The short answer is to access the rear trunk from the inside of the car by pulling the back seat forward and yanking the strap that you accidentally let get stuck in the latch.
---
Figured I'd post the answer to my own question in case others experience this.
Turned on the car and the rear view camera wouldn't turn on. The dash showed that the trunk was open, except that it wasn't! I went back there to the boot and tried lifting the hatch but it wouldn't open! Unlocked it one more time, then tried tugging at it. After a couple tries, I called it quits to figure it out at home. The interior lights stayed on and had to be manually turned off.
Thinking it was a fluke and it would be fine by the time I pulled into the garage, I was pretty disappointed and frustrated that I couldn't get it open even after a few more tries. Something must be stuck. I pulled the car seat out on one side, pulled the rear seat forward so I could see what was going on in the trunk. We have no emergency release button like other cars do which I thought was the law. After further inspection, it turned out my backpack strap got stuck in the latch. Ugh!
Tried tugging at it, having my son press the unlock button in the the footwell while I tugged at the hatch from both the inside and outside. Still no luck. I even tried to push the trunk further closed. No luck there either. Finally out of desperation and frustration, I just yanked the backpack strap from inside the car accessed by the little tunnel from having pulled the back seat forward and POP! The strap came loose!
And now it works! Trunk opens from the outside! Yes!
So the lesson learned is be very careful that you don't accidentally slam a strap or anything in the latch. I was lucky I was able to release it by simply putting as hard as I could. Anything else that gets stuck there you may not be so lucky as to have a handle to tug at. So this is a very real thing. It would've had to gone to the dealer otherwise and I had just come back from there (with a not so good experience).
Hope this helps someone.
---
Figured I'd post the answer to my own question in case others experience this.
Turned on the car and the rear view camera wouldn't turn on. The dash showed that the trunk was open, except that it wasn't! I went back there to the boot and tried lifting the hatch but it wouldn't open! Unlocked it one more time, then tried tugging at it. After a couple tries, I called it quits to figure it out at home. The interior lights stayed on and had to be manually turned off.
Thinking it was a fluke and it would be fine by the time I pulled into the garage, I was pretty disappointed and frustrated that I couldn't get it open even after a few more tries. Something must be stuck. I pulled the car seat out on one side, pulled the rear seat forward so I could see what was going on in the trunk. We have no emergency release button like other cars do which I thought was the law. After further inspection, it turned out my backpack strap got stuck in the latch. Ugh!
Tried tugging at it, having my son press the unlock button in the the footwell while I tugged at the hatch from both the inside and outside. Still no luck. I even tried to push the trunk further closed. No luck there either. Finally out of desperation and frustration, I just yanked the backpack strap from inside the car accessed by the little tunnel from having pulled the back seat forward and POP! The strap came loose!
And now it works! Trunk opens from the outside! Yes!
So the lesson learned is be very careful that you don't accidentally slam a strap or anything in the latch. I was lucky I was able to release it by simply putting as hard as I could. Anything else that gets stuck there you may not be so lucky as to have a handle to tug at. So this is a very real thing. It would've had to gone to the dealer otherwise and I had just come back from there (with a not so good experience).
Hope this helps someone.
