Ford Recalls Trucks For Tailgates That Could Unexpectedly Open

DEARBORN, MI — Ford is recalling more than 250,000 trucks, saying the tailgate could unexpectedly open.

Ford announced that the 2017-19 Ford F-250, F-350 and F-450 Super Duty vehicles have been recalled for unintended tailgate opening.

"In affected vehicles with an electric tailgate latch-release switch mounted in the tailgate handle, water entering the electrical wiring system may cause a short circuit, resulting in unintended switch activation and release of the tailgate latches," Ford said in the announcement. "This could cause the tailgate to open unintentionally, whether the vehicle is in motion or stationary. This condition may result in the loss of unrestrained cargo, increasing the risk of a crash."

The recall doesn't apply to vehicles with a mechanical tailgate release handle.

The company said there are no accidents or injuries associated with the recall so far.

The recall affects 231,664 vehicles in the U.S. and federal territories and 29,953 in Canada, Ford said. The affected vehicles were built at Kentucky Truck Plant from Oct. 8, 2015, to Nov. 3, 2019.

Ford said dealers will modify the tailgate frame wiring harnesses by adding jumper pigtails to isolate the tailgate release control circuits and install a new tailgate handle release switch.

The Ford reference number for this recall is 19S48.