Hatch opens automatically upon walk-up with PAAK

[dmur726]

I have done a brief amount of research today on this, since it just happened for the first time ever today while I was out, then again at home. I'm not too happy that the hatch hit the garage door. Thankfully no damage appears to have been done, either to the car or the door.

Here is what happened: The first time I walked up after being away from the car for about 25 minutes, and the hatch opened as the doors unlocked. First time ever, so I wrote it off as another quirk. I got home, went into the house for about 5 minutes, came back out and, as I approached the doors unlocked and the hatch opened again.

I have a 2021 July-built Premium ER AWD with about 30,000 miles. It was not plugged in either time, and neither FordPass nor the car itself gave any signs of having been updated recently. I only use PAAK, and my phone was asleep in my pocket both times. Best I can tell, you can't even open the hatch anymore from the Apple Watch, although I wasn't actively using my watch at either time, either.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what gremlin is causing this issue?

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[azerik]

Did you walk up from behind? (Obviously unpossible for the hatch to hit the garage door if you approach from behind but I got to ask). My dogs tail has tripped mine more than once and the feral cat that managed to get in my garage did once as well.

 

[dmur726]

Did you walk up from behind? (Obviously unpossible for the hatch to hit the garage door if you approach from behind but I got to ask). My dogs tail has tripped mine more than once and the feral cat that managed to get in my garage did once as well.

I did the first time, but it didn't start opening until I was at the side of the car. The second time there was nothing other than the garage door behind it; I was approaching from the side.

Good thoughts, though.

 

[azerik]

Interesting that they are 2 long leads, and appear to be at the reverse light. Back into anything? Aside from the FOB triggering it or one of those sensors being loose I'm at a loss. I havn't paid attention when I've been under the car to look at mine, but I have tiggered it at the tail lamp and by dragging a cordon the floor under the back of the car. It's really quite sensitive, unless you use a foot.. then It has no idea what do to.

 

[jay1122]

you should turn off the kick to open feature in the car.

 

[SonicBlue]

This has happened once to me, but I was never able to replicate the issue. It had nothing to do with kick to open.

I was walking up to my car, parked in a parking garage. The car recognized PAAK, illuminated the pony lamp, and popped open the hatch when I was still 15-20 feet away. Thankfully I was able to sprint up and stop the hatch from fully opening before it hit a low overhead concrete beam.

This was over a year ago. It has never happened since. Appears to be just an odd little gremlin. I figured Ford fixed it with one update or another. Evidently not.

Kind of like the navigation to nowhere bug that still pops up very occasionally. Some things with this car will never be fully explained.

 

[dmur726]

It's really quite sensitive, unless you use a foot.. then It has no idea what do to.

? Truth!

Since I wasn't near the car either time, and the only time the hatch has ever hit anything was when it phantom opened, I don't believe it was from damage.

I guess I'll just either start backing in to my garage (not my preference) and hope it never happens when I need it to stay down. Thanks everyone, for your responses. I'll just go with, as my husband says, "It's quirky!"

I guess all race horses are high-strung.

 

[jober03]

This has happened to me twice in the past couple of weeks. The first time it scraped the bottom of the door on my garage door. Both times it happened when I walked within about 20 feet of the car.

 

[dmur726]

@Ford Motor Company I realize this is a very small sample size and relatively minor, but any thought, suggestions? In this small sample, it is all 2021 models. It just seems so random that it could be hard to track or even diagnose.

 

[azerik]

You should see the logic that goes into this hatch.

1. 
   Power Liftgate Chime
   
   The power liftgate chime provides audible warnings to the operator. The power liftgate chime is sounded using the audio system. The RGTM sends messages over the CAN to the ACM when requesting the chime to sound.
   
   Power Liftgate Hands-Free Feature
   
   In addition to the passive entry system, the power liftgate hands-free feature utilizes a module and 2 capacitive sensors (located behind the rear bumper cover) for operation. The BCM sends a voltage signal to the hands-free liftgate actuation module. The hands-free liftgate actuation module monitors the 2 sensors. When the correct motion is detected (forward and back such as a kicking motion under the rear bumper), the hands-free liftgate actuation module communicates to the BCM via a LIN. The LIN supports bi-directional communication between the hands-free liftgate actuation module and BCM, allowing the liftgate passive entry process to begin (as though the liftgate release button was pressed)
   
   Hands-free liftgate DTC is set in the BCM, if any failure occurs over the LIN.
   
   The BCM verifies a valid programmed Phone as a Key within range of the rear keyless entry antenna and sends a message to the RGTM to open the liftgate.
   
   The 2 capacitive hands-free liftgate actuation sensors are serviced as a single assembly.
   

Which gets me to thinking, have you received the Zone update OTA? That made all zones 1? I'm wondering if it's a bug.

 

[garyd9]

Have the people who've experienced this reported it to the NHTSA? If this happens in a garage, it's "only" going to damage the garage door and the hatch door.

On the other hand, a hatch back opening on it's own could be an extremely dangerous situation if it happens in a moving vehicle. Not only could it damage the hatch door, but if something flies out of the rear of the car and smashes into a car behind, people can be killed.

Finally, reporting these issues to the NHTSA is probably the fastest way to get Ford to take notice of the issue and try to resolve it. Otherwise, they very well might just blame the customer for any damage.

It's possible that this issue only happens in a conveniently non-moving vehicle. However, because it's happening without a user pressing a button or issuing any type of command, it's obviously something broken, and broken things don't always break at convenient times.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem

 

[Mach-Lee]

Have the people who've experienced this reported it to the NHTSA? If this happens in a garage, it's "only" going to damage the garage door and the hatch door.

On the other hand, a hatch back opening on it's own could be an extremely dangerous situation if it happens in a moving vehicle. Not only could it damage the hatch door, but if something flies out of the rear of the car and smashes into a car behind, people can be killed.

Finally, reporting these issues to the NHTSA is probably the fastest way to get Ford to take notice of the issue and try to resolve it. Otherwise, they very well might just blame the customer for any damage.

It's possible that this issue only happens in a conveniently non-moving vehicle. However, because it's happening without a user pressing a button or issuing any type of command, it's obviously something broken, and broken things don't always break at convenient times.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem

That's a little extreme, it never happens while the vehicle is in motion, so it's not a safety issue in their eyes. It's just a glitch that happens sometimes while the vehicle is parked.

 

[garyd9]

That's a little extreme, it never happens while the vehicle is in motion, so it's not a safety issue in their eyes. It's just a glitch that happens sometimes while the vehicle is parked.

How can you say it would never happen when the vehicle is in motion? Do you believe that Ford is aware of the root cause of the problem and therefore knows it can't happen while the vehicle is in motion? If not, then no one really knows why or when it's happening... and it MIGHT be a safety issue and should be investigated.

 

[Mach-Lee]

How can you say it would never happen when the vehicle is in motion? Do you believe that Ford is aware of the root cause of the problem and therefore knows it can't happen while the vehicle is in motion? If not, then no one really knows why or when it's happening... and it MIGHT be a safety issue and should be investigated.

I've not heard of one single case of the hatch opening while in motion. Conversely, I've heard of many cases of it randomly opening in park over the past 2-3 years (happened to me once too). My conclusion is it will only happen in park. If someone actually observes it opening while in motion, THEN a NHTSA report can be filed. You should report based on what actually happened and not speculate too much. There are additional safeguards that prevent opening while the car is in motion.

 

[azerik]

Because you have to be in park for the hatch to open via any means.

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