How to Get into the Trunk through the Back Seat? Possible?

There are several reasons you might need to access the trunk through the back seat of your car. You might need to create more cargo space to store large items. You may have locked your car key in the trunk. Your trunk latch may be jammed or damaged.

Whatever your reason might be for needing to get into the trunk of your car from the back seat, there are a few different ways to do this. This is because there are different builds of cars, each with different trunk and seat mechanisms.

How to Get into the Trunk from the Back Seat of Your Car

Before attempting to get into the trunk of your car, some considerations need to be made. These are mainly for your safety and that of others.

You should make sure that the car is parked, and the engine is off. Remove the key from the ignition. Also ensure that the car is parked on stable, level ground with the parking brake engaged.

1) Climb over the seats

If your car is a larger vehicle, like an SUV, minivan, or crossover, then you can simply pass over the backseat. This is the easiest method of accessing the back seat.

If you want to access cargo in the trunk from the back seat, you may be able to reach over the seat and grab hold of it.

If you need to physically enter the trunk section, perhaps to open the trunk from inside, then you can climb over the seats. Once you are inside, you can open the trunk of the car from the internal latch.

Make sure the vehicle is not in motion before attempting to reach or climb over the rear seats.

2) Open the Backseat Pass-through

A rear-seat pass-through is an option in many sedans. Pass-throughs are often hidden behind the pull-down armrest in the middle rear seat and can be used to provide storage space for long items, like poles, skis, or tripods.

Pass-throughs provide quick and easy access to the trunk. They can even be used while the vehicle is in motion. If you use a pass-through to retrieve something from the trunk while the car is in motion, make sure to stay in your seat and don't remove your seatbelt.

To open the pass-through, lower the armrest located in the middle of the rear seat. You'll find a panel behind the armrest. Depending on your car you might be able to open the panel using a handle. In some cars, the pass-through panel might require a key to be unlocked.

True to its name, once you have opened the pass-through, you can pass long cargo through the trunk into the passenger cabin. You can also use it to reach into the trunk and access small cargo without having to get out of the car and open the trunk.

A pass-through is too small for an adult to fit through, however. If your goal is to get into the trunk, perhaps to open it from the inside, then you will have to use another method, like lowering the seats.

3) Lower the Seats

Many cars have rear seats that can be lowered to provide access to the trunk area. You can use this to increase the available cargo space, especially if you have wide and long cargo to store. This is especially useful in smaller cars with limited storage space. You can also use this to access the trunk from the back seat.

The process of lowering the rear seats is different depending on the make and model of your car. If you look carefully, you will find signs that indicate buttons or levers that need to be pulled to lower your seats.

There are many different mechanisms to fold your seats down. Here are the common types of mechanisms that you might find in your car.

• A Seat Lever - This mechanism is usually located on the side seats. You can find these on the outer end, between the seat and the door. Pulling the lever should cause the seats to snap down, though you may need to push them manually.
• A Pull Tag - This is usually used on the bottom part of the seats. The tag is located between the lower and upper parts of the seat and pulling the tag will cause the bottom part of the seat to fold up. This takes it out of the way of the upper part of the seat, allowing it to fold down. Some cars have a pull tag on the upper seats instead.
• A Keyhole - Some cars will let you lower the entire rear seat using a keyhole located directly behind the seat. Inserting the key and turning it will release the rear seats and you will be able to lower them by pushing down on them.
• Removable seats - Some cars don't have foldable seats. Instead, they use removable seats that need to be pulled out of the car. Usually, only the lower seat is removable, and the upper seat is folded down.

4) Trunk Release Lever

If you have locked yourself out of the trunk, but you still have access to the passenger cabin, you can try to open it using the trunk release lever. This is typically located at the base of the driver's side of the car. Pulling this lever will unlatch the trunk and allow you to open it fully. Most cars have this lever.

What to Do if Your Trunk Latch is Damaged

A damaged trunk latch is an annoying inconvenience that stops you from accessing your trunk freely. You can attempt to open the trunk from the inside, but this might not work if the internal mechanism is damaged. While you can continue to access the trunk from the back seat, it is more efficient in the long term to do something about it.

Some common issues with trunk latches are a misaligned or stuck latch, a damaged trunk lid, or a broken trunk latch mechanism.

• Stuck or Misaligned Trunk Latch

A stuck trunk latch will prevent the trunk from opening fully. Your trunk latch might get stuck as a result of rust build-up, or minor damage that caused the latch to become misaligned. 

Depending on your car, you might be able to open the trunk latch far enough to see the latch mechanism inside. Using a penlight or other light source, illuminate the latch to examine it. If the latch seems to be stuck, you can try to pry it apart with a flat screwdriver, or another thin metal tool. Take care not to damage any of the mechanisms surrounding the latch. 

If you can't pry the latch apart, you can try to apply a WD40 or another suitable lubricant to the latch. Once you have coated it sufficiently with oil, close the trunk and attempt to open it again. You might have to do this a few times as the oil works itself over the latch.

• Damaged Trunk Lid

If the trunk lid is damaged, you may need to repair or replace it depending on the level of damage. Look around the edges of the trunk lid for signs of denting or warped metal. If the edges of the trunk lid are dented you will need to repair it. 

Make sure to examine the area of the trunk lid around and above the trunk latch. If you find signs of damage there, then you might be dealing with a broken trunk latch mechanism as well. There's a good chance that you will need to replace the trunk lid.

You can have your trunk lid repaired or replaced by a qualified engineer.

• Broken Trunk Latch Mechanism

If you have been unable to fix the latch in any other way, then you may be dealing with a broken latch. Fixing this will require you to remove the old latch and replace it with a new one. 

The mechanisms in the trunk latch are complicated and require some mechanical knowledge and experience to replace. The mechanism will also differ depending on the make and model of your car. If you are not comfortable handling the repairs yourself, it is best to seek the services of a mechanic.

Conclusion

It is entirely possible to get into the trunk from the back seat. There are several different ways to do this, but the method you choose will depend on the build of your car and the reason you need to get into the trunk. 

Most trunks allow you to increase your storage space by lowering the seats, opening the back seat area of the car into the trunk, or opening a pass-through. The process for lowering the seats differs between car models, but there are a few common mechanisms that are used.

If you are completely locked out of the trunk, you can attempt the trunk release on the driver's side of the dashboard. If all other methods have failed, then you may need to remove the rear seats.