Gen 2 Prius hatch back will not open

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Paul Polito, Dec 15, 2025 at 8:29 PM.

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  1. Paul Polito

    Paul Polito New Member

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    Hoping this is simple:
    When I try to open the hatch back on my 2009 Prius I hear an electronic noise like a lock disengaging, but the hatch will not open; stuck in the latch. This happened about a year ago and when I took it to Toyota (of course) it opened without a hitch. Is this a common problem? How can I get the latch to release?
     
    #1 Paul Polito, Dec 15, 2025 at 8:29 PM
  2. priumium

    priumium Member

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    To open the hatch, just use the emergency latch. For the root cause, can be many things…

     
    #2 priumium, Dec 16, 2025 at 5:54 AM
  3. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    If your combination meter is failing to light up intermittently, the hatch will not open.


    Combination Meter:

    Prius Combination Meter.jpg
     
    #3 dolj, Dec 16, 2025 at 9:53 AM
  4. Moving Right Along

    Moving Right Along Senior Member

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    I found my hatchback would get stuck like that off and on when I hadn’t opened it in a while. I just had to keep trying and fiddling with it until it opened, and then after that I could close it and it would open okay.
     
    #4 Moving Right Along, Dec 16, 2025 at 9:58 AM
  5. Hayslayer

    Hayslayer Active Member

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    I've seen this previously in cars with failing combo meters. Hatch will not even try to unlock if the car power button had been pushed. Each time, the hatch could be opened by turning the car off and allowing the sks function to do its thing.
     
    #5 Hayslayer, Dec 16, 2025 at 10:45 AM
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