I have been having difficulty with the fuel cap release lever. It is not pulling up to open (at least not easily). I feel as if its going to break, I need to pull on it several times, quite forcefully, until it finally opens.

Is there anything I can do to ease the opening or am I going to need new cables etc.

 

have you checked the cables position in the boot? Pull back the lining on the drivers side and see if the cable is correctly located. Mine has popped off the odd time and needs re-seating.