My power lift gate does not want to open all the way. It sags about 3/4 way like the struts no longer support its weight. Anyone have this issue and what did it take to correct?

 

It's probably exactly what you suspect, and replacing the gas struts will likely solve the issue. If you live in an area that gets cold in the winter, you'll probably discover soon that the struts no longer even support the liftgate 3/4 of the way up. And if you have a power liftgate, you'll soon find that feature no longer works either.

-Rod

 

Mine pops open with the button but doesn't lift AT ALL. I was told there was a TSB on this and that a reflash of the the liftgate "module" could repair this, although I haven't tested that theory yet. Seems to me there's a mechanical failure in your case and my case, not a module programming issue.


I'd also be interested to hear how people are addressing this?

 

Hi Prospect62,

There are a few different TSBs for the liftgate that your dealership would be able to look in to, to make sure it applies to your vehicle and symptoms. They do all require flashing software.

Kori
Dodge Social Care Specialist

 

Thank you, I'll be sure to try those flashes before assuming a mechanical part failure.

 

If you open it by hand after the switch pops it open, does it stay open on its own, or will it close as soon as you let go? If it closes as soon as you let go, then the issue is most likely worn liftgate gas struts. I had to replace them on my 2011 for the same symptoms. The cost of the struts was not too bad and they were very easy to swap out. Everything worked as designed after the struts were replaced.

-Rod

 

Well, the funny thing is sometimes it'll pop open and lift all the way up just fine. Sometimes it'll just pop and not rise. Therefore I believe the power unit is working and once it's up, it stays up just fine, so I think the gas pressurized shock is ok. When it closes, either with the motor or if I pull it closed, it doesn't seat/latch properly unless I really push it closed.

 

Have you noticed a correlation between outside temperature and when it seems to work fine? Weak struts will sometimes work fine when hot and fail when cold....

-Rod

 

Temperature doesn't seem to change anything. We've had temps ranging from 40 degrees to 85 degrees since I've purchased this thing two weeks ago. The smart move is just take it back and let them fix it but I'm tired of not having the truck I just paid a huge chunk of money for.

 

Other than the liftgate flashes- there could be an issue with the sensitivity of the auto-reverse. When the gate pops, if the lift arm is weak and has to apply too much force to start the lift, it thinks there is an obstruction and reverses to closed/latched. If you try again and it again doesn't make it, it will reverse/latch and shut down - only a manual open/lift/close will reset the electronics