Tailgate Does Not Unlock with Fob

Edit - Solved further down the page but hopefully it helps someone diagnose a similar problem.

Okay, this one has me puzzled.

My truck is a 2017 TRD Sport with the factory tailgate lock that is actuated with the key fob and connected to the doors when they lock/unlock. Now, for the last two years, it has worked flawlessly. I press the unlock button on the fob and all doors plus the tailgate physically unlock with the tailgate specifically making a loud, ker-chunk sound.

The tailgate, in-particular, has a feature that will automatically re-lock the doors if it is opened but they aren't. Again, historically, this has all worked normally and as expected.

A few weeks ago, I hit the unlock button on the fob, heard the ker-chunk of the tailgate lock release, pulled the tailgate handle annnnd; it was still locked... WTF? I hit the lock button on the fob, then unlock again. I hear the tailgate lock actuate with both presses of the button, yet the handle does not allow me to open the tailgate.

When this happens, the only way I can open the tailgate is to physically insert the key into the tailgate lock cylinder and turn it to allow the handle to operate.

Please tell me I'm not going mad and someone else here has also experienced this weirdness...

 

Sounds like the actuator detached from the mechanism. Take off the tailgate skin and check. It’s a t30 torx

 

What shellshock said

 

This.

 

Wrong truck?

 

First truck with an electronically activated tailgate lock.

Gonna try @Shellshock recommendation and hopefully it's just a simple fix... t'is rather annoying that it would just randomly detach.

 

If it’s the OEM one, there’s a push on retainer thing that attaches the actuator to the locking mechanism. I’d guess that popped off

 

Or the little plastic piece broke

 

Looks like you already got a good answer to start with, I just wanted to let you know, the auto relock feature is not specific to the tailgate. That feature is part of the truck as mine has it too and I do not have an electric tailgate lock. You can also adjust the time it takes or turn it off.

 

Its a dealer add- on pop-n-lock.
They were not standard issue on the 17's

 

My bad.

 

Plastic retainer clip likely broke. Easy fix

 

If you remove the interior tailgate panel make sure you do not mix the bolts as there are two lengths.

Edit:
I referenced this video to install my pop and lock.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ehiS8HVTRkc

 

Happened to me on my pop-n-lock. No hardware came apart, but was very dusty. I cleaned it and sprayed some silicone lube over the moving pieces and it's been good for at least 2 years now.

 

I dislike all the electronics in vehicles these days. My old '06 Volvo XC70 locked me out on a few occasions and my '19 MT Taco with the lock/unlock button on the key has tried.

The buttons are so sensitive that just putting the key in my pocket can accidentally lock/unlock the truck so I usually hold my key n my hand until I am out of range. The other day as I walked past the truck with my key in my pocket, the doors locked themselves. Maybe my walking motion caused something in my pocket or my pants fabric brushed against the buttons. I now only leave the key in the truck if the doors are wide open.

 

Hmmm... everything seems latched and where it's supposed to be.

That slide mechanism isn't pushing the latch far enough on the press of the unlock button. The video shows the actuation... or lack thereof.

LOUD Volume... sorry, check your speaker volumes...

https://youtu.be/B61jCjXeQEo

 

Thanks Slowpoke16...

Solveded... just needed a light lube at the slide junction where the springs move the latch.

Dumonde Tech Lite to the rescue.

 

Good job! Thanks for sharing!

 

lube fixes most things in my wife... i mean life