Your first options when keys are in the trunk
Before calling for lockout service, several self-help options may resolve keys-in-trunk without a service call. See the full guide to locked keys in car situations.\n\nRear seat fold-down: Many vehicles have rear seats that fold down to provide access to the trunk from inside the cabin. If your car doors are unlocked but the trunk is inaccessible, fold the rear seat down to reach the keys. Note that this works when only the trunk is locked — if the entire vehicle is locked with keys inside, this approach requires getting into the cabin first.\n\nInterior trunk release: Most modern vehicles have an emergency trunk release inside the trunk — a glowing handle or pull cord designed for safety situations. If you are somehow inside the vehicle but the trunk is locked, the interior release opens it from inside. More practically, if the car doors are unlocked, some vehicles have a trunk release lever near the driver seat.\n\nTrunk keyhole: Many vehicles with physical key ignition have a keyhole on the trunk lid separate from the main door lock. A spare key or a locksmith with the right key blank can open the trunk directly without needing to enter the cabin first.
When to call a lockout service for trunk access
If the self-help options above are not available — the rear seat does not fold down, there is no interior release accessible from outside, and there is no physical trunk keyhole — a lockout service is the right call.\n\nA professional lockout technician opens the vehicle door first using standard air wedge and long-reach techniques, then either uses the interior trunk release or the rear seat access to retrieve the keys from the trunk.\n\nThe cost is the same as a standard vehicle lockout — $65-100 during business hours — because the service involves accessing the vehicle, which is the same process regardless of whether the keys are in the cabin or the trunk.
Vehicle-specific considerations for trunk lockouts
Different vehicle types handle trunk lockout situations differently.\n\nSedan with separate trunk: The most common trunk lockout scenario. The trunk is a separate lockable compartment. Resolution follows the sequence above — fold-down if available, interior release, or lockout service.\n\nHatchback and liftgate vehicles: The rear hatch and trunk are integrated — the hatch glass and the cargo area open together. A locked hatch is effectively a locked door, and the same entry techniques apply.\n\nSUV and crossover: The rear hatch typically locks with the rest of the vehicle. Keys locked in the cargo area with a locked vehicle is resolved through standard vehicle entry.\n\nElectric vehicles: Some EVs have frunk storage as well as trunk storage. A frunk lockout on an EV with a power-locked frunk typically requires a roadside service call since physical entry tools do not work on power-locked frunks the way they do on traditional doors.
Preventing trunk lockouts
Trunk lockouts are often caused by a specific sequence: placing keys in the trunk while loading items. See what a lockout service call costs to plan ahead., closing the trunk, and then having the doors lock automatically or manually.\n\nHabits that prevent this: always keep keys in your hand or pocket until you are completely done with any trunk loading, turn off auto-lock features if your vehicle automatically locks the doors after a set period, and keep a spare key on your person separately from the main key fob. See what a lockout service call costs to plan ahead.\n\nFor frequent travelers who regularly use their trunk for luggage, a key hook inside the trunk — a simple adhesive hook where you can hang the key fob visibly while loading — creates a visual reminder before you close the trunk that the keys are in there. See the complete car lockout service guide.