What? No door lock in the back?

[DDF]

Why did they take away the door lock button in the far back?

 

[w1kedz]

Why did they take away the door lock button in the far back?

what button are you referring to?

 

[JDraper]

I'm guessing for two reasons. One, it takes cost out of the vehicle (same reason they did away with a passenger's side key hole in most vehicles). Two, since they all come with a keypad and remote fob, they probably felt it was redundant and fell back to my first reason

 

[peterk9]

Not sure why you would need an inside door lock on the lift gate. There is no way of opening it from the inside. My former '09 Highlander had a power liftgate as well and no lock or handle to open it from the inside.

 

[Joe Dirt]

It is convenient, I know when I go to the junkyard (for example) I leave my keys inside the truck, go to the back, get my things, hit the lock button, and close the hatch.

I can see how it's convenient, but as much as I use it, it is redundant.

 

[briwayjones]

I use the back lock all the time. It's a nice feature IMO.

 

[Joe Dirt]

I wonder if you could add one? It's just a snapped in harnessed switch... Hmmm...

 

[dco43054]

I'm guessing for two reasons. One, it takes cost out of the vehicle (same reason they did away with a passenger's side key hole in most vehicles). Two, since they all come with a keypad and remote fob, they probably felt it was redundant and fell back to my first reason

:nod

I remember getting a survey email from Ford once that asked if I used it, and how much, etc.

I'm sure it was a cost vs. use issue.

 

[bender]

They eliminated this in the 4th gen, and i miss it, any recreational activity where you want to leave your keys locked in the car and grab stuff from the trunk, you could hit the lock and be on your way, now i must unload the trunk and then go back to the front door to lock. I miss it. but yeah cost-cutting.

 

[1995E]

It was very convenient to have. When you are holding the last of your grocery bags and you don't want to rummage your pockets, you could easily lock the car by pressing that button and close the liftgate. It's especially useful when your FOB stops working so you don't have to open the front door and lock it there. Another great feature they removed.

 

[Sgt1411]

Its coming back for the Next Generation Police Interceptor Utility 2013 MY (Explorer) so you could buy those parts and do the install on yours.

 

[dco43054]

Its coming back for the Next Generation Police Interceptor Utility 2013 MY (Explorer) so you could buy those parts and do the install on yours.

If the wiring harness is the same, and it does not require custom vehicle CPU programming....

 

[peterk9]

It was very convenient to have. When you are holding the last of your grocery bags and you don't want to rummage your pockets, you could easily lock the car by pressing that button and close the liftgate. It's especially useful when your FOB stops working so you don't have to open the front door and lock it there. Another great feature they removed.

No such problem with my Limited. I just tried it. I locked all the doors, went to the liftgate (key fob in pocket) and was able to open it with the button inside the handle. I then hit the close button on the liftgate and it shut and locked itself. I tested it by putting my key fob out of range and then trying to open the liftgate as before. It was locked and would not open.

 

[DeLeSaAZ]

I know this is a REALLY old topic, but I've always wondered the same thing - why no lock button for the rear hatch? I had a 2013 Edge Limited, it had the hatch lock button, and I had a 2008 Expedition, also had a hatch lock button. I don't recall if my 2005 Explorer Eddie Bauer had one but I'm thinking it did.

I've had this '16 Explorer for coming up on 1.5 years and this one TINY missing feature has ALWAYS bugged me - I just keep forgetting to post about it.

Peter, you're talking about a different issue - it's not to be able to lock it from the inside of the hatch, it's basically a "door lock" button (like on the front doors) to lock all locks, not just the hatch. It's super convenient to use, as in a previous poster's example, when one is unloading groceries or cargo or the dog, etc. I'm one of those guys with a "man purse" (holds computer tablet, wallet, Rx Sunglasses, asthma inhaler and other meds and, of course, keys). If I have groceries, first thing that goes in the house is my man purse, drink, other piddly stuff - then unloading groceries. Since my keys are now in the house, I can't hit the (now non-existent) door lock button before I hit the "hatch close" button to lock the car. I either have to go to the front door and hit the inside door lock or the outside keypad (and I'm still holding the last batch of groceries to take in) OR try to remember to hit the FOB lock (which I almost always forget by then).

Since I have a $500 radar detector and iPod in the console, I'm not keen on leaving the doors unlocked - not even in my relatively safe neighborhood. And yes, when I exit the vehicle from the driver's door, I COULD hit the inside "door lock" button before going to the back - but again, my hands are usually full or I don't think of it - especially since I've had a rear hatch door-lock button in my last 2-3 Fords! Even after 1.5 years, half the time I'm still standing there A) looking for the hatch close button (it used to be on the inside wheel wells by the rear seat controls before they moved it to the hatch bottom - stupid place, really), and/or B) looking for BOTH the door lock button AND the hatch-close button! And, again, I'm usually standing there with full hands/arms!

It may sound like a piddly thing to gripe about, but when it's been there in 3 other Ford models, it truly is a convenience. (I have the door kick thing off - it never works when I want it too, then closes the hatch on my head when I didn't mean to engage it)

 

[peterk9]

I don't recall having a "door lock" button for the liftgate/tailgate on any of my previous vehicles including the Highlanders. There may have been one on my '81 Olds Vista Cruiser but I can't recall. I don't know about the 'gate' close button location on previous Explorer generations but the 5th gen has them on the bottom of the gate while my 2014 MKT had the button down by the 3rd row seat controls. Personally I prefer to have it on the 'gate', especially if you have the cargo area loaded with items. The "kick" operated 'gate' is also very handy especially if your hands are full. I use it often. I did have it start to close on me a few days ago when I was loading the dogs in the back but it quickly reopened when it felt an obstruction (me). I can see your point because of how you carry the keys. For me it's not an issue as I always have the key fob in my jean's pocket. The only solution I can see for you is to lock the vehicle and then use the button on the liftgate to open it before taking your keys inside or to enable the foot activated feature again.

Peter

 

[omar302]

I had a 2013 Edge Limited, it had the hatch lock button,

The Edge did NOT have a lock button at the hatch to lock all doors.

I had a 2013 Edge Limited, it had the hatch lock button,

A) looking for the hatch close button (it used to be on the inside wheel wells by the rear seat controls before they moved it to the hatch bottom - stupid place, really)

The Edge (up to 2014) had the button as you stated, like my MKX did & Expeditions/Navigators (pre 2018), but every one else outside my family members always looked for the button on the hatch itself, like the 2011+ Explorer & now also the 2015+ Edge.

 

[Bani]

On the topic of rear liftgate. Is there a lock button at the back of the truck in the trunk to lock the Explorer 2018?

Just as there is in Explorer 2005 where you could lock the Truck from the trunk.

(My liftgate is manual close)

Thanks in advance!