NHTSA Complaint #11528359 — 2014 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT

The tailgate unlocks on its own and becomes unlatched on its own. It is unpredictable but has happened at least once when coming to a stop (still in gear) and once when sitting with the engine off, after having come to a stop. My dogs ride in the back so they could fall out of the vehicle if it occurred while driving; in addition, cargo in the back of the van could fall onto the road if the tailgate came unlatched and opened. I have not taken the van to a dealer because the nearby Ford dealership has a reputation as not being easy to work with, and I don't know who else would be qualified to work on such a problem. The "tailgate open" warnings do occur, when the door unlocks/unlatches. But the lock makes audible noises FREQUENTLY, and it's not always easy to tell if the lock has disengaged or just made a noise.