R1T Tailgate Closure Difficult to Latch

[moosetags]

Is it just me or is it difficult to get the tailgate to latch? I use the tailgate quite often. About half the time, the latches do not catch and I have to try again. I am closing the tailgate firmly, and I have lubricated the latch mechanisms. Is there a trick that I do not know?

Brian

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[Donald Stanfield]

No more difficult for me than any other non assist tailgate. You have to close it fairly firmly I think most likely you aren't putting enough oomphf behind it.

 

[moosetags]

I have had several Chevrolet and Ford pick-up trucks with manual tailgates. They all latched with a firm push. My R1T's tailgate requires more of a slamming than a firm push. Evan at that, the latches do not catch on the first try much of the time.

Brian

Brian

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

How is the alignment? Could be an alignment issue causing it not to latch easily.

 

[moosetags]

The tailgate appears to be aligned perfectly side-to-side, top-to-bottom, and front-to-back. The latches do not trip easily and lock the tailgate in place.

Brian

 

[nikk73]

I have trouble with the tailgate as well, it has nothing to do with not closing it firmly enough. I will even try to close it several times in a row and will end up getting a warning message that there is something or some animal in the cargo area and to pull over immediately. There is nothing back there and the truck is stationary... this warning message comes with a continuous beeping noise that won't go away until the tailgate is properly closed, which for me requires a hard reset or 2 or 5. Since my issue can be solved with a reset it seems like mine is software or sensor related. Have a service scheduled but the earliest they can see me to do diagnostics is over a month out. Not good service.

 

[Rivdog]

Mine seems to work just like any other truck and I’ve not had issues other than a software glitch a time or two where it said the tailgate wasn’t closed when it was.

Sounds like something is off with yours, unfortunately. Hope it’s an easy fix.

 

[LivingInKaos]

I don't have to slam, push on or anything more than just closing and mine latches easily. Much easier than the side doors with all the windows closed. If you had an automatic tonneau, I might suggest checking to see if it needs to be recalibrated, but being a 2023, you don't have that potential. Might be time to place a ticket and have them adjust the latch points, unless you want to do that yourself.

 

[moosetags]

I am going to take a look at the latching mechanisms more closely and see if I can make any adjustments.

Brian

 

[Diddy]

Is it just me or is it difficult to get the tailgate to latch? I use the tailgate quite often. About half the time, the latches do not catch and I have to try again. I am closing the tailgate firmly, and I have lubricated the latch mechanisms. Is there a trick that I do not know?

Brian

I’m having a similar issue w my 2-week old R1T. The latches won’t engage, even after a restart. The only short term fix I could get to work was to hold the tail gate up and to press the release button. That seemed to enable the latch system to engage until I have it serviced. Still waiting for service to get back to me

 

[Diddy]

No more difficult for me than any other non assist tailgate. You have to close it fairly firmly I think most likely you aren't putting enough oomphf behind it.

This isn’t about closing it more firmly, the latches simply don’t engage. One work around I tried was to hold up the tail gate in the closed position then press the tail gate release button. This engaged the latch system.

 

[gt1x1]

Hope this has been solved, but in case it hasn’t: service appointment. I had the same issue on my 2023 and after service adjusted latches it’s worked perfectly. IIRC it had to do with the torque on the latches themselves not any sort of adjustment.

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