Hi, My 89 camry was burglarized. The lock on the trunk was damaged when the burglar trying to get into the trunk. I can't open it from the inside latch nor prying it open with a screw driver. Is there another way to open the trunk without damaging the lid or other essential locking mechanism? Do I hve to replace the whole assembly including the keys? Where can I find parts if I can only replace the lock? Thanks!

Have you tried opening it manually from the inside? Don't the rear seats fold down in all generation 2 Camrys? If not, you might have to remove the back seat, which isn't as difficult as it sounds.

It's hard to determine exactly what parts might be damaged, but if you end up replacing only the lock cylinder, you won't have to change keys. You can have the new lock cylinder re-coded by a locksmith to match your current keys. A good locksmith might be able to repair your current lock cylinder, depending on how badly damaged it is.

As for the locking mechanism, I don't have any experience replacing one of those.

Thanks CF#5 for the advice! Unfortunately (and blessing in disguise) the rear seats do not fold down. They were ripped by the burglars at the attachments when they trying to get access to my trunk. In a way, thanks to Toyota for building a sturdy barrier, I believe the contents of my truk is still intact. Even if I can remove the seats, it seems that there are tough barriers. The trunk lock were in a locked position as I remembered locking it by turning counter-clock wise to lock it. I think if I find a tool to get it to turn the other way, maybe I can unlock it simultaneously releasing the remote latch. Unless someone has any other ideas? I hate those crooks that damage such a reliable and dependable car. I had it since 1989 and nothing major went wrong. I logged in over 200,000 miles already and still going strong!

I go it open by using a plier and a flat head screw driver. Its not easy but doable.

A New Problem: Does anyone knows how to put in a new lock cylinder ? There is a piece of long metal that has a hole in the middle. It fell off as I was trying to remove the broken lock cylinder. Now I don't know how to put it back. I think that piece of metal serves to secure lock cylinder tightly, but, I can't tell where it fit on the lock cylinder. Can anyone check on their 2nd generation Camry (Mine is 1989) and tell me? I checked the Haynes Repair Manual, it does not show it. Please help.

The long piece of metal you're talking about sounds like the bracket clip that holds the cylinder in place. If you can't get it installed yourself, this is the type of thing that an honest mechanic will do for free because it doesn't require anything to be taken apart and can be installed in less than a minute. So find someone who won't rip you off, get the thing installed, give the guy a nice $5 tip and be on your way. You can also go back to the locksmith who recoded your new lock and ask him to do it.

I believe the bracket clip goes sideways on your car. On my 1985 and '86 Camrys, it goes straight back. I only ever tried this on a generation 2 Camry once and it was a while ago. Just make sure the little metal latch that actually opens the trunk (which you should be able to operate manually with your finger to unlock the trunk when there's no cylinder lock installed) goes through the hole at the end of the lock cylinder.

Thanks CF#5 for the reply. I kinda figure it out on my own and hope its the right fit. The bracket's one end looks like the fork and it fits by sliding it like a chopstick onto the lock cylinder after putting the cylinder through the hole. Well, it works and I have a brand new lock.