2017 Ford F-450 Body and structure Problems

“I have a 2017 Ford super duty f450 platinum. Multiple time the tailgate has dropped o its own while im driving the truck. Keys are resting in console not touching release button and drops on its own. Have checked and doubled checked closing firmly. Still opens intermittently. I have had multiple witnesses watch it happen. It has now happened when towing and destroyed the tailgate and could of caused and accident.”

“Tailgate to truck has opened 3 times while driving between september and november 2019. I am not sure at the exact time and conditions that the tailgate opened but weather was raining mid-day on two of the occasions, the third was early morning. One of the times the tailgate opened was while towing a cargo trailer which resulted in damage to the top of the tailgate as it fell on the trailer tongue jack handle. As a newly retired navy pilot I 'pre-flight' my truck and trailer before every drive checking safety chains, locks, tires and lights.”

“Brought my truck into the Ford dealership because the door was not latching closed at all. The truck is still under warranty and has less than 20k miles. Later that day the dealership called and told me the truck was fixed and ready to be picked up. Less than 48 hours later the latch again would not work. I drove the truck back to the dealership while holding the door closed with one hand so it wouldn't fly open in traffic. They again said it would be fixed and they told me I was giving them 'attitude' because I was upset that it didn't get fixed the first time. …”

“Tailgate opens unexpectedly while vehicle is in motion. This has happened repeatedly over the past 12 months. After confirming that the tailgate was not inadvertently left open or opened while the vehicle was moving, we realized that the problem was internal. We could not find a cause of the problem with the tailgate opening. It caused damage to the tailgate and the towed fifth wheel. Cargo items stored in the truck bed (under the tonneau cover) have fallen out onto the road when the tailgate opens unexpectedly. This could have caused a major accident or death. …”

“The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-450. While driving 10 MPH and hauling a trailer, the contact attempted to make a hard right turn when, without warning, the tailgate disengaged and fell to the ground. The tailgate was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 55,700.”