What To Do If Your Honda Accord Trunk Won’t Open
If your Honda Accord trunk isn’t opening, you might have activated “valet mode.”
Written by Macy Fouse
Reviewed by Brenna Swanston
Honda Accord trunk won’t open? Your car’s “valet mode” may have been activated, which locks access to the trunk. To turn it off, just turn the knob inside your glove box and you should be set.
Your trunk issues may not always be that simple, though. To help you get to the bottom of it,
Jerry
has compiled this guide to walk you through the possible causes. As the trusted car insurance
comparison app, Jerry will also show you how to lower your Honda insurance costs
in record time!What to do if your Honda Accord trunk won’t open
If your Honda Accord trunk is refusing to open even with the key fob or trunk latch, you might want to narrow down the possible causes before paying a Honda dealership mechanic to fix it.
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Most common cause: valet mode has been activated
If you’re having trouble getting your Accord’s trunk open, it may not be broken. It might just be in valet mode, which is a security feature made to protect your car. In that case, your Honda is working as intended.
Honda Accords are equipped with a valet system intended to prevent access to your trunk if someone else is driving the car. This feature comes in handy when valet-parking your Accord, but it’s also useful when having your car detailed or serviced, or if you’re lending your car to a friend to drive.
Valet mode can be a lifesaver, but it can be easy to turn it on accidentally. Inside your Accord’s glove box, there should be a button or knob with a trunk symbol on it. When it’s pushed or turned to “off,” your trunk is locked—and it can only be unlocked with your valet key (or the physical key from your key fob if your Accord has push-button start) until you turn valet mode off again.
To open your trunk, try turning the knob on, then attempt to open your trunk again. Hopefully, this did the trick, but if it didn’t, there may be a few other causes of the issue.
Other possible causes
If resetting your valet system doesn't solve your trunk problem, the issue may be mechanical or electrical. Here are some other potential reasons your trunk won’t open:
- Your latch is broken. If the lid isn’t unlocking or popping open, but you can hear the actuator trying to work, the physical latch might be broken.
- Your key fob is dead or broken. If the lever on your driver’s side door opens your trunk or you can open the trunk physically, your key fob or fob battery may need to be replaced.
- Your electrical system has a glitch. A malfunction in your lock system—like a failing actuator, faulty wiring, or a blown fuse—is a common cause of trunk issues.
- Your door switch is broken. If your key fob opens your trunk but your driver’s side lever or trunk switch won’t, the switch itself may be to blame.
If any of these problems sound familiar, you’ll have to drive your Accord down to your Honda dealership for a specialist to take a look at the issue. They’ll do an exhaustive inspection of your locks, electric system, fuse box, and other trunk-related components to solve your issue.
How to manually open a Honda Accord trunk
The dealership is the way to resolve the big issue—but what if you need to get in your trunk ASAP?
Here’s the good news: Your Honda Accord has an emergency trunk release located on the decklid, which is behind the head of the rear seat on the driver’s side.
- If you have a keyfob, take out the physical key from the fob. Otherwise, grab your Accord’s ignition key.
- Use your key to pop open the panel on the decklid.
- Stick your key into the panel’s emergency release lock and turn. This should pop your trunk right open!
This method may sound like a major hassle, but it could be way worse. Hopefully you won’t need to use it for the long term either!
Cost of trunk repair for Honda Accord
As with most repair issues, the cost of fixing the trunk on your Accord boils down to the specific cause of the issue.
Depending on your year model, you could be looking at about $97 to replace your Accord’s trunk lock latch—and that’s just the cost of the new part. Adding labor into the final price could come out to be around $192. If you need a
trunk lock actuator replacement
or trunk latch release cable replacement, your costs may range from $180 to $340. If you’re lucky and only need a
trunk latch adjustment
or a valet issue, your costs are likely to be around $130 or lower since you’ll only have to pay for labor and not parts. These costs aren’t ideal, but getting your Accord’s trunk repaired is fairly affordable considering the alternatives. For instance, if you were in a fender bender that damaged your entire trunk, you could be paying over $500 for a replacement. That’s where having a reliable
Honda Accord insurance policy
that includes collision insurance
and comprehensive coverage
will come in handy!Don't get ripped off!
Don't get ripped off!
Estimate repairs near you with GarageGuard™ for free so you KNOW the fair price.
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How to save on Honda Accord insurance
Depending on your year model and trim, your Accord may not have the cheapest insurance options. For example, a 2021
Honda Accord Sport
could cost you $3,490 a year in coverage alone! You aren’t stuck with that, though—not when you shop with
Jerry
, at least. Downloading Jerry’s licensed insurance broker
app is the quickest way to find an affordable policy tailored to your needs. Just answer some basic questions and Jerry goes to work comparing quotes from over 55 top companies, and you’ll get your quotes back in just 45 seconds. When you find your best match, Jerry’s agents will help you switch policies in a snap, so you can get started saving almost instantly—an average of $800+ on
car insurance
alone!“When I started shopping for insurance for my new car, the estimates I received were around $150.Jerryfound me full-coverage insurance for $102. This is NOT a joke!” —Auden D.
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