Just took delivery of f150 king ranch crew cab. I opened the tailgate and when i went to close it i grabbed it from the passenger side which caused it to come of the hinge. The end results was that the gate cables held but it slammed on my legs and damaged the paint on the truck and gate. It also dented the gate and cut the bumper pads. It also cut my legs. I took it back to my dealer and he said the warranty would not cover the repair. They told me it was my fault since I tried to close the gate from the side. Matter of fact he showed me what I did and the gate came right off. That was very distressing after paying 45000 for the truck. They further told me since I bought the truck there they would repair it free of charge. In the meantime they placed a snap tie on the hinge. I have owned 4 f150's and never was so disappointed that this happened to a $45000 truck.
Their are no warning stickers on the tail gate nor in the manual. I suspect this is a problem since the Service Manager knew exactly what happened anf how to do a quick fix.

Has anyone else had this problem or aware of any issues. Please help ! Does anyone have a email address to contact mother Ford with this issue. Thanks

 

Why? You're not going to do it again, are you?

 

Yikes! I've always closed my tailgate from less than a straight on angle and never had this problem with my 99 or my '05. Is it defective at all or have I just been lucky?

 

Ford should provide tailgate training. Seriously, be glad they put a tie wrap on it. Slows down thieves if it's not locked, which it always should be.

 

The US is already the world leader in warning stickers found in new vehicles. We do not need another one mounted on the tailgate to tell us how to close said tailgate correctly.

 

What we need here is a couple of lawyers and then get class action status. They'll put Saturday Night Live-esque cheesy commercials on late at night soliciting litigants for the dreaded but little known 'Terminal Tailgate Issue' to ensure getting a large 'class'. They will "Fight for you!" The jury will be seated from some town that has a population of probably 19, with only 4 having an IQ > 50. Or maybe even better, the case will be heard by a judge, of course another lawyer. A few thousand truck owners will get a couple of bucks or a coupon for a free oil change from Ford along with a neon orange warning sticker to be mounted only by the dealer just under the tailgate handle. This sticker, much like the tags on a pillow or mattress can only be removed by the consumer. Removing aforementioned sticker will be deemed as willful disregard of the warnings and constitutes reckless behavior, and in some circumstances, the exact conditions of which to be determined later, possibly negligence by the consumer . In this scenario, a thief could hold the truck owner liable since when he tried to lift the tailgate it was too heavy and then came off unreasonably easy, thereby hitting said suspect thief in the knee, or straining his back since he never attended the class on proper lifting techniques, rendering him unable to earn his living at the same standard to which he's accustomed to. The lawyers will get millions, and then run for office. Then they can write all kinds of redundant nanny-state laws in 'lawyer-speak', thereby perpetuating their own wealth. We'll probably end up with a truck without a tailgate at all since it's been deemed an attractive nuisance or what any reasonable person would call inherently dangerous.

It could happen.

 

Volvo would capitalize on this by introducing a new "inflatable tailgate leg impact system." They would introduce a scare tactic commercial with a little girl clutching a teddy bear and infer that her life is in your hands - do the right thing and buy a Volvo! Of course, they don't sell consumer pickup trucks, so all you'd get would be a tailgate. And the Truck Inflatable Tailgate Leg Impact System (TITLIS)!

 

i put a tie wrap on mine to slow down a thief or to keep it from jumping off if driving with it in the down position. ive heard of guys putting a hose clamp on it. just didnt have one that size, but i did have a beefy tie wrap