Tailgate kick release

[CDNRabbit]

@sjwhiteley it's a must have feature. I remember how amazed I was when a friend opened the rear hatch on their parents Lexus in the early 2000s. It was like science fiction.

 

[gray_ghost]

I have a 2019 Expedition Platinum. I could rarely get the liftgate to open using the kicking motion. However, every time I hooked up my boat trailer the liftgate would activate and try to hit me in the head. Other times it would start to close when loading stuff into the back. I finally removed the lower antenna from under the rear bumper. I kept the antenna and plan to reinstall it when I sell the vehicle. To plug the open connector, I purchased a used antenna on eBay, cut off the connector and plugged it in to prevent corrosion. What a relief! I can now go fishing without the fear of dodging the liftgate.

 

[DurhamHusker]

If the system is inconsistent try using a straight kick under the center of the bumper. Dealer told me side to side movement isn't registered by the sensor. My only struggle is opening the hatch when my hitch is installed.

Straight kick, then a step backwards. That'll do it.

As for the inadvertent activations, I've heard there's some replacement parts around the sensors in the rear that improve grounding and reduce accidental opens and closes

 

[nema100]

I have a 2019 Expedition Platinum. I could rarely get the liftgate to open using the kicking motion. However, every time I hooked up my boat trailer the liftgate would activate and try to hit me in the head. Other times it would start to close when loading stuff into the back. I finally removed the lower antenna from under the rear bumper. I kept the antenna and plan to reinstall it when I sell the vehicle. To plug the open connector, I purchased a used antenna on eBay, cut off the connector and plugged it in to prevent corrosion. What a relief! I can now go fishing without the fear of dodging the liftgate.

Same experience here. In fact, I didn't think I had that feature at all, figured I was just somehow hitting the trunk button on the fob in my pocket when messing with the hitch. A few days ago, I did it again and realized the fob was not in my pocket, but sitting on the bumper which meant I didn't push the button accidentally. Regardless, it is a less-than-stellar implementation, having to stand on one foot to open a tailgate.

 

[byathread]

On my 2019, I can walk by the back with a key in my pocket and it'll open sometimes. Annoys me, but, I leave it and walk further behind it. I need to kick under the bumper on either side of center when my hands are full and I want the damn thing to open! Center doesn't really ever work for me. Power lift gate is nice, I'd like it if it wouldn't open into shit, but, I just disable power lift gate from my menu when I have something hooked up like a bike rack/trailers etc.

 

[Left Coast Geek]

yeah, I disabled my kick-to-open via the menus because every time I'm messing with my hitch, I was triggering it and getting whacked in the face by the tailgate. I'm one of those guys who always removes the tow bar when I unhitch.

I too found the kick-to-open to be quite hard to trigger on the Expy, vs my wife's 2016 Mercedes "E" wagon, which works great. the MB wants a side to side foot swipe on either side of the license plate. Maybe I'll turn it back on and try it with the straight kick in and out instead of the sideways swipe.

 

[GixxerJasen]

Was there a specific year that kick to open was added to the menus?

 

[ROBERT BONNER]

The only one in my family who could consistently make it work was the dog. I had to make sure the truck was locked in the garage, otherwise every time the dog ran out, the liftgate would open into the garage door frame...worse, whenever I was leaning into the back and the dog ran by I'd get hit in the head with it closing. It came down to getting rid of the dog, or disabling it. The dog is still a great bird dog and going strong...

 

[VBreithaupt]

Your better off without it. Never seems to work when you need it to.