xc90 2011 lower tailgate wont release
 

Hello. We have had our 'new to us' 2011 XC90 for a month or so and now the lower tailgate will not release? (i.e. the lower section of the boot lid that drops down to allow you to slide items in and out of the boot).

Any ideas for repairing the catch? Thank you in advance

It's a simple cable-operated latch mechanism so in all likelihood that cable has snapped. A Volvo dealer, local or online, should be able to supply you with a replacement but if not, used tailgate parts are readily available on a certain well-known auction site.

The plastic trim is easily removed for access however, if you've not done it before I'd recommend either searching YouTube for a relevant guided demo, or perhaps better still, investing in a copy of Volvo's VIDA software (which doubles as their workshop manual - probably the best workshop manual I've ever seen). I say that since it's useful to know where exactly to expect the plastic trim securing grips to be when removing them, there's less risk of breaking fatigued, brittle fasteners that way and then needing to source and replace those too.