NHTSA Complaint #11289764 — 2015 FORD F-150

WHILE DRIVING OUR 2015 FORD F-150 LARIAT SUPERCREW ON A TRIP FROM OHIO TO FLORIDA ON INTERSTATE I-77 WE WERE TOWING A 14 FOOT ENCLOSED TRAILER. MY WIFE AND I STOPPED FOR THE NIGHT AFTER APPROXIMATELY 550 MILES AND I MADE SURE THE TRUCK WAS SECURE. IN THE MORNING I WALKED AROUND THE TRAILER AND THE TRUCK TO BE SURE EVERYTHING WAS OKAY AND IT WAS BEFORE CONTINUING OUR DRIVE. WE WERE JUST NORTH OF CHARLOTTE, NC AND THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF NEW ROAD CONSTRUCTION AS WE CONTINUED SOUTH WITH ROUGH BUMPY AREAS, CHANGING ROAD LANES AND JUST A LOT OF TWISTING SECTIONS. AFTER 2 HOURS AND SOUTH OF CHARLOTTE WE STOPPED FOR FUEL. I THEN SAW THAT THE TAILGATE WAS DOWN. I WAS SHOCKED AS I LOOKED AND WAS GLAD WE HAD NOT LOST ANY ITEMS ON THE ROAD, WE COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE. THE TAILGATE RECEIVED DAMAGE BECAUSE AS THE TWISTING AND REQUIRED LANE CHANGES HAPPENED THE TRAILERS FRONT TONGUE WHEEL SUPPORT POST WAS JAMMING AGAINST THE DROPPED TAILGATE. WE FEEL SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE NOT LOST THE HEAVY ITEMS IN THE TRUCK THAT COULD HAVE MADE US RESPONSIBLE FOR A SEVER ACCIDENT. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE FORD DEALER IN MOUNT DORA, FL AND WAS TOLD THE RECALL CURRENTLY IS FOR JUST THE F-250 & F-350 MODELS WITH THE POWER TAILGATE. THEY "RAN" MY VIN NUMBER AND TOLD ME THIS TRUCK IS NOT IN THE SAME RECALL. EVEN THOUGH THE F-150 "LARIAT" UPGRADE MODEL HAS THE SAME POWER TAILGATE AS THE TWO IN THE RECALL. PLEASE HELP AND REQUIRE THE JUSTIFIED RECALL TO BE SPECIFIC TO NOT JUST THE VEHICLE VIN OR MODEL NUMBERS BUT TO ALL THOSE WITH THIS TYPE OF FUNCTIONING POWER TAILGATE. I HAVE CALLED FORDS'S CONSUMER (866) HELP CENTER AND THEY ARE NOT ADMITTING REPLACEMENT FOR MY DAMAGED TAILGATE EVEN THOUGH THE DEALER BODY SHOP MANAGER HAD ME PRESENT TO SEE AS THEY TOOK THE TAILGATE APART. WE FOUND INSIDE ONE BROKEN PART FOR THE MECHANICAL LATCH CONTROLLER THAT SECURES THE LOCKING OF THE TAILGATE.