Tailgate

Introduction

This chapter contains information on the following subjects:

Warning lamp
Opening the tailgate
Closing the tailgate

Additional information and warnings

Incorrect and unsupervised unlocking, opening or closing of the tailgate can cause accidents and serious injuries.

Therefore the tailgate should only be opened or closed when you are sure that nobody is in its path.
Never close the tailgate by pushing it down with your hand on the window. The rear window could shatter and cause injuries.
After closing the tailgate, check to make sure that it is closed and locked correctly so that it does not open while the vehicle is in motion. The closed tailgate must be flush with the surrounding body panels.
Always keep the tailgate closed while the vehicle is in motion so that no toxic exhaust fumes can enter the vehicle interior.
Never open the tailgate if there is a load attached to it, e.g. a rack or luggage carrier. It may also not be possible to open the tailgate if there are objects attached to it, e.g. bicycles. The additional load might cause the open tailgate to close by itself. Support the tailgate as necessary or remove the load from the surface.
Close and lock the tailgate and all vehicle doors when the vehicle is not in use. Ensure that no one remains in the vehicle.
Never leave children playing unattended in or around the vehicle, especially when the tailgate is open. Children could climb into the luggage compartment and shut the tailgate, thereby trapping themselves inside. Temperatures inside a locked vehicle may reach extremes of heat or cold, according to season. This can cause serious injuries and illness or fatalities, especially for small children.

Warning lamp

First read and observe the introductory information and safety warnings .

Lit up	Possible cause	Solution
	The tailgate is open or not properly closed	Do not drive on! Open the tailgate and then close it again.

Several warning and indicator lamps will light up briefly as a functional check when the ignition is switched on. They will switch off after a few seconds.

A warning lamp appears in the instrument cluster display if the tailgate is open or not properly closed.

Opening the tailgate

Fig. 29 In the vehicle key: tailgate release button Fig. 29 In the vehicle key: tailgate release button

Fig. 30 Opening the tailgate from the outside Fig. 30 Opening the tailgate from the outside

First read and observe the introductory information and safety warnings .

Before opening the tailgate, always remove any items of luggage that are on the luggage carrier attached to the tailgate ⇒.

Unlocking with the vehicle key

Press the button in the vehicle key ⇒ fig. 29 for approximately one second to unlock the tailgate.
OR: press and hold down the button until the tailgate has opened a few centimetres automatically.
Open the tailgate using the Volkswagen badge

Opening with the Volkswagen badge

Unlock the vehicle or tailgate or open one of the doors.
Press the top part of the Volkswagen badge with your thumbs and push out the bottom part with your fingers ⇒ fig. 30.
With your hand under the Volkswagen badge, lift up and open the tailgate. Once it reaches a certain angle, the tailgate will open by itself.

At outside temperatures of less than approximately 0°C (+32°F), the gas-filled struts cannot always lift the opened tailgate automatically. The tailgate then has to be guided up by hand.

Closing the tailgate

Fig. 31 Open tailgate: handle recesses for closing the tailgate

Fig. 31 Open tailgate: handle recesses for closing the tailgate

First read and observe the introductory information and safety warnings .

Closing the tailgate

Grip one of the recesses in the interior trim of the tailgate ⇒ fig. 31.
Pull the tailgate down with some force until it engages in the lock.
Pull the tailgate to make sure that it is engaged securely.

Locking the tailgate

The vehicle will be locked again automatically if you do not open one of the doors or the tailgate within a few seconds after unlocking the car. This function prevents the vehicle from remaining unlocked if the unlocking button is pressed by mistake.

The tailgate can only be locked when it is properly closed and engaged.

The tailgate is also locked by the central locking system.
If the tailgate of a locked vehicle is unlocked using the button in the vehicle key, it will lock again approximately 20 seconds after it is closed. The anti-theft alarm is activated immediately after it is closed.
If the tailgate is closed but not locked, it will lock automatically once the vehicle reaches a speed of approximately 9 km/h (6 mph).

Before closing the tailgate, check that the vehicle key is not in the luggage compartment.