Tailgate kick release

[The Sandlapper]

Just bought first Ford ever yesterday, used 2022 expedition limited. The "kick" feature on the rear door is not working. Is there a setting in the menus that I am not seeing to make this work?

 

[BSarchet]

That feature was deleted in most of the 2022’s due to chip shortages. You might be able to use your VIN to look up the window sticker but I bet the hands free liftgate is not on that one.

 

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

Just bought first Ford ever yesterday, used 2022 expedition limited. The "kick" feature on the rear door is not working. Is there a setting in the menus that I am not seeing to make this work?

If your vehicle has the feature - it may have been disconnected.

Members on this forum have reported how maddening the feature is and how they disconnected it underneath the left rear of the vehicle.

 

[The Sandlapper]

Thanks folks, went by dealership this morning and feature was removed from my vehicle. Had it on my suburban before along with walk away auto lock. I didn't think much of either until I now don't have them, haha. Sneaky useful, wonder if I can add either to the expedition?

 

[m3bs]

In five years of ownership I’ve been able to get mine to work when I needed it exactly once. I can’t count the number of times it has closed on my head, though…. You aren’t missing much.

 

[The Sandlapper]

In five years of ownership I’ve been able to get mine to work when I needed it exactly once. I can’t count the number of times it has closed on my head, though…. You aren’t missing much.

LOL, had same experience with the Suburban. I guess we only remember the bad times. I do miss it, even with the "misfires" that we both have obviously experienced.

 

[5280tunage]

I disabled mine after it nearly closed on my kids more than once. In fact, for example, at a drive up move, it nearly closed on my kids over 5 times while they were sitting in the trunk. Funny to me there are proximity sensors all over this thing and occupancy sensors inside, how stupid they didn't tie these things together in code and prevent it from closing when movement is detected around and inside the vehicle.

 

[GixxerJasen]

Was using my hitch mount tire changer and something rolled under the truck. While it was hit or miss for me to trigger it on purpose, the thing rolling under the truck triggered it and the door opened into the changer and left a nice scratch on the door. Disconnected after that. I've had a few times I kinda wished I had it but the Ford implementation was pretty terrible that it makes me happy to know they deleted it.

 

[CDNRabbit]

If the system is inconsistent try using a straight kick under the center of the bumper. Dealer told me side to side movement isn't registered by the sensor. My only struggle is opening the hatch when my hitch is installed.

 

[sjwhiteley]

If the system is inconsistent try using a straight kick under the center of the bumper. Dealer told me side to side movement isn't registered by the sensor. My only struggle is opening the hatch when my hitch is installed.

That’s what I was told and that made it the most consistent. Unfortunately because it also registered unintentional movement, when playing around the hitch area, I disabled it by removing the antenna.

Since it’s just a button push to open, I’ve not really missed it. What you really miss, though, is a power lift gate. Now that’s a pain!

 

[CDNRabbit]

@sjwhiteley it's a must have feature. I remember how amazed I was when a friend opened the rear hatch on their parents Lexus in the early 2000s. It was like science fiction.

 

[gray_ghost]

I have a 2019 Expedition Platinum. I could rarely get the liftgate to open using the kicking motion. However, every time I hooked up my boat trailer the liftgate would activate and try to hit me in the head. Other times it would start to close when loading stuff into the back. I finally removed the lower antenna from under the rear bumper. I kept the antenna and plan to reinstall it when I sell the vehicle. To plug the open connector, I purchased a used antenna on eBay, cut off the connector and plugged it in to prevent corrosion. What a relief! I can now go fishing without the fear of dodging the liftgate.

 

[DurhamHusker]

If the system is inconsistent try using a straight kick under the center of the bumper. Dealer told me side to side movement isn't registered by the sensor. My only struggle is opening the hatch when my hitch is installed.

Straight kick, then a step backwards. That'll do it.

As for the inadvertent activations, I've heard there's some replacement parts around the sensors in the rear that improve grounding and reduce accidental opens and closes

 

[nema100]

I have a 2019 Expedition Platinum. I could rarely get the liftgate to open using the kicking motion. However, every time I hooked up my boat trailer the liftgate would activate and try to hit me in the head. Other times it would start to close when loading stuff into the back. I finally removed the lower antenna from under the rear bumper. I kept the antenna and plan to reinstall it when I sell the vehicle. To plug the open connector, I purchased a used antenna on eBay, cut off the connector and plugged it in to prevent corrosion. What a relief! I can now go fishing without the fear of dodging the liftgate.

Same experience here. In fact, I didn't think I had that feature at all, figured I was just somehow hitting the trunk button on the fob in my pocket when messing with the hitch. A few days ago, I did it again and realized the fob was not in my pocket, but sitting on the bumper which meant I didn't push the button accidentally. Regardless, it is a less-than-stellar implementation, having to stand on one foot to open a tailgate.

 

[byathread]

On my 2019, I can walk by the back with a key in my pocket and it'll open sometimes. Annoys me, but, I leave it and walk further behind it. I need to kick under the bumper on either side of center when my hands are full and I want the damn thing to open! Center doesn't really ever work for me. Power lift gate is nice, I'd like it if it wouldn't open into shit, but, I just disable power lift gate from my menu when I have something hooked up like a bike rack/trailers etc.

 

[Left Coast Geek]

yeah, I disabled my kick-to-open via the menus because every time I'm messing with my hitch, I was triggering it and getting whacked in the face by the tailgate. I'm one of those guys who always removes the tow bar when I unhitch.

I too found the kick-to-open to be quite hard to trigger on the Expy, vs my wife's 2016 Mercedes "E" wagon, which works great. the MB wants a side to side foot swipe on either side of the license plate. Maybe I'll turn it back on and try it with the straight kick in and out instead of the sideways swipe.

 

[GixxerJasen]

Was there a specific year that kick to open was added to the menus?

 

[ROBERT BONNER]

The only one in my family who could consistently make it work was the dog. I had to make sure the truck was locked in the garage, otherwise every time the dog ran out, the liftgate would open into the garage door frame...worse, whenever I was leaning into the back and the dog ran by I'd get hit in the head with it closing. It came down to getting rid of the dog, or disabling it. The dog is still a great bird dog and going strong...

 

[VBreithaupt]

Your better off without it. Never seems to work when you need it to.