# 2011 Ford Escape - lift gate **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** ford\ **Created:** [January 16, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-ford-escape-lift-gate/174238 "2021-01-16T18:36:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jjohnston610](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@Jjohnston610](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jjohnston610)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-ford-escape-lift-gate/174238/1 "2021-01-16T18:36:12Z")
Lift gate latch doesn’t open and we need to replace turn signal light ---
**Author:** ![davepsinbox\_157004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@davepsinbox\_157004](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepsinbox_157004)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 11:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-ford-escape-lift-gate/174238/2 "2021-01-16T23:19:38Z")
Turn signal bulbs are a normal maintenance item. As for the liftgate, will it open manually? If it will, the release actuator is probably bad. If it won’t open at all, the latch itself might be bad. ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 3:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-ford-escape-lift-gate/174238/3 "2021-01-17T15:54:53Z")
> [@davepsinbox\_157004](#): > > Turn signal bulbs are a normal maintenance item. As for the liftgate, will it open manually? If it will, the release actuator is probably bad. If it won’t open at all, the latch itself might be bad. I think the immediate issue is that you have to open the lift gate to replace the bulb. @Jjohnston610, how is the latch activated? Electric? Key? You may have to pry off the inner panel to get at the latch mechanism. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 6:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-ford-escape-lift-gate/174238/4 "2021-01-17T18:47:56Z")
If you push the liftgate hard toward the body as you use the handle, does that make any difference? ---
**Author:** ![davepsinbox\_157004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@davepsinbox\_157004](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepsinbox_157004)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 9:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-ford-escape-lift-gate/174238/5 "2021-01-17T21:29:34Z")
> [@NYBo](#): > > I think the immediate issue is that you have to open the lift gate to replace the bulb. The “immediate issue” is that the liftgate won’t open. Anything else is peripheral. ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-ford-escape-lift-gate/174238/6 "2021-01-17T21:40:56Z")
> [@davepsinbox\_157004](#): > > > [@NYBo](#): > > > > I think the immediate issue is that you have to open the lift gate to replace the bulb. > > The “immediate issue” is that the liftgate won’t open. Anything else is peripheral. Let me clarify: They don’t need the lift gate to work to operate the vehicle legally. They DO need the turn signal to work. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 9:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-ford-escape-lift-gate/174238/7 "2021-01-17T21:51:15Z")
> [@davepsinbox\_157004](#): > > The “immediate issue” is that the liftgate won’t open. Anything else is peripheral. Yes and no… The days of being able to remove screws from the exterior lens area are gone for the most part. If this vehicle is similar to many others, access to the rear cargo area is the only way to access those rear bulbs, and without being able to open the lift gate, access to that area can be difficult, especially for older people. Not impossible, but… difficult. If the OP can’t readily get into the rear cargo area, then his/her inoperative bulbs are not peripheral. ---
**Author:** ![ralfherman86\_172676](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@ralfherman86\_172676](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ralfherman86_172676)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 11:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-ford-escape-lift-gate/174238/8 "2021-01-17T23:33:01Z")
I have the safe problem too. I am here to wait for a solution. thank you guys ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 11:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-ford-escape-lift-gate/174238/9 "2021-01-17T23:43:34Z")
@ralfherman86_172676 The person who started this may not return like so many . The solution might never be posted so in the mean time you might call a few body shops and see if they can fix this for you. Or you might have someone push from the inside while you try to open it. ---
**Author:** ![davepsinbox\_157004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@davepsinbox\_157004](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepsinbox_157004)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 9:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-ford-escape-lift-gate/174238/10 "2021-01-18T21:41:17Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > If the OP can’t readily get into the rear cargo area, then his/her inoperative bulbs are not peripheral. Fix the liftgate and you can replace the bulb. That makes the liftgate the primary issue.