Why does my trunk keep popping up in the Honda Civic?

The tailgate doesn’t close properly in many vehicles, and the Honda Civic is no exception. This article addresses the “Why does my trunk keep popping open Honda Civic” problem. To address the tailgate issue in the Honda Civic, we will explain the different reasons that can cause this problem.

The tailgate not closing is a common problem faced by different car owners worldwide. The problem can be highly frustrating when going on a road trip, and the trunk suddenly opens up. The Honda Civic trunk can face a similar problem. The trunk not closing can be due to several reasons on the Honda Civic, but if the trunk is continuously popping, then the reason behind it can be due to one of the following mentioned below.

Why does my trunk keep popping up in the Honda Civic?

  • Sticking of some debris in the latch of the trunk
  • The latch has got rusted.
  • The catch is bent

These are the three causes of a latch popping out. These causes are explained in detail below.

Sticking of Debris in the latch 

The latch of the trunk is highly exposed to the atmosphere. Moreover, the latch is present beneath the skid plate. Therefore, due to the continuous loading and unloading of luggage in the vehicle’s trunk, the debris can enter the latch, which could hinder its operation. For example, suppose a small plastic piece enters the trunk’s latch. In that case, the piece will hinder the latch from grabbing the catch properly, which is present on the trunk lid.

Therefore, the small plastic piece needs to be removed from the latch. To remove the plastic piece, you need to detach the latch from the vehicle by removing the bolts that hold it. Once the latch is removed, examine it and identify where the plastic is present in the latch. After identifying, remove the plastic piece and put the latch back on the vehicle.

The latch mechanism is rusted.

The latch mechanism on the car trunk is made of metal. Therefore, there are high chances that the latch gets rusted due to continuous exposure to water. Once the latch gets rusted, the grip of the latch will become loose, and thus it is highly likely that the tailgate keeps on popping up again and again.

To solve the tailgate issue popping up due to the rust in the latch, you need to properly lubricate the latch with the help of WD40 oil spray. To properly lubricate the latch, you need to remove it from the trunk and then wash it with pressurized water. The high-pressure water will remove any dust which is present in the latch. Once the latch dries up after washing, apply WD40 on the latch and subsequently apply lithium grease so that the moisture cannot enter the latch in the future.

The catch has misaligned.

A metal catch is present in the lid of the vehicle. This catch locks with the latch present in the car trunk. Now, since the catch is made of metal, breaking it is more minor. However, with continuous operation or a dent, the catch might get bent which can cause the trunk to pop up frequently. 

If the catch in your car is bent, then you need to straighten it with the help of a plier. Moreover, you can also lose the screws and bring the catch out to get rid of the bent. Furthermore, you don’t need to apply force for straightening the bent necessarily; you can also lose the screws on the latch and bring it to the optimum position.

Conclusion

In this article, we have successfully addressed “Why does my trunk keep popping open Honda Civic.” To address the issue properly, we have explained the different causes behind the popping up of the Honda Civic trunk. Moreover, in explaining these causes, we have given ways to fix them as well.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Why does my trunk keep popping open Honda Civic

Why is my trunk not closing?

One of the common reasons behind the trunk not closing is the malfunction of the lock actuator. However, if the lock actuator is perfectly working on your car, the reason behind the non-functionality of the trunk is due to the fault in the car battery.

Will the trunk open if the car is locked?

If the vehicle’s doors are locked, you can open the trunk easily. FOr opening the trunk in a vehicle with a key fob, you need to press the trunk opening button. While in a vehicle with a key slot in the trunk, you need to put the car key in it and rotate it.

How do you know if the trunk latch is broken?

The most common symptom of a trunk latch that is broken is when the trunk will not shut, or it will get locked entirely in its place. This is mainly caused due to the trunk mechanism getting jammed.

Why do I need to slam my trunk?

Slamming the trunk ensures that the rubber seal put around it completely seals the cabin. Moreover, if the seal is proper, no leakages will occur in the trunk hence water won’t enter inside.

References

  1. https://www.youcanic.com/wiki/6-trunk-wont-closeopen-problems#:~:text=If%20your%20trunk%20doesn’t,connects%20to%20the%20car’s%20body.&text=In%20addition%2C%20if%20the%20car,may%20not%20be%20aligned%20properly.