What to Do if Your 2011 Toyota Camry Won’t Open

If your 2011 Toyota Camry trunk won’t open, it might be because you’ve activated “valet mode” accidentally. Learn more here.
Written by Katherine Duffy
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
If your 2011 Toyota Camry trunk isn’t opening, chances are you’ve accidentally switched on your car’s security “valet mode,” which makes trunk use inaccessible. Switch valet mode off by turning off the switch inside the glove box to access the trunk again. 
While the valet mode mishap is an easy fix, it’s possible that this isn’t the problem with your trunk. That’s why
Jerry
, the trusted comparison app for
car insurance
shopping, is here with the following guide to help you discover the possible cause of the problem and regain your trunk access. We’ll also tell you how you could find savings on your
Toyota insurance costs
in under a minute! 
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What to do if your 2011 Toyota Camry trunk won’t open

If you can’t open your 2011 Camry’s trunk using your key fob or the trunk latch, you may want to try to investigate the problem yourself before driving your Camry over to your Toyota dealer. 

Most common cause: valet mode accidentally activated

It’s possible that your trunk won’t open because you’ve accidentally entered valet mode—a discreet security system designed to limit your Toyota’s accessibility when giving your car to another person to drive and park it. 
While this function is smart, it can sometimes be inconvenient. You may have forgotten that you turned it on, or you may have turned it on accidentally the last time you were rifling through your glovebox, where the Toyota Camry valet mode switch is located. 
Have a look inside your glove compartment to see if your Camry’s valet mode has been turned on. 
Look for a button in the upper left-hand corner of the glovebox. Switch the button off and try to open your trunk again, either with the fob or the trunk release lever. 
With any luck, your trunk will pop open and you’ll be able to store your groceries again! 

Other possible causes

If you’ve flipped the valet mode switch in your Camry and your trunk still won’t open, there are a few other possible problems that may be standing in the way of you and your trunk. These are a few possibilities: 
  • Broken key fob: Can you open your trunk using the trunk release lever, or even by inserting the key into the lock and turning it manually? If so, the issue may be with your key fob, not the trunk.  
  • Faulty release lever: If the opposite is true, and you can only open your trunk with your key fob, you might have a malfunctioning trunk release lever. 
  • Electrical malfunction: Your trunk issue might also be the byproduct of a faulty wiring harness, blown fuse, or failing actuator.
  • Broken latch: Can you hear your trunk’s actuator working, but the trunk lid still won’t unlock? If this sounds familiar, the trunk lid could be broken.
If any of these issues sound familiar to you, it’s best practice to bring your Camry to your local Toyota dealership, where an automotive specialist can figure out what the problem is and repair it for you. There, your door locks, fuse box, electrical systems, and other components will be inspected to get to the bottom of your locked trunk woes. 

How to manually open a 2011 Toyota Camry trunk 

If your trunk isn’t budging and you need to open it ASAP, you can use this DIY method to access your 2011 Camry’s trunk. All you need is a screwdriver! 
  • First, locate a rubber plug about the size of a bottle cap directly beneath the trunk latch, next to the driver’s seat beneath the driver’s door. 
  • Remove the plug and push the screwdriver up through the hole to push on the trunk latch. This will force the trunk latch open so you can access your trunk! 
While this is a great way to open your trunk in a pinch, you won’t want to rely on this method every time you need to open your trunk. Let’s look at what the costs of a more permanent fix are. 
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Cost of trunk repair for 2011 Toyota Camry

The cost of repairing your Camry’s trunk depends on what the root cause of the malfunction is as well as where you live. 
For example, a replacement lock latch for your Toyota Camry will cost about$100, but labor costs to replace the latch will add on an extra $100 to $150
If you have to replace the actuator, you’re looking at significantly higher costs—the actuator costs between $350 and $450, and labor will set you back an extra $80 to $120
Conversely, your problem may end up being minor and you won’t need any replacement parts to fix it. Your trunk may simply need a
trunk latch adjustment
, or it might turn out that you just had valet mode switched on. In either of these cases, your total costs should be about $100 or less, depending on where you live. 
Most 2011 Toyota Camry trunk repairs are pretty affordable. The exceptions are when your trunk isn’t opening because of significant damage to the body of your car. If your trunk lid is damaged, you’re looking at about $920 for
the part alone
If your trunk suffered damage during a car accident, those repair costs may be fully or partially covered if your Toyota Camry car insurance policy includes
collision insurance
. Similarly,
comprehensive coverage
would help pay for the repairs if your trunk was damaged by a fallen tree, a severe storm, an act of vandalism, or another covered event.

How to save on Toyota Camry insurance

Speaking of insurance, it doesn’t always come cheap for Camrys. In fact, the average annual 2011
Toyota Camry insurance cost
is $2,732—higher than average for Toyota owners! 
Unless you shop with
Jerry
, that is. The easiest way to figure out if you’re overpaying for your Camry’s
car insurance
is to download the Jerry app. Answer a few basic questions about yourself and your car, and Jerry will compare real-time customized quotes based on your profile to find you the lowest rates on the coverage you need. 
The whole thing takes about 45 seconds, and once you’ve got your quotes, Jerry’s agents can help you switch over in record time. The average user saves over $800 a year on average! 
“I took a shot with
Jerry
and I’ve never been more happy! I was paying $350, and Jerry found me a Clearcover plan at $105. If saving $245 each month isn’t great news, I don’t know what is.”—Wyatt K. 
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