DETROIT (AP) 12/6/19 — Ford Motor Co. is recalling nearly 262,000 heavy-duty pickup trucks in the U.S. and Canada because the tailgates can open unexpectedly. The recall covers F-250, F-350 and F-450 trucks from the 2017 through 2019 model years. All the trucks have electric tailgate latch release switches in the tailgate handle. Ford says water can get into the electrical wiring and cause a short circuit, activating the switches and releasing the latches. That could allow loose cargo to fall onto the road. The company says it has no reports of crashes or injuries. Trucks with mechanical tailgate latches are not affected. Dealers will fix the tailgate frame wiring harnesses and install a new tailgate handle release switch. Owners will be notified by mail during the week of Jan. 20.
The tailgate on my 2017 superduty opened unexpectedly once while backing my 5th wheel into the carport. It damaged the storage door on the front of the 5th wheel.
At the time I attributed it to me accidentally activating the electronic release with the pod in my pocket, but now I'm wondering if it something tied to this recall?
Kind of related. We added a torsion bar on our ford tailgate. Now we can open and close it with just two fingers. Makes it a lot easier when hooking up our 5er. Kind of tailgate related? Got it off the internet