Mysterious Trunk Opening
 

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!

Re: Mysterious Trunk Opening
 

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.

Re: Mysterious Trunk Opening
 

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?

Re: Mysterious Trunk Opening
 

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

Re: Mysterious Trunk Opening
 

sorry, didn't pick up on the humor :confused:
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)

Re: Mysterious Trunk Opening
 

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. :embarass: 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.

Re: Mysterious Trunk Opening
 

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.

Re: Mysterious Trunk Opening
 

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

Re: Mysterious Trunk Opening
 

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.

Re: Mysterious Trunk Opening
 

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.

Re: Mysterious Trunk Opening
 

I hear you!
My parents had unintended acceleration in the 2007 Honda Accord.
Most replies in the forums tried to blame it on driver error or worse, confusion (between the brake and gas pedals).
The more high tech these cars become the more likely there will be these 'unexplained' glitches.
Those too lazy to, or incapable of, finding the true cause will prefer to shift the blame to the user.
Not fair!

Re: Mysterious Trunk Opening
 

I've had this happen a few times in the past, and never could put my finger on it. Like many others, I was fairly convinced it wasn't me doing it, as I was absolutely certain I never held the trunk button down accidentally (and certainly never long enough to do anything).

...Until this morning, that is. Now I know what is happening (in my case, anyway). The prior occasions where the trunk has been open in the morning, I found it that way after opening the garage. No clue as to why.

This morning, I had the garage door propped open, because I was going to carry some items through to the car. I bent over to tie my shoes, and guess what? I watched as the trunk popped open, a few seconds after bending down. Sure enough - I carry my key fob in my jacket pocket, and when I bent over, there was enough pressure on the material in my jacket to press the button. As I was tying my shoes, I stayed in that position long enough to operate the trunk release.

I'm not saying that this is happening to everyone who has experienced the mysterious trunk openings, but it is clearly what was happening to me. I would never have clued in without actually seeing it happen, which is why I was so sure I wasn't doing it. It just underlines to me that there is often a simple, and suprising, explanation to some of the strangest mysteries.

Again, before anyone gets upset with me - I am not saying there are not some other things going on in some of the other cases.

Re: Mysterious Trunk Opening
 

I purchased the 09 TCH 2 weeks ago. While on the highway the trunk popped open. I didn't hit the manual trunk release or have the remote in my pocket. A couple of days later I had trouble getting the trunk to remain shut. I few hard slams later it stayed shut. This happened 2 more times so I took it to the dealer. Ended up being a bad latch.