David J. Johnson
Director
Service Engineering Operations
Ford Customer Service Division

Ford Motor Company
P. O. Box 1904
Dearborn, Michigan 48121

March 31, 2020
TO:

All U.S. Ford and Lincoln Dealers

SUBJECT:

Customer Satisfaction Program 20N01
Certain 2015-2018 Model Year F-150 Vehicles
Unintended Tailgate Opening

PROGRAM TERMS
This is a one-time repair program for vehicle owners that report unintended tailgate opening.
Affected vehicles are eligible for this repair through March 31, 2030 or 150,000 miles from the
warranty start date of the vehicle, whichever occurs first. If a vehicle has already exceeded the
mileage limit, this extended warranty coverage will last through October 31, 2020.
Coverage is automatically transferred to subsequent owners.
VEHICLES COVERED BY THIS PROGRAM
Vehicle
Model Year
Assembly Plant
F-150

2015-2018

Build Dates

Dearborn

March 18, 2014 through October 22, 2018

Kansas City

August 11, 2014 through November 5, 2018

Affected vehicles are identified in OASIS.
REASON FOR PROVIDING EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE
In the affected vehicles, if water enters into the electrical system, it could cause the tailgate to unlatch.
SERVICE ACTION
If an affected vehicle owner has reported an unintended tailgate opening, dealers are to modify the
tailgate/frame wiring harnesses by adding jumper pigtails to isolate the tailgate release control circuits,
install a new tailgate handle release switch and print the Customer Information Sheet.
NOTE: The tailgate is required to perform the complete repair but does not need to be installed on the
vehicle.
Customer Information Sheet: At the completion of this repair, dealership service management is to
provide a copy of the “Customer Information Sheet” that is posted with this bulletin to the vehicle owner.
This service must be performed on all affected vehicles at no charge to the vehicle owner.
OWNER NOTIFICATION MAILING SCHEDULE
Owner Letters are expected to be mailed the week of April 6, 2020. Dealers should repair any affected
vehicles that experience unintended tailgate opening, whether or not the customer has received a
letter.

” Copyright 2020 Ford Motor Company

ATTACHMENTS
Attachment I:
Administrative Information
Attachment II:
Labor Allowances and Parts Ordering Information
Attachment III:
Technical Information
Customer Information Sheet
Owner Notification Letter
QUESTIONS & ASSISTANCE
For questions and assistance, contact the Special Service Support Center (SSSC) via the SSSC Web
Contact Site. The SSSC Web Contact Site can be accessed through the Professional Technician
Society (PTS) website using the SSSC link listed at the bottom of the OASIS VIN report screen or
listed under the SSSC tab.
Sincerely,

David J. Johnson

” Copyright 2020 Ford Motor Company

ATTACHMENT I
Page 1 of 2
Customer Satisfaction Program 20N01
Certain 2015-2018 Model Year F-150 Vehicles
Unintended Tailgate Opening
OASIS ACTIVATION
OASIS will be activated on March 31, 2020.
FSA VIN LISTS ACTIVATION
FSA VIN Lists will not be activated for this service action.
SOLD VEHICLES
x Only owners with affected vehicles that exhibit the covered condition will be directed to dealers
for repairs.
x Dealers are to prioritize repairs of customer vehicles over repairs of used vehicle inventory.
STOCK VEHICLES
Do not perform this program unless the affected vehicle exhibits the covered condition.
TITLE BRANDED / SALVAGED VEHICLES
Vehicles with cancelled warranties are not eligible for this service action.
OWNER REFUNDS
x Ford Motor Company is offering a refund for owner-paid repairs covered by this program if the
repair was performed before the date of the Owner Notification Letter. This refund offer expires
September 30, 2020.
x Dealers are also pre-approved to refund owner-paid emergency repairs that were performed
away from an authorized servicing dealer after the date of the Owner Notification Letter. Noncovered repairs, or those judged by Ford to be excessive, will not be reimbursed.
x Refunds will only be provided for the cost associated with unintended tailgate opening issues
caused by water entering the electrical system.
RENTAL VEHICLES
The use of rental vehicles is not approved for this program.
ADDITIONAL REPAIR (LABOR TIME AND/OR PARTS)
Additional repairs identified as necessary to complete the FSA should be managed as follows:
x For related damage and access time requirements, refer to the Warranty and Policy Manual –
Section 6 – Ford & Lincoln Program Policies / General Information & Special Circumstances
for FSA’s / Related Damage.
x For vehicles within new vehicle bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage, no SSSC approval is
required, although related damage must be on a separate repair line with the Related Damage
radio button checked.
o Ford vehicles – 3 years or 36,000 miles
x For vehicles outside new vehicle bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage, submit an Approval
Request to the SSSC Web Contact Site prior to completing the repair.

” Copyright 2020 Ford Motor Company

ATTACHMENT I
Page 2 of 2
Customer Satisfaction Program 20N01
Certain 2015-2018 Model Year F-150 Vehicles
Unintended Tailgate Opening
CLAIMS PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION
x Claim Entry: Enter claims using Dealer Management System (DMS) or One Warranty
Solution (OWS) online.
o When entering claims, select claim type 31: Field Service Action. The FSA number
20N01 is the sub code.
o For additional claims preparation and submission information, refer to the Recall and
Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) Repairs in the OWS User Guide.
x Provision for Motorcraft® XG-12 Electrical Grease: One 3 oz. tube of Motorcraft® XG-12
should service approximately 15 vehicles. This provision is for the amount of grease used for
one vehicle repair. Submit on the same repair line on which the FSA is claimed.
o Program Code: 20N01
o Misc. Expense: OTHER
o Misc. Expense: Claim up to $1.00
x Related Damage/Additional labor and/or parts: Must be claimed as Related Damage on a
separate repair line from the FSA with same claim type and sub code as described in Claim
Entry above.
IMPORTANT: Click the Related Damage Indicator radio button.
x Refunds: Submit refunds on a separate repair line.
- Program Code: 20N01
- Misc. