back hatch wont open and we dont have the key.....i read other forums and they all talked like it was an easy breeze to get inside the back of the car and remove the panel to get at the locking mechanism but i crawled back there and it seems like there is no way to remove it without breaking it...any help?..thanks!

The key should be the same as the one for the other doors. If its not, once you get the door open, pop the lock barrel out and take it to a local locksmith. It can be re-keyed for about $10-15.

 

I seem to remember there being a small pop-out near the bottom center of the hatch door panel with a lever behind it to pop the latch. Pry off the pop-out and use a screwdriver to flip the lever. I could be thinking of a different car though.

electric door locks? should unlock the hatch also

If you have the door/engine key that should work. There isn't a separate key for the hatch. Try spraying some liquid wentch or wd-40 on the key, stick it in the lock and wiggle it around. Insert and remove a few times. That might get you in, it worked for me

have found that a tiny peice of anything eg gravel falls down between the release lever and the latch is a tiny little space there stuff falls into and wont let the latch move get in thru the hatch cover just pop the clips on the top side not bottom side then you can see down to latch i whould take a shop vac and vac out any stuff that may be blocking it. and you can manualy open the latch with a screwdriver

depending on the year (WHAT YEAR IS IT?) there is a known problem where the latch fails to operate due to rust?.

 

try pushing the latch lever handle (the part your fingers pull on) try pushing it the other direction and then unlocking the door with the electric locks or the key. then squeeze and pull to open as usual.

 

EDIT: 99 is one of thos years , i think.

Edited July 23, 201312 yr by johnceggleston

I told thiss to a guy who was slaming his outback hatch repetivly at can tire push the latch back and then try worked he was happy but is mosty a closing problem not opening

depending on the year (WHAT YEAR IS IT?) there is a known problem where the latch fails to operate due to rust?.

 

try pushing the latch lever handle (the part your fingers pull on) try pushing it the other direction and then unlocking the door with the electric locks or the key. then squeeze and pull to open as usual.

 

EDIT: 99 is one of thos years , i think.

 

depending on the year (WHAT YEAR IS IT?) there is a known problem where the latch fails to operate due to rust?.

 

try pushing the latch lever handle (the part your fingers pull on) try pushing it the other direction and then unlocking the door with the electric locks or the key. then squeeze and pull to open as usual.

 

EDIT: 99 is one of thos years , i think.

I have the same problem with a partly rusted/closed rear hatch opener.  I push it all the way down and then use the key or electric opener and am able to get it open that way.

Moveit spray works good for lostening them up

I know this comment is a bit late, but I ran into the same problem and I found a solution that at least worked for me and would like to share in case someone new finds this forum with the same issue. If you are worried about denting the rear hatch I don't recommend trying this, but if you are driving a 10 year old or older Subaru, you likely have some dents anyway from everyday use and one more wouldn't matter. I have a 1999 Legacy wagon that I took ownership of a few years ago. The lift gate had worked flawlessly since I owned it until recently while moving to a new house. Really bad timing.

 

My solution is rather simple and based on an assumption that it didn't close correctly jaming the latch in the wrong position or only was only partially locked. I gave it a firm kick (with the flat of my foot not just the heal) just below the license plate at the bottom of the door. That did it! It came unstuck and has been working fine since! Fortunately this didn't result in a new dent for me. The bottom of the panel is fairly well reinforced and you are only pushing against the stronger door frame anyway. This is much easier than crawling in from the back seat and attempting to pry the panel cover off.

When I was a young kid, my father would threaten me with a swift kick in the rump roast, if I didn't straighten up, and stop misbehaving. Guess the same applies to tail gate latches.

This worked on my 98 Outback now in IN, instead of rust free CO. "try pushing the latch lever handle (the part your fingers pull on) try pushing it the other direction and then unlocking the door with the electric locks or the key. then squeeze and pull to open as usual."