If your Subaru Outback trunk won’t open, the most common cause is with the rear liftgate sensors. There are a handful of troubleshooting procedures you can try before taking it to a dealership.

Having a trunk that won’t open might not be an emergency, but it can be a real pain in the rear. There are a lot of reports of the Subaru Outback trunks being finicky or difficult to understand, and there is often a quick fix.

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What to do if your Subaru Outback trunk won’t open

Before you run to the dealership for assistance, there are a few things to try troubleshooting at home first.

Most common cause: liftgate issues

The most commonly reported Subaru Outback trunk issues involve the liftgate sensors or the power liftgate not properly engaging.

In most cases, this involves a need to reset a sensor. However, you might just have a faulty sensor, which would require a trip to the dealership for assistance. We’ll run through some common solutions to try first, though.

If your key fob works to unlock your doors, but the fob and the power liftgate (if equipped) won’t unlock the trunk, the problem should be fixed by manually unlocking the trunk from the inside. To do this:

Access the trunk by folding down the back seats.

Using a flathead screwdriver, remove the panel at the bottom center of the trunk that covers the rear gate lock release handle.

Use the screwdriver to turn the lever to the right to open the trunk.

If your power liftgate is not engaging, there are two resets to try. First:

Manually open the trunk the entire way.

Manually close the trunk about halfway and hold down the liftgate close button.

The power liftgate should slowly lower the door the rest of the way.

This should reset the power liftgate and it should start working again.

If that doesn’t work, try a similar process:

Manually open the liftgate all the way.

Manually close the trunk almost all the way, but don’t let the latch fully shut. You want the latch to half-grab the liftgate and let the power liftgate system complete the latching

Finally, if you find that sometimes your trunk will open when you press the liftgate button and sometimes all you get is three beeps, try pressing the unlock button on the driver's side first to unlock all of the doors before opening the trunk. There is a setting that you can change that controls whether your trunk unlocks when the car is in park or only when you unlock all doors.

Other possible causes

If none of those resets or setting changes solve your issue, you might be dealing with an issue that’s more mechanical or electrical in nature. Here are a few common causes to look out for:

Broken key fob: If you can open the trunk using the button inside the car, but not with the key fob, your fob might be out of battery or experiencing an electrical malfunction.

Faulty dash switch: If your fob works to open the trunk, but the switch by your steering wheel doesn’t, there might be an issue with that switch.

Electrical issue:Issues like a blown fuse, damaged wiring, or a failing actuator can all stop your trunk from opening.

Broken latch: If you can hear the actuator working when you press the open button on the fob or inside the car but the trunk won’t open, then you might need to replace the trunk latch itself.

If you suspect any of these issues, finding the exact problem might take some extra digging—you should take your Outback to a dealership or auto shop for help. Some of the repairs might be simple DIY projects, but you’ll need to get the diagnosis right first.

MORE:

How to replace Subaru tail lights

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How to manually open a Subaru Outback trunk

This was mentioned in one of the troubleshooting methods above, but manually opening a Subaru Outback rear liftgate is pretty straightforward. You’ll need a flathead screwdriver or similar.

Fold down the back seats to gain access to the trunk.

Remove the panel at the center bottom of the trunk by prying it off with the screwdriver.

Use the screwdriver to turn the lever to the right to open the trunk.

Cost of trunk repair for a Subaru Outback

The cost of repairing your trunk will depend on what repairs are needed and where you are located.

In some cases where no parts are needed and service is minimal, like when you just need to conduct the right reset procedure, dealerships might fix your trunk for free or for little money.

More involved repairs like a latch replacement can run you anywhere from $150 to $250. A new latch tends to be around $75 and the labor to replace it will be around $100 to $200 at an auto shop or dealership. You can expect similar prices for a trunk lock actuator replacement or to diagnose and fix many electrical malfunctions.

In most cases, your Subaru Outback trunk repair won’t be overly expensive. The exception is when your trunk repair is a part of more extensive damage, like when you have to replace the whole door after an accident. In these cases, the repair could cost well over $1,000—the cost of the liftgate itself. Before you find yourself in this situation, consider adding

collision coverage

and

comprehensive coverage

to your Outback insurance to help pay for those high repair bills.

MORE:

Common Subaru transmission problems

How to save on Subaru Outback insurance

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