I found Greenhybrid through a Google search for help with the mysterious trunk opening problem. I read the experiences of some of the members and it seems that no one knows what the real cause is, but a number of TCH owners have had the problem. I've had it several times with my 2007 TCH and even my wife's 2009 Corolla's trunk was open the last time my TCH trunk was open. I've taken to locking the trunk with the key!

I was at my dealer for general service today and they have nothing to offer. Their experience is with the trunk opening the way it is supposed to, not with it opening when it shouldn't.

I do have something else to add about locking the trunk. I don't know if this is common TCH knowledge.

My wife often asks me to put her purse in the TCH trunk when we are out. I found out that the car and the trunk will NOT stay locked if her TCH key is in her purse. I have to use my key to lock the trunk and use the transmitter to lock the car. It appears that the car (computer) is afraid that someone with a key is locked in the trunk!

 

The computer isn't afraid that a person is locked in the trunk, but (rightly afraid) that the KEY is locked in the trunk. It's a smart design. I imagine many, many hundreds, if not thousands, of times a year people lock their keys inside their car cabin or trunk.
Now, that's probably not the reason for the other's trunk issues, but I, for one, think that this is a smart feature.

 

I was being facetious. It is a smart feature. But I'd still like to know why the trunks are opening by themselves when there's NO key inside?

 

Most likely a push on the remote's "trunk" button by accident

 

sorry, didn't pick up on the humor
Most who mentioned this situation in other posts swore that it couldn't possibly have been 'human error' (the universal excuse given for unexplainable issues)

 

Yes, I know......I have heard a car alarm go off while we are home, and said to my wife: "why doesn't that jerk turn it off already?" Guess what, I had bent down, and must have pushed the alarm button on my remote in my pocket, because it was MY alarm going off in the garage. The difference being that the alarm sound is instant, (making it easy to reconcile) but one doesn't know the bending down actuated the trunk until one goes to the car.

 

The best rebuttal to "human error" is the fact that the trunk button must be held down, not just clicked, to open the trunk. And if the trunk had been left open after emptying it, it would have been wide open, not in the lower just -unlocked position.

 

Do you keep both "remotes" in your pocket together?

 

No. We each now only carry the key/remote to our own car when we go out and I've never carried a Corolla key -- which IS only a key with the remote function in the handle. (Don't tell her, but I hate that car)

Why does everyone who hasn't experienced the problem want to treat those of us with the problem like children? What we are trying to do is find a solution based on what's really causing trunks to pop open.

 

I'm sorry, that wasn't my intent. At all! Please forgive me.

As you already know, this issue has been raised before on this forum. I honestly don't remember anything concrete being determined to be the cause. But as my wife often tells me, I could be wrong.

My hope is that you eleminate all the obvious causes as part of your troubleshooting...even if they seem unlikely.