Tailgate won’t unlock

[still_waiting]

I searched the forms through keywords, but couldn’t find anything related. Suddenly, my tailgate won’t unlock. All four other doors unlock either manually pressing the unlock button on the key or by walking up to it, they all unlock, but all of a sudden my tailgate won’t unlock. I have an 2022 and this is never happened. Anybody else experience this?

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[Brian_B]

I haven't. The wiring harnesses for the rear door aren't hard to get to in order to check and make sure they didn't just pop loose... assuming you can get the tailgate open.

I think there is also an "emergency open" thing if you pop the plastic on the driver's side internal plastic trim piece. One of the harnesses is located in there as well.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/unlock-rear-door-without-power.45774/#post-1434876

 

[Lifeliberty]

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...elease-handle-for-inside-of-swing-gate.48439/

 

[still_waiting]

Quick update if this happens to anybody else and for context. I have a 2022 Outer Banks Sasquatch. I didn’t think anything of it at first, but it makes sense now: while ago I had parked on an incline, and when I opened the tailgate, it misaligned and it took for me to forcefully pull up from the bottom and get it back in place in order to close the tailgate. That was maybe six months ago and I hadn’t had any problems since then. Thought I’d had it back in place. After that, I added an aftermarket flag mount bracket which really wasn’t a big deal.

Anyways, I’m still under warranty because my mileage is very low and it hasn’t been three years yet. The service guys diagnosed it as a misaligned tailgate and said it was caused by the aftermarket flag bracket that I added, which is ridiculous. That didn’t misalign the tailgate lol. Needless to say they wouldn’t cover the repair and said they don’t even re align tailgates and told me I would have to go to a local body shop and pay out of pocket. I should have removed the aftermarket flag bracket before bringing it into Ford because of course they would find any reason not to cover it.

I brought it to a local place and the guy said he’s dealt with a handful of this same issue and that it doesn’t have anything to do with the bracket I installed…..it has to do with cheap factory parts holding the tailgate in place and an 80 pound 35 inch tire on the back. He said the tailgate hardware they use to hold a 35 inch tire is the same that they used to hold a smaller tire. Makes no sense. Anyways, cheap factory parts are gonna cost me $400-$500 for a repair ford should be on the hook for and it’s no surprise that they used the aftermarket flag mount as an excuse not to. It’s not even permanent. It just has to be unscrewed and have the original screws put back in place. Anyways, that’s the issue.

 

[Brian_B]

If it's gonna cost you that much in just replacement parts you should just go ahead and bite the bullet on one of the nice tailgate re-enforcement kits out there.

I feel your pain - my tailgate ended up twisting, but at least it still opened.

 

[still_waiting]

If it's gonna cost you that much in just replacement parts you should just go ahead and bite the bullet on one of the nice tailgate re-enforcement kits out there.

I feel your pain - my tailgate ended up twisting, but at least it still opened.

Oh wow, I didn’t even know those exist. I haven’t shopped for an accessory in probably a year. Never even considered something like that. Can you link what you’re talking about?

The dealer did push it back in place but it’s still sagging by about an inch. So it’s probably only a matter of time before it happens again if I don’t get it repaired.

 

[Brian_B]

Oh wow, I didn’t even know those exist. I haven’t shopped for an accessory in probably a year. Never even considered something like that. Can you link what you’re talking about?

The dealer did push it back in place but it’s still sagging by about an inch. So it’s probably only a matter of time before it happens again if I don’t get it repaired.

This is the one I got, most regard it as one of the better ones - it replaces the hinges entirely and the weight of the spare is completely removed from the tailgate - tailgate basically just hangs there on the new backplate
https://turnoffroad.com/products/2021-ford-bronco-hd-tire-carrier-tailgate-reinforcement

You can get Braptor hinges, which are much beefier and have some bolt-on spots for aftermarket parts - the part numbers are around here somewhere.

Ford Performance released a kit as well, I thought, but I can't seem to find a link handy. If you wanted to stay Ford but didn't want to mix up Braptor parts.

