Things that used to be taken for granted are now disappearing from vehicles in the design stage. The latest no longer fitted item, is a mechanical connection to the boot release. As vehicle design and operation has become more and more sophisticated, the improvements in the systems become reliable enough, for the designers to drop the need for the back-up systems.

This 2014 Mazda2, has only an electronic solenoid to operate the rear hatch opening. After returning home with a boot full of shopping, the owner realised that she couldn’t open the boot. In a panic, she drove along to see me, worried that the frozen food in the boot would defrost. I realised that if the release button was pushed in a certain way, and slightly to the side, then the boot latch would spring open.

The owner quickly transferred her shopping into the passenger seat and popped back home to unload, whilst I ordered up the new release button for a future repair, which has become quite a common failure point.

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