Anyone Else Having Issues with Tailgate Hands-Free and Other Quirks?

Hey everyone, I recently got a 2020 Expedition Limited, and I’m still figuring out some things with it. I’m running into a few issues and wondering if anyone has dealt with similar problems. First, the tailgate hands-free feature isn’t working. I’ve heard some people disable it because it’s too sensitive, but mine is still on and it won’t work at all. I checked the connections at the module in the bumper, and everything looks fine. Could the sensors be failing internally, preventing the hands-free from working?

I also had the driver’s side second-row heated seat element replaced because the button stopped working (the dealership fixed it for free), but it was working when I picked it up, and now it’s stopped working again. The passenger side works fine, so not sure what’s going on there.

One of the heater coolant supply lines started leaking, so I ordered new ones (the two lines that run to the firewall). That should be an easy fix.

On our first long trip from SC to FL, the transmission started venting transmission fluid. I pulled over when I got to my destination (about 90 miles later), checked the fluid, and it was at the correct level. The temps were fine the whole trip, with no strange behavior. I’m thinking the Nissan dealership I bought it from might have over-serviced it during their servicing. Since then, I’ve driven it around and checked under the car but haven’t noticed any leaks. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Thanks for any insights!

How many miles are on the vehicle?
I’d probably take it to a Ford dealership and have them change the ATF fluid and filter.

Fallon said:
How many miles are on the vehicle?
I’d probably take it to a Ford dealership and have them change the ATF fluid and filter.

It just crossed over 80k. The Nissan dealership did that already… I got the work orders from the advisor. But I can always do the maintenance myself if I need to.

@Casey
I would be concerned they didn’t do it right or didn’t use the correct fluid.

Fallon said:
@Casey
I would be concerned they didn’t do it right or didn’t use the correct fluid.

Yeah, that crossed my mind too. At least I can suck out the fluid with an extractor and skip dropping the pan.

Is the heater coolant line issue a common one with these vehicles?

I’m having a similar issue with my tailgate hands-free (2022 Timberline). Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Do I need to have my key in hand for it to work? Does the car need to be unlocked even if I have the key? Should I be kicking it lightly? It’s always a guess whether it’ll work or not.

@Archer
I had a similar issue with mine on my Yukon. It never worked properly. It seems like these systems are finicky no matter the make.

@Archer
Same problem on my 2020 Platinum. It’s either a weird game of hokey pokey or I end up getting hit in the head while washing the rear bumper.