NHTSA Complaint #11140680 — 2017 FORD F-250

THE AUTOMATIC TAILGATE IN THE 2017 KING RANCH F250 CAN COME OPEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHEN IN DRIVE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT LEAST 4 TIMES; MOST RECENTLY WHILE PULLING MY AIRSTREAM TRAILER WHILE IN UTAH, CAUSING DAMAGE TO MY AIRSTREAM PROPANE BOTTLES, THE ALUMINUM COVER, AND ALSO PUTTING A DENT IN MY F250 TAILGATE. THIS ISSUE COULD CAUSE SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN TRAFFIC, SHOULD SOMETHING FALL OUT OF THE BACK DURING THIS MALFUNCTION. MY EXPERIENCE RECENTLY: I HAD JUST ENTERED THE FREEWAY AND WAS ACCELERATING TO FREEWAY SPEEDS IN UTAH, AFTER A QUICK STOP FOR TAKEOUT BREAKFAST AT MCDONALDS. A TRUCKER FLAGGED ME DOWN TO PULL OVER AS I ENTERED THE FREEWAY. HE RAN BACK AND TOLD ME MY TAILGATE WAS OPEN. UPON INSPECTION, IT APPEARED THE OPEN TAILGATE HAD CAUSED DAMAGE TO MY PROPANE TANKS ON MY AIRSTREAM, THE ALUMINUM COVER, AND ALSO PUT A DENT IN THE TAILGATE WHEN LEAVING MCDONALDS PARKING LOT ONTO THE STREET TO GET BACK ONTO THE FREEWAY. WE WERE LUCKY NOTHING HAD FALLEN OUT OF THE REAR BED, AS IT WAS PACKED WITH CAMPING GEAR. THE AUTOMATIC TAILGATE CAN ONLY BE ACTIVATED BY THE 'KEYFOB' OR BY MANUALLY PRESSING THE RELEASE BUTTON ON THE TAILGATE WHEN UNLOCKED. 1) THERE IS NO WAY TO OPEN OR LOCK THE TAILGATE OTHER THAN THE PUSH BUTTON ON THE TAILGATE OR WITH THE KEYFOB. 2) THERE IS NO INDICATION THE TAILGATE IS DOWN, ONCE IN DRIVE. (SAFETY ISSUE) 3) THE TAILGATE CAN/DOES OPEN INTERMITTENTLY ON OCCASION WHILE IN DRIVE WITHOUT ANY OPERATOR INTERVENTION.