Hello all, on vacation, need help desparately. Thanks in advance!

Car: 2004 v70, non-turbo, no 3rd seat.
Issue: When I lift the rear hatch external lever (handle), the tailgate won't open.
Background: I've always had to slightly press in (forward) on the tailgate while lifting the lever before the tailgate would open. Somehow this seems to allow the locking mechanism to release so the tailgate will swing up and open. Whenever I've over packed the rear cargo area so there's internal pressure pushing out on the tailgate, the tailgate won't open because I can't press forward allowing the latch to release. To resolve this in the past, I've had to remove (from the inside) whatever was pressing against the inside of the tailgate to relieve the
outward pressure.
Immediate cause of problem (I think!): I accidentally dropped a metal item on the left side where the tailgate closes causing the item to be trapped between the tailgate and the area that receives the tailgate causing the tailgate to be under constant pressure and not allowing me to press forward to release the latch as I lift the tailgate handle.

I've read that some have been able to remove an internal trim piece allowing access to the locking mechanism from inside the car and allow the latch to release. Before attempting this I thought to invoke suggestions from those more experienced and wise than me.

The situation is slightly desperate, as we need to pack the cargo area very efficiently each day so all vacation items will fit, including a very heavy ice chest. Not being able to open the tailgate severely impacts our vacation activities and family attitude.

Thanks again in advance! Bill

 

Hello all,

Problem solved. Went outside to revisit the problem. Amazingly there was a man nearby who I asked if he was mechanically inclined? Turns out he repossess cars by trade. He had all his tools with him and together we were able to receive the pressure and the tailgate was able to open.

Thanks to life for bringing the solution!

 

OK, I had the same problem with my 1999 V70. No matter what I did the hatch would not open. When I pulled the lever nothing happened. I banged, pushed, and pulled while working the lever. Nothing!!!! Finally I put the two back seats down crawled in back and moved all my tools and other junk out of the way. There was no way I was going to pry anything open from inside. As I felt around near the bottom of the hatch I could feel the latch and could feel that it was locked. I got a small pry bar (about 2 feet long), stuck it under the hatch a few inches from the latch and pushed down lifting the hatch noticeably. I heard a "click" and hoped that fixed the problem. I crawled out, tried it and it WORKED AS USUAL. I tried it several times and it worked every time. I think a big screwdriver might work just as well. I hope this works for others too.

 

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