NHTSA Complaint #11404101 — 2017 FORD ESCAPE

ON TWO OCCASIONS, ONE STATIONARY, ONE IN MOTION, THE TAILGATE WILL COME UNLATCHED. I HAVE THE AUTOMATIC TAILGATE WITHOUT THE FOOT ACTIVATED SENSORS. WHEN STATIONARY THE DOOR WILL NOT LATCH EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKS ALL THE WAY CLOSED. THE HORN WILL CHIRP TWICE TELLING ME A DOOR IS OPEN AND THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I KNOW IT'S NOT CLOSED. WHILE DRIVING THE DOOR DOES NOT OPEN ALL THE WAY, BUT I WILL GET A WARNING IN THE GAUGE CLUSTER TELLING ME THE TAILGATE IS OPEN. IT DOESN'T OPEN ALL THE WAY. I HAVE ONLY EXPERIENCED IT ONE TIME WHILE IN MOTION AT LOW SPEEDS, LESS THAN 40 MPH, AND I PULLED OVER SAFELY. TO FIX THE PROBLEM I HAVE TO STAND BEHIND THE TAILGATE WHEN IT'S CLOSING AND PUSH THE DOOR CLOSED. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT EITHER.