I found out the hard way that there is a hidden fuel release in the trunk of my 2104 Lexus IS250. If you overfill your gas tank and spill gas in your trunk, this prevents you from opening the trunk! After looking online here is how to get back in.
1) Open the fuel door and find the black cap.
2) Pry it off with a flathead screwdriver.
3) Reach down and twist the red release tab (it’s right next to where the gas tank filler neck is).
4) Hold onto the fuel filler neck and pull up on the release tab while you open the trunk.
5) If you have overfilled your gas tank, gasoline will spill out from the fuel filler neck. Be careful not to spark a fire!
6) Close the trunk, replace the black cap, and put the fuel door back in place.
In addition to overfilling the gas tank, you can also get trapped in the trunk if the gas tank cap is loose. If you are driving and the gas tank cap falls off, the open fuel door will cause your car to stall. Here is how to fix that too:
1) Turn off the engine.
2) Open the fuel door and find the black cap.
3) Pry it off with a flathead screwdriver.
4) Reach down and twist the red release tab (its right next to where the gas tank filler neck is).
5) Hold onto the fuel filler neck and pull up on the release tab while you open the trunk.
6) Close the trunk, replace the black cap, and put the fuel door back in place.
7) If you have overfilled your gas tank, gasoline will spill out from the fuel filler neck. Be careful not to spark a fire!
8) Find the gas cap for your car and put it on tightly enough to stop any more leaking. You may also want to add some extra rags around the area of the open fuel tank in case there are still any small leaks.
9) Drive slowly until you can get to a safe place to stop and address any problems with your vehicle.