Every car has its quirks. And, in a recent TikTok video, one content creator issued a warning about what could happen if users attempt to manually close an auto-close trunk. She showed the damage her Audi sustained after passengers failed to push the button to close its trunk.
Mirako Zhánay (@mirakozhanay) says she’s been called “bougie” by her friends for having a car with an auto-close trunk. But, she warns, there’s a reason why people need to heed the car’s instructions.
“This is why I say press the button,” she says, showing off her now-broken trunk. “This is why.”
Zhánay adds in her video’s accompanying caption that someone used their hands to close the trunk—versus the button. In total, this caused her car to suffer $1,800 worth of damage.
“$1,800 worth of damage when you could’ve just pressed the button,” Zhánay wrote. As of Monday, her TikTok had amassed more than 67,100 views.
Wait, $1,800?!
Based on the hashtags Zhánay used, it’s reasonable to guess that she drives an Audi. And, if true, she’s certainly not the only luxury car driver to warn passengers about the repercussions of not operating the car properly.
In a 2023 r/Lyft reddit thread, a Lyft customer said that a driver threatened to charge him $800 for attempting to close his Mercedes’ automatic trunk door.
In the comments of this thread, several users noted that they, too, are particular when it comes to how their doors are shut.
“Lyft will never charge you $800,” one Redditor wrote. “But it is annoying when passengers try to close it manually.”
“I have a Tesla Model S and riders are always forcing it down,” another confirmed. “It makes me cringe.”
“I put a sign on the hatchback on my van right next to the handle that says ‘do not touch, automatic door,’” a third driver said. “And people still try to open and close it.”
@mirakozhanay $1800 worth of damage when you couldve just pressed the button !!! 😭😩🥹 #turo #audi #carproblems #rant #carissues #costly #sendhelp #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Mirako Zhánay 🦋
As far as cost goes, Zhánay is correct that replacing the liftgate pulldown motor is quite pricey. An estimate from RepairPal suggested that the average cost to replace an Audi Q5 liftgate runs around $1,400. The bulk of the cost, it noted, comes from replacing the parts (which are typically priced around $1,300).
And it doesn’t seem like faulty trunks are an issue drivers should ignore. RepairPal said that if the trunk gate “won’t close—either automatically or manually—and remain closed, the vehicle should be inspected as soon as possible.”
But in the Reddit thread, one user said that replacing the rear hatch can be even more expensive. “Replacement of a motor on a rear hatch usually is $1,200 to $1,800. What happens is the gear gets stripped,” one Redditor explained.
Commenters empathize with the Audi driver
In the comments section of Zhánay’s video, several users who own similar types of cars said that they also encourage their passengers not to manually close their car’s trunks.
Of course, similar to Zhánay’s situation, not everyone listens, though.
“LITERALLY PPL IN MY TESLA BC WHY ARE YOU PULLING THE EMERGENCY LEVER WHEN THERE IS A BUTTON,” one woman complained.
“People think the button is optional?!” another asked incredulously.
“My husband always tries to manually close the trunk & never understands why I yell,” another woman said.
Others joked that they would send their friends and family members invoices if they ever broke their trunk in a similar fashion.
“Invoice will be senttttt cause what!” one woman said.
“Ok but did you make them pay for it,” another person asked.
A third commenter asked a similar question. “Did they pay for it?” she asked. And in a follow-up comment, Zhánay confirmed that whoever broke her car chipped in.
“A partial amount but not the full quote I got,” she wrote.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Zhánay via TikTok comment and to Audi via email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
