— A Ford Super Duty recall for more than 261,000 trucks is necessary because the tailgates may unintentionally open at any time.
The 2017-2019 Ford F-250, F-350 and F-450 Super Dutys have electric tailgate latch-release switches mounted in the tailgate handles, but water can enter the electrical wiring systems and cause short circuits. This activates the switches and releases the tailgate latches, even while the trucks are in motion.
Ford isn't aware of any crashes or injuries related to the tailgates, but cargo could easily drop out of the beds and cause road hazards if the tailgates open while driving.
The automaker says Super Duty trucks equipped with mechanical tailgate release handles are not affected by the recall.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hasn't released details about the recall, but about 232,660 trucks are located in the U.S., and nearly 30,000 are recalled in Canada.
The Ford F-250, F-350 and F-450 trucks were built in Kentucky between October 8, 2015, and November 3, 2019.
Ford dealers will modify the tailgate frame wiring harnesses by adding jumper pigtails to isolate the tailgate release control circuits, then technicians will install new tailgate handle release switches.
The Ford tailgate recall will begin January 20, 2020, but owners with questions may call 866-436-7332.
Ford's reference number for the tailgate recall is 19S48.
CarComplaints.com has complaints from drivers of F-250, F-350 and F-450 trucks.