2006 tailgate liftgate won't open

[rebrown]

The tailgate on my wife's 2006 XLT stopped opening last week. It has always worked fine, but now it doesn't seem to unlock from any of the unlock buttons (in the truck or on the remote). Since there isn't a manual indication of locked or unlocked, I don't know exactly what the problem is. The rear window still opens fine. When I try to open the tailgate, there is no tension on the handle.

How do I get inside the tailgate to fix this if I can't open the tailgate? Is there a way to open the door other than by the exterior handle?

Thanks.

 

[edwx]

Maybe the child lock switch, just inside the left rear of the cargo area, is on. Just a suggestion.

 

[A Wise Guy]

Maybe the child lock switch, just inside the left rear of the cargo area, is on. Just a suggestion.

Child lock switch for the tailgate? Where?

 

[edwx]

If I lift up my tailgate, there is a switch on the left side, right inside. Not on the tailgate, in the vehicle, on the lower part of the corner column. I think it's a child lock.....don't know what else it could be. I never used mine. Well......now that I think about it might not be a child safety lock, because it's accessible. But it's definitely a lock/unlock switch. You don't have to open the tailgate to see it. Just open a rear door and look in the back.

 

[brad19999]

I had the same problem with my '98. You are supposed to be able to pop the latch fishin through the top of the interior panel of the liftgate but I was not able to do it.
In my case the electric latch failed in the locked position and I ended up takin' a sawzall to it and ripped the int. panel off and accessed the latch.
You might not want to do this but I am replacing the gate anyway.
Brad

 

[edwx]

Brad, like you say, it's probably the actuator, and a PITA to get to in the locked position. My experience with a failed door actuator, is that it fails slowly over time and you can see it coming. His seems to have failed quickly, which, I guess could happen. If you can access the actuator, it's powered by a dark blue/yellow wire and a pink/black wire, according to the Haynes wiring diagram. I would check for power at the wires, and if the power is there, then it's definitely the actuator. I'd probably try and test the wires at the wiring harness first.

 

[A Wise Guy]

If I lift up my tailgate, there is a switch on the left side, right inside. Not on the tailgate, in the vehicle, on the lower part of the corner column. I think it's a child lock.....don't know what else it could be. I never used mine. Well......now that I think about it might not be a child safety lock, because it's accessible. But it's definitely a lock/unlock switch. You don't have to open the tailgate to see it. Just open a rear door and look in the back.

That is just a lock/unlock switch. I use mine all the time. Very conveinent.

 

[rebrown]

Thanks everyone. Edwx - can I get to the wiring harness with the hatch closed? It looks like it's probably above the headliner. I do hear the actuator with a lock and unlock. I'm wondering if the linkage came loose somehow. Does someone have a good diagram of the locking mechanism or a photo? Yes - the failure was quick. It worked fine, and then stopped working. I may have been trying to open the hatch at the same time as my wife unlocked the doors.

I don't think the sawzall method of panel removal would be popular. Has anyone been able to get the panel off with the gate shut?

 

[edwx]

Hmmmm.......The harness would be accessible above the headliner, but it sounds like the actuator is working if you say you can hear it working with the lock/unlock switch. Maybe a call to the dealer wouldn't hurt. Sometimes you can get a free tip.

 

[EX-SV]

So has anybody figured this out? My rear hatch unlocking isn't working consistently.

 

[EX-SV]

If I lift up my tailgate, there is a switch on the left side, right inside. Not on the tailgate, in the vehicle, on the lower part of the corner column. I think it's a child lock.....don't know what else it could be. I never used mine. Well......now that I think about it might not be a child safety lock, because it's accessible. But it's definitely a lock/unlock switch. You don't have to open the tailgate to see it. Just open a rear door and look in the back.

I cannot find the switch on my 2007 eddie bauer. No such lock for the tailgate.

 

[EX-SV]

Anybody else experience this problem with 4th gen Explorer (hatch fails to unlock consistently)?

 

[EX-SV]

Anybody else experience this problem with 4th gen Explorer (hatch fails to unlock consistently)?

I assume the problem is rare, I asked a couple of techs at dealer and they cannot remember seeing this issue. I made an appointment for later.

 

[EX-SV]

Today the Explorer went into dealer for oil change and rear hatch lock problem.

Diagnosis is actuator failed, about $200 to fix, sb done tomorrow.

 

[show13]

My rear lift gate has been acting up for about 2 or 3 months now. 2010 XLT just under 100k. It started failing slowly (would unlock/open every now and again), and then it just stopped working.

I got it open (just got lucky and it opened) one weekend and pulled the interior panel off to replace the actuator, since that seemed like the most likely culprit. However, when I took a look at it, the actuator was working just fine. I sat there and locked and unlocked it for 30 seconds and it never failed once. I put the panel back on and kind of gave up.

I was planning on taking it to the dealer, but recently on a cold morning my driver side door decided not to lock shut. I got it open, got in, tried to close the door, and it bounced back open. I looked up this video, which described exactly what was happening to me. I sprayed some de-corroding wd-40 on the latch and it fixed me right up.

Then I figured the same thing might be going on with my lift gate latch (as opposed to the lock). I know it's an issue of not opening vs not closing, but it was worth try. My lift gate randomly decided to open when I pulled the handle yesterday (for the first time in weeks), and I sprayed the latch with wd-40, which I had sitting at the ready. It seems to be working a little bit better now, but I'm not convinced I'm out of the woods just yet. I'll send an update if it continues to act up.

It may turn out to be the actuator in the end... I might just install the new one I bought if it continues intermittent operation.

 

[shaker1]

Mine seems to be intermittent now. Any new info on this? Actuator? Latch? Something else?
Advice on repair?

 

[aryork]

My handle/latch quit working on my 2000 Explorer Limited. Dug inside it and fixed it. Here's a video that shows how it works and shows how to improvise a string to pull so you can open the liftgate.