Someone broadsided my parked '07 XJ8 VDP in the driver's side front door yesterday. That door is kaput, but also the trunk is wonky. As many of you know, the last 6 inches or so of the trunk closing are facilitated electronically. Now, when I push the trunk release button in the back it raises 1/2 inch and stops. I can only open the trunk with the key which I suppose bypasses that circuitry. My body shop is unfamiliar with Jags and when he scanned the car briefly yesterday he wondered if something heavy in the trunk bashed against the lock, but I don't think that happened. BTW, there is no visible damage to the back door or trunk, but the back door latch seems a little harder to pull open. I mention this in case it suggests something about how the force of the hit may have disrupted something in the trunk to cause this. Does anyone have an idea of why the trunk won't open with the button, but only the key and why it sticks when opening with the back button? What he should the body shop be looking at?

 

As a p.s. under the trunk latch "catch" on the body of the car is a small button which had popped out. I pushed it in and the trunk opened correctly a couple of times and then stopped oepning again. What seems to be happening when you push the release button is that the electronic release "let's go" of the trunk, but the mechanical release doesn't spring open so the trunk opens only an inch or so. So using the key is what opens the trunk since it fully releases the mechanical part of the release. Again, I'm wondering how to explain why the side collision would have damaged this both to the body repair guy and to the insurance people so they cover the repairs. Thanks.