2008 XC 70 tailgate won't open

[TerryV]

Hello! This is my first post on this site. I have a 2008 XC70 which the tailgate won't open. I've tried everything like pushing and prying from the inside to no avail. Does anyone know how to get the interior panel off so I can get at the mechanism? I sounds like it wants to open buy doesn't budge. I'm usually a fairly good mechanic and do all my own work. This has me stumped! I don't think I'll be able to get the panel off unless I get the tailgate open, so it's a catch 22.

Thanks for any suggestions! The car has 90K on it and it's in great shape otherwise, so I don't want to butcher it up.

[pbierre]

Have you tried pushing the tailgate closed TIGHTER from the outside at the bottom, while using the solenoid latch or mechanical latch? If something is wedged in the crack making the door latch too tight, it won't budge.

[TerryV]

Thank you for your reply pbierre! Yes, I've pushed and tried all of that while my wife used the button to unlatch. I think I've tried it all but going to take another look at it today. I have a hard time believing that Volvo engineers didn't provide a "workaround." I keep you posted on my findings.

[pbierre]

I looked at my 2013 XC70, and there's an internal handle that can be removed (2 screws). This would allow you to go in with an endoscope and take a look at the locking mechanism.

Removing the interior panel of the tailgate is, like you say, a Catch 22. With the door open, there are two screws on the sides that unfasten the plastic trim piece under the window. With that removed, I assume the main panel sides upward and then gets free.

[pbierre]

Is this tailgate equipped with the power-lift motor?

[pbierre]

This video might help to illustrate how the tailgate panels come off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fckJNMK6PwY

[TerryV]

Hello pbierre! Thank you for your input! Yes, it is a power lift motor tailgate. As I said, electrically I believe it is working. It's just not releasing the catch. The big problem though is it's stuck in the closed position, so I can't get at any screw or plugs to get the panel off. If I could get the panel off, then I'm sure I can fix it. Thank you for the video! At least it lets me see what I'm dealing with when I can get the tailgate open. Thanks again!

[pbierre]

Terry, it seems the options are few. Did you try accessing the guts of the door thru the interior handle cutout? You'd need an endoscope to do anything. Can you borrow one? Check out from local tool library?

Have you posted on the other Volvo DIY sites? Swedespeed.com, and brickboard.com are both excellent backups to this site.

It's coming down to the bitter pill, where you sacrifice the inside upper & lower panel, and replace them from the junkyard. Have you exhausted all the other possibilities?

If you send me a sound recording of your open-door response (record up close to the lock), I'd be glad to compare it to mine. I have the powered tailgate (2013). pbierre at comcast dot net

[pbierre]

This thread on Swedespeed might be relevant...towards the end, there are claims that the electronic lift switch on the outside of the tailgate is part of a mechanical flap, and that this flap is a mechanical latch-opener, except the flap can get stuck in the "sqeezed" position, causing it to not even be perceived as a moving part, and rendering the door-open mechanism inoperative. I looked at my 2013, and at first glance, don't see what they're talking about. Will look again tomorrow in better light.

https://forums.swedespeed.com/showth...wered+tailgate

[pbierre]

Terry, did this problem get resolved? Someone else now has same problem.