Citroen DS5 Trunk/Tailgate

Usually a failed lock actuator or broken wires in the rubber boot between the body and the tailgate. We see this on C2, C3, Xsara and C3 Aircross models constantly. The wires flex thousands of times and eventually fracture inside the insulation — invisible from outside.

On most Citroens the route in is through the cabin: drop the rear seats, climb into the boot and either pull the emergency release lever or slide the latch catch that is visible from that side. Exact positions vary by model and the workshop manual will show yours. Where the linkage itself has broken, the trim has to come off so the latch can be released by hand.

Used painted tailgates vary by model — an C3 2018 tailgate is stocked across our SA supplier network. Request a free quote through our form with your year and paint code. Drip panels, boot struts and wipers are usually sold separately if you only need those.

Movement, repeated for years. Every time the tailgate swings, the wires inside the rubber boot linking it to the body flex a little more, until the copper work-hardens and fractures inside its own insulation. The classic result is a dead wiper, demister, lock or reverse camera while the connector itself looks perfectly healthy.

Actuators are one of the cheaper failures — we pull used ones through our SA supplier network. Send your model and year for a free quote. Reckon on roughly an hour of labour to strip the trim, swap the unit and recode the BSI where that is needed.