How to change a brake light when the rear door won't open
Rear cargo doors often jam shut, trapping the brake light assembly behind an unopened panel. Without access to the interior screws, drivers cannot swap out burnt-out bulbs or reach the latch mechanism from the outside.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Accessing the latches from the interior by removing the trim screws to manually pull the rods open.
- 2Using a credit card to loosen the latch
- 3Pulling and twisting the mechanism with a screwdriver
- 4Breaking the mechanism away from the door using a stronger screwdriver and brute force
- 5Using the electric fob to lock and unlock the door
- 6Opening the door from the inside and removing the door panel to check linkages
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I came home yesterday to my door completely jammed it is an old kwikset lever I have already tried shoving a credit card to loosen the latch and various pulling and twisting of the mechanism with a screwdriver and it is a security door so I don’t think pulling the hinge pin is an option does anyone have other ideas before I have to damage the door or pay a few hundred for a lock smith”source ↗
“when I bought it i was told the rear door didn’t open... my left rear brake light went out. I need to either: open the door immediately, or change the bulb from the unopened back of vehicle.”source ↗
“The key fits fully into the driver’s door lock cylinder and I can turn it, but it doesn’t actually unlock the door. The key seems to turn fairly freely, although it does have a definite mechanical stop.”source ↗