Kits like these help re-enforce the existing hinge, they cost a lot less - there are dozens of these, literally, and prices all over the place. I linked from M2M because I dig their stuff.
https://mountains2metal.com/BR6TGR/

And then you could go whole-hog, and get a bumper-mounted spare carrier.

There's a lot of Tailgate reinforcment threads around here to glean from.

 

[still_waiting]

This is the one I got, most regard it as one of the better ones - it replaces the hinges entirely and the weight of the spare is completely removed from the tailgate - tailgate basically just hangs there on the new backplate
https://turnoffroad.com/products/2021-ford-bronco-hd-tire-carrier-tailgate-reinforcement

You can get Braptor hinges, which are much beefier and have some bolt-on spots for aftermarket parts - the part numbers are around here somewhere.

Ford Performance released a kit as well, I thought, but I can't seem to find a link handy. If you wanted to stay Ford but didn't want to mix up Braptor parts.

Kits like these help re-enforce the existing hinge, they cost a lot less - there are dozens of these, literally, and prices all over the place. I linked from M2M because I dig their stuff.
https://mountains2metal.com/BR6TGR/

And then you could go whole-hog, and get a bumper-mounted spare carrier.

There's a lot of Tailgate reinforcment threads around here to glean from.

Thanks. Good brand. That’s the same company I bought the flag mount from, that ford said caused the misalignment

 

[helifino16]

Rough Country makes one as well:

 

[Roger123]

Take the flag mount off and go to a different dealer.

 

[still_waiting]

Take the flag mount off and go to a different dealer.

they already have it on the file. It’s straight up written on the work order that they provided and I’m sure that that is shared universally at all dealers.

 

[userdude]

they already have it on the file. It’s straight up written on the work order that they provided and I’m sure that that is shared universally at all dealers.

Could still be worth a shot. Some dealer service's are better at customer service than others...

 

[Ducati1098]

they already have it on the file. It’s straight up written on the work order that they provided and I’m sure that that is shared universally at all dealers.

Unless it’s a warranty repair, a different dealer would have no idea.

 

[wigglysqiggly]

I notice a huge improvement in my Ford Performance Tailgate enforcement. Less rattle/Clunking noise.

 

[orion]

Quick update if this happens to anybody else and for context. I have a 2022 Outer Banks Sasquatch. I didn’t think anything of it at first, but it makes sense now: while ago I had parked on an incline, and when I opened the tailgate, it misaligned and it took for me to forcefully pull up from the bottom and get it back in place in order to close the tailgate. That was maybe six months ago and I hadn’t had any problems since then. Thought I’d had it back in place. After that, I added an aftermarket flag mount bracket which really wasn’t a big deal.

Anyways, I’m still under warranty because my mileage is very low and it hasn’t been three years yet. The service guys diagnosed it as a misaligned tailgate and said it was caused by the aftermarket flag bracket that I added, which is ridiculous. That didn’t misalign the tailgate lol. Needless to say they wouldn’t cover the repair and said they don’t even re align tailgates and told me I would have to go to a local body shop and pay out of pocket. I should have removed the aftermarket flag bracket before bringing it into Ford because of course they would find any reason not to cover it.

I brought it to a local place and the guy said he’s dealt with a handful of this same issue and that it doesn’t have anything to do with the bracket I installed…..it has to do with cheap factory parts holding the tailgate in place and an 80 pound 35 inch tire on the back. He said the tailgate hardware they use to hold a 35 inch tire is the same that they used to hold a smaller tire. Makes no sense. Anyways, cheap factory parts are gonna cost me $400-$500 for a repair ford should be on the hook for and it’s no surprise that they used the aftermarket flag mount as an excuse not to. It’s not even permanent. It just has to be unscrewed and have the original screws put back in place. Anyways, that’s the issue.

See if it was just a loose mount that slipped. @flip or @Ducati1098 could post the tailgate alignment process I'm sure...

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