NHTSA Complaint #11325884 — 2019 FORD ESCAPE

WHEN YOU HIT THE BUTTON TO CLOSE THE LIFTGATE IT DOESN'T USUALLY LATCH. MANY TIMES I HAVE TO MANUALLY CLOSE IT BECAUSE WHEN I PUSH THE BUTTON THE LIFTGATE WILL CLOSE DOWN BUT IT WON'T LATCH. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER 2X. THE FIRST TIME THEY CONFIRMED THE ISSUE AND REPLACED A MECHANISM THAT CONTROLS THE LIFTGATE. THE PROBLEM CAME BACK LESS THAN 1 WEEK LATER. WHEN I TOOK IT BACK THEY CLAIMED IT ALWAYS LATCHED WHEN THEY TESTED, AND DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO IT. MEANWHILE, I TOOK IT HOME AND IT STILL WON'T LATCH WHEN I TRY TO CLOSE IT WITH THE BUTTON. VEHICLE IS ALWAYS OFF, PARKED, WHEN I TRY TO CLOSE THE LIFTGATE. THE ONLY ODD THING I NOTICED IS IF I KEEP THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPEN WHEN I PUT THE BUTTON TO CLOSE THE LIFTGATE THEN FOR SOME REASON THE LIFTGATE LATCHES, PROBABLY 8/10 TIMES.