You may have better luck asking your question in the Explorer forum linked below. This is 2017+ Super Duty forum.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum269/

 

***UPDATE***

i have moved to Phoenix in the past year.

I took my truck to get the fix done for the dropping tailgate. I joking said, is Ford going to fix the damage to my tailgate??? (Dropped twice while towing my toy hauler). He said call customer service. I did. Surprisingly they replaced my tailgate and repaired any damage associated with the tailgate.

Well done Ford! A surprised Ford owner.

Jay

 

I have had this start happening. Calling Ford dealer today to see what they suggest. I also have a good story about how it happened.

I pull a big bumper hitch camper. One irritation with this camper is that I can't drop the tailgate when hooked up; it's that close. So, I was puling it from storage to the house, which is about 8 miles. It includes about 3 miles up a pretty good grade, up to 7%. So I get to the top of the grade, and I hear some sounds and I'm thinking "wow the equalizer hitch is making a lot of noise, I should lube it". Then I'm thinking that's NOT the hitch. So I stop in middle turn lane, throw on the hazards, and take a walkabout. Well the tailgate dropped, and perfectly hit the switch on the Lippert tongue jack, lowering it the entire way up the grade. it ground about the bottom 2" off the jack stand and bent it to the point that it would not retract. Hilarious!

This weekend I turned the Lippert jack head sideways. Then I also used a strap to secure it but then closed the tonneau so that was interesting to get open later.

It also happened another time when a 12 pack of soda fell out (sorry about that people following me) but I also had a 20lb propane tank in a milk crate on the tail that thankfully did not fall out.

 

Suggest talking with your dealer, they will either be helpful or pull the old I never heard of that before. Either way do yourself a huge favor, crawl under the truck disconnect the 2 large wire harness plugs for the tailgate located at the drivers rear corner. Apply gobs of dielectric grease in the plugs after you make certain they are dry internally. This has worked very well. After doing this home fix to the original wire harness for tailgate drop when the truck was brand new, and it fixed it by the way, I received the go ahead from my dealer the new harness finally arrived. After install guess what happened with the new harness? The dash lights went crazy and the truck died in my driveway. Pulled the new harness apart at the plugs and they were full of water. Fords new harness has the same leaky plugs. Packed the new plugs full of dielectric grease and not a problem in over a year.

 

My saga has come to an end. After the the fix. the Tail gate fell 2 more times while towing. Lucky I caught it and not to much damage was done. With that said, I sold the truck. 2017 F350 platinum stock is non existent in Phoenix. I sold it, and only lost 5K from new purchase price. I loved the truck, but this was a constant headache.

Jay

 

I use mine. The stupid tailgate takes so long to lower that I use the dash button before I get out so when I get there its fully down.
Stupid tailgate I agree.
Stupid truck in alot of ways.

 

This is an old thread, here we are 7 years later and some of the upper trims have not only remote open but also remote close.

If you don't like how slow your tailgate drops why not just remove the damper? Take only a few minutes of your time.

 

I had the recall done and it’s still poping open.

i put a switch on the fuse and as long as i throw the switch, it doesn’t pop open any more.