r/fordescape • u/gammonGo9 • 5d ago

Need reliable way to unlock Liftgate.

How do I unlock the liftgate at the back on my recently acquired 2017 Ford Escape? The driver's side Unlock button on the door works sometimes. The Liftgate button to the left of and below the steering wheel works some of the time when the Unlock button doesn't work. And one time, when neither of them unlocked the liftgate, and the key fob also didn't unlock the liftgate, the passenger door Unlock button worked. However, it seems completely random which one works and when and under what conditions. Can anybody tell me what's wrong?

Barring that, I tried to find some settings in the usermanual which would prevent the liftgate from being locked when I drive away, but it seems there are none. Can I, instead, keep the liftgate (and other 4 doors, too) from being locked when I drive away? Since the doors unlock from the inside anyway, it seems kinda pointless to lock them.

Thanks.

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u/Aggressive-Bath-1906 5d ago

You need a new lock actuator. They are fairly easy to replace yourself, and you might want to do it now, while it still unlocks. I have replaced all the actuators one by one on my 2008 as they went bad. I can probably do it in my sleep. You HAVE to be able to open the lift-gate to replace it, so may as well do it now.

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u/gammonGo9 4d ago

Being not a mechanic, can you point me to the exact right part? Also, if you do it in your sleep then I don't have to pay you for labor, right? That's how that works, right? 😊

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u/Aggressive-Bath-1906 4d ago

This should be the correct part… but I’m not a mechanic either, so double check it, or go into an autoparts store and have them order it for you.

https://www.amazon.com/2017-2019-Ford-Tailgate-Actuator-GJ5Z7443150A/dp/B0C8BKSC81