovebox.
So, the first thing you want to do if your 2016 Honda CR-V trunk won’t open is to find the valet mode switch in the glove box. It should be located on the left side of the glovebox door when the glovebox door is open. Make sure that the button is switched off, then give your trunk another try.
Other possible causes
If the cause of the problem is not your vehicle’s valet function, you might be dealing with an electrical issue (such as faulty wiring) or a mechanical issue (like a broken latch). Here are some of the possible causes of your 2016 Honda CR-V trunk tribulations.
Key fob: If you can open your trunk using the trunk release button located to the left of your ‘16 CR-V’s steering wheel, the problem may be your key fob. This problem could be electrical or battery-related.
Bad door switch: If you can only open the trunk lid with your fob, the issue may be with the aforementioned interior trunk release button.
Electrical problems: The issue could stem from an electrical problem such as a blown fuse, a faulty actuator, or a bad wiring harness.
Trunk latch issue: If the actuator is working but the trunk lid still won’t open, the latch itself may be to blame. You may need to replace the latch entirely, although sometimes it just needs to be lubricated.
Any of these issues can be fixed by your local Honda dealership. An automotive technician will perform diagnostic tests on your door locks, electrical components, fuse box, and other potential areas of concern to pinpoint the cause of your trunk issues.
How to manually open a 2016 Honda CR-V trunk
Taking your vehicle to a Honda dealership is always a good idea, but if you need to get your CR-V’s tailgate open right now, you can do so by using the CR-V’s emergency release switch on the inside of the tailgate. Just follow these steps:
Head to the back of your CR-V from the inside and get behind the back seat.
At the center of the trunk lid near the floor, you will see a rectangular piece of plastic.
Remove the plastic covering to reveal a plastic component with a pill-shaped opening with a switch inside.
Using your valet key, a screwdriver, or needlenose pliers, move the switch from left to right while pushing on the tailgate from the inside, and—voila!—your trunk lid should open.
Cost of trunk repair for 2016 Honda CR-V
Having your CR-V’s trunk fixed will cost you money, but just how much will depend on what exactly the issue is and what the going rates are for parts and labor in your area
A replacement door latch
, for instance, will run you about $150 to $200 after you factor in labor. You’re looking at similar costs for a trunk lock actuator replacement or a trunk latch release cable replacement. If the issue can be solved by a simple trunk latch adjustment
, you can expect to just pay for labor amounting to about $100 or less. However, if the issue is just that darned valet mode feature, it might cost you some of your dignity, as well. CR-V trunk repairs can get expensive if you need to replace the entire lid—upwards of $800 before labor. But, if you have a solid Honda CR-V insurance policy with collision insurance
and comprehensive coverage
, you may not have to pay for any repairs out of pocket. How to save on Honda CR-V insurance
Having good car insurance is always a good idea, but it can get expensive for Honda CR-V owners. The annual average premium for a CR-V is $2,604—more than double the national average of $1,202. Car insurance should help you save money, not spend more. That’s why Jerry
exists. Jerry’s sole purpose is to save you as much money as possible on auto insurance. How do we do it? We compare your current car insurance policy with quotes from over 55 top insurers and show you how much you could save by switching to another provider.
The app is easy to use, and because Jerry is a certified insurance broker
, you can ditch your old policy and start up with a new provider all within the app. Sign-up only takes a minute, and the average Jerry user saves over $800 on their annual car insurance bill—about the cost of a new CR-V tailgate. “After signing up with Jerry
, I went from $199/month to $97/month for my car insurance. My 2019 Subaru Forester now has full coverage for a great price!” —Rhonda H.
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