How do I fix my 2007 Highlander trunk that won’t lock? It just slams into the latch… anyone know what to do?

The trunk won’t lock properly on my 2007 Toyota Highlander. It just keeps hitting the latch. I’m stuck and need ideas to fix it. Anyone had this issue before?

Try holding the trunk latch open while sticking something like a flathead screwdriver in the hole to mimic the lock opening. It might reset the mechanism.

Use a flathead screwdriver above the latch and gently twist it. That usually unlocks it.

Kase said:
Use a flathead screwdriver above the latch and gently twist it. That usually unlocks it.

Just twisting a screwdriver won’t fully fix it. You also need to pull the handle or button that opens the trunk while doing this.

@Reilly
I’ve done this on my wife’s Highlander a couple of times. It’s simple and works fine.

Kase said:
@Reilly
I’ve done this on my wife’s Highlander a couple of times. It’s simple and works fine.

If it works that way, does that mean the trunk can open without using a button or handle? That seems off.

@Reilly
The trunk still needs to be unlocked first. Twisting the screwdriver is just the next step. Why are you so worked up about this?

Kase said:
@Reilly
The trunk still needs to be unlocked first. Twisting the screwdriver is just the next step. Why are you so worked up about this?

You might be right. I guess some car models don’t need the handle pulled to reset the latch. Sorry if I seemed frustrated—it just didn’t add up to me at first.

@Reilly
All good. Happens to the best of us. :joy:

Kase said:
@Reilly
The trunk still needs to be unlocked first. Twisting the screwdriver is just the next step. Why are you so worked up about this?

I’m not your buddy, guy.

I’ve just been tying it down with rope for the past week. :joy:

Press the trunk button and use a screwdriver or key to pull the latch open at the same time.

Try WD-40.

Kaius said:
Try WD-40.

Just a heads-up—WD-40 isn’t a great lubricant. It’s actually a water displacer. If lubrication is the problem, you might want something better.

Reilly said:

Kaius said:
Try WD-40.

Just a heads-up—WD-40 isn’t a great lubricant. It’s actually a water displacer. If lubrication is the problem, you might want something better.

What’s a good lubricant then? Grease maybe?

@Rebel
Graphite is great because it doesn’t attract dust. If you can access the latch, white lithium grease works really well. If it’s hard to reach, I’d use PB Blaster to clean it up and then follow up with something like Fluid Film. I’m in a rust-prone area, so I deal with this a lot.

@Rebel
Yeah, white lithium grease is usually what’s used for door hinges and latches.

Reilly said:

Kaius said:
Try WD-40.

Just a heads-up—WD-40 isn’t a great lubricant. It’s actually a water displacer. If lubrication is the problem, you might want something better.

I get what you’re saying, but I had the same problem, and WD-40 fixed it for me.

@Kaius
WD-40 does work as a short-term fix, but it’s not the best long-term solution. It’s like a jack-of-all-trades but doesn’t excel at anything specific.

@Kaius
WD-40 might help loosen the latch, but you’ll still need to manually rotate it open.