The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Super Duty F-250, F-350, and F-450 trucks equipped with an electric tailgate latch release switch mounted in the tailgate handle. Water may enter the electrical wiring system and cause a short circuit, activating the switch and releasing the tailgate latches.
The risk
Unintended tailgate opening may allow unrestrained cargo to fall out of the truck bed and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will modify the tailgate/frame wiring harnesses by adding jumper pigtails to isolate the tailgate release control circuits and will install a new tailgate handle release switch, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 20, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S48.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by ODI
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ford F-250 SD | 2017, 2018, 2019 |
| Ford F-350 SD | 2017, 2018, 2019 |
| Ford F-450 SD | 2017, 2018, 2019 |
Components: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford F-250 SD | 2017 | 1,155 | 14 |
| Ford F-250 SD | 2018 | 398 | 9 |
| Ford F-250 SD | 2019 | 1,165 | 11 |
| Ford F-350 SD | 2017 | 574 | 13 |
| Ford F-350 SD | 2018 | 204 | 9 |
| Ford F-350 SD | 2019 | 467 | 11 |
| Ford F-450 SD | 2017 | 1 | 11 |
| Ford F-450 SD | 2018 | 0 | 7 |
| Ford F-450 SD | 2019 | 3 | 9 |
Other latches/locks/linkages recalls in 2019
13 of the 880 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2019 concerned the latches/locks/linkages; Ford Motor Company filed 737 campaigns in all.
| 19V849000 26 Nov 2019 | Volvo Car USA LLC |
| 19V665000 18 Sept 2019 | Daimler Vans USA, LLC |
| 19V607000 19 Aug 2019 | Manac Inc. |
| 19V392000 24 May 2019 | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC |
| 19V390000 23 May 2019 | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC |
| 19V347000 9 May 2019 | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) |
| 19V311000 17 Apr 2019 | Hyundai Motor America |
| 19V267000 2 Apr 2019 | Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2019