NHTSA Complaint #11044770 — 2017 FORD EXPLORER

ON 10/31/17 WHILE OUT WITH MY CHILDREN TRICK-OR-TREATING, THE LIFTGATE ON MY LEASED 2017 FORD EXPLORER BECAME "STUCK" IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION AND WOULD NOT CLOSE ELECTRONICALLY OR MANUALLY. MY FAMILY AND I HAD PULLED OVER AND PARKED IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA TO GET ITEMS OUT FROM THE REAR STORAGE AREA. I HAD OPENED THE HATCH WITH THE ELECTRONIC SWITCH AND THE DOOR STOPPED ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY UP. AS THIS HAD HAPPENED TO ME PREVIOUSLY, I FOLLOWED THE MANUAL DIRECTIONS TO SET THE LIFTGATE OPEN HEIGHT. WE FINISHED GETTING OUR ITEMS OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND PRESSED THE CONTROL BUTTON TO CLOSE. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT THE LIFTGATE--NOW AT MAXIMUM HEIGHT--SIMPLY MADE "WHIRRING" SOUNDS AND WOULD NOT CLOSE. DESPITE REFERENCING THE OWNER'S MANUAL, CALLING FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND SCOURING THE INTERNET FOR POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS, ALL ATTEMPTS TO BYPASS THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM/MOTOR AND MANUALLY CLOSE THE DOOR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE MY FAMILY HOME WITH THE REAR LIFTGATE PRECARIOUSLY LEFT WIDE OPEN. THE NEXT DAY I WAS ADVISED BY MY LEASING COMPANY TO HAVE A TOW TRUCK PICK THE VEHICLE FOR SAFETY REASONS. THE TOW DRIVER WAS SHOCKED AT THIS ODD MALFUNCTION AND EXPRESSED CONCERN TRANSPORTING THE VEHICLE AS ROAD BUMPS COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE EXCESSIVE BOUNCING AND PERMANENT DAMAGE. WE DETACHED THE LIFT ARMS HOLDING UP THE REAR GATE SO AS TO CLOSE THE DOOR--ONLY TO FIND THAT THE REAR HATCH STILL WOULD NOT FULLY CLOSE. THE REPORT FROM THE FORD DEALERSHIP HERE IN PHOENIX WAS SIMPLY THAT THE "LIFTGATE WOULD NOT CLOSE MANUALLY DUE TO THE MOTOR BINDING." THEY SUBSEQUENTLY REPLACED THE MOTOR AND NOTED THE "SYSTEM IS NOW WORKING AS DESIGNED AT THIS TIME." I ASKED MY ADVISOR IF THERE WAS A MANUAL OVERRIDE FOR THIS AND HE SAID "NO." I BELIEVE THAT FORD SHOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL OF THESE LIFTGATE COMPONENTS AND ENGINEER A MANUAL OVERRIDE FOR WHEN THEY GO OUT.