Your Kia Sorento trunk won’t latch, a commonly seen problem, especially after an accident.
Every mechanical part can malfunction, and so does your hatch. Things are bent out of shape or damaged, leading to difficulty in closing.
While the matter of the trunk won’t close may not be a big deal to the car owners, things contained in an opened tailgate can drop out on the road, causing damage to your items and creating danger for the drivers behind.
Getting to know the reasons for your 2017 Kia Sorento back hatch won’t lock (and other model years) and how to fix it to ease your problem in our article below!
The Trunk Locking Mechanism Explain
The mechanism that keeps the trunk closed is called the trunk latch. You need to use a key or remote to open it when it’s closed.
The component consists of two main parts: a U-shaped anchor attached to the frame of your car and the latching system in the lid.
In most modern vehicles, the system works like the door lock. Some brands integrate the opening door and trunk options in the same car key fob.
In older models, the car hatch performs based on the cylinder system and the striker. The key used to open the door can also open the hatch.
What Are The Reasons For Kia Sorento Trunks Won’t Latch Or Open?
The Kia Sorento hatch won’t latch or open due to problems with the striker, cables, lock actuator, or the locking mechanism malfunction.
Driving with a faulty trunk doesn’t cause any harm to your car but attracts thieves. If you can’t restore its locking and unlocking function by yourself, the professional service can help you out.
Broken Latch Or Striker
The hasp in the tailgate, functioning the same as in your vehicle’s door and seatbelt, is in charge of securely sealing.
If you struggle to fix a locked seatbelt, there’s a chance that you can face the same problem of an unlatched hatch, too.
The two connecting details, one on the trunk and one on your vehicle’s frame, should hook together and close tightly.
Your 2018 Kia Sorento tailgate won’t latch when these two units have problems.
Misalignment is the first thing that can happen to the U-shaped anchor or striker. The hasp and the striker will fail to meet each other, causing closing issues.
Releasing and realigning the two bolts may make it back to normal.
You may also experience misalignment if you were involved in a rear-end collision. As a result of crashing from behind, the metal piece keeping the striker may come out.
You should fix that metal and realign the striker; otherwise, the two units will miss linking, and your hatch can’t be in the locked position.
The last scenario is an internal failure in the rear latch assembly. Replacing the full detail is the solution for your 2017 Kia Sorento rear hatch won’t lock.
Damaged Cables
For some car models, you need to tug on the trigger near the driver’s seat instead of pulling the handle on the tailgate to open it.
In this case, you approach the rear hatch latch through a cable. If something is wrong with it, you’ll lose the link to the hasp and releasing level.
The broken cable’s plastic retainer may cause the cable misalignment, creating a struggle in directional pulling to the release level.
This misalignment also leads to the disconnection between the driver’s release level and the hasp; thus, the 2016 Kia Sorento trunk won’t open. A realignment or replacement will be needed.
Malfunctioning Locking Mechanism
That the 2016 Kia Sorento rear hatch won’t latch can be due to a malfunctioning locking mechanism.
When you use the button on your key or in your car to lock the door and tailgate, it signals the actuator.
If it doesn’t work with any door, the problem may lie with the button or its battery.
However, the door can lock nicely, but the tailgate doesn’t; there’s a potential reason that you have a faulty actuator.
Faulty Lock Actuator
The lock actuator is a small motor with shifting gears. When you lock the hatch, the gears change, and the lid will not be released.
If the motor dies, the lock controller also fails to operate, leading to the problem that the 2017 Kia Sorento tailgate won’t latch.
How To Fix The Issue Of The Kia Sorento Trunk Won’t Latch?
To address the open trunk issue, you can try to work with the buttons and check the voltage from the connectors to find out if it’s the wiring or solenoid malfunction.
Manual test the hatch alignment and ensure the details don’t miss linking. If the problem persists, go to an auto repair shop to troubleshoot it.
Work With The Buttons
Press the close button to see what is wrong with the locking system.
If the button doesn’t work at all with any door, the button battery may die. Meanwhile, when you can close all doors except the hatch one, the actuator is broken.
You can also check the car electrical system by measuring the connectors’ voltage to spot electrical issues.
Press the release button, and if there’s no 12 voltage passing through, the wiring may have a problem.
In contrast, you probably need to work with the solenoid when it’s 12-volt circuit flow, and your 2016 Kia Sorento tailgate won’t latch.
Make Sure The Trunk Aligns Properly
As mentioned above, any misalignment of the striker or the hasp leads to the 2018 Kia Sorento rear hatch won’t latch.
Therefore, make sure you check all these details well and make them align so that they can meet each other. Open and close the tailgate manually to find the best position for these units to match.
Seek Help From Auto Service
Suppose your 2017 Kia Sorento trunk won’t latch. The easiest way to have your locking system work again is to bring your car to the repair shop.
You can also reach for some mobile services to come and inspect your vehicle.
They will diagnose the latching mechanism, give you a report of the exact issue and suggest a solution with the price.
Conclusion
Your Kia Sorento trunk won’t latch. It may not be a big deal, but it can cause inconvenience while driving.
Several reasons lead to the issue. The misalignment of the connectors on the tailgate is the most common one.
Should the root of the problem lie in something else, bringing your vehicle to the repair shop for advanced repairs is recommended.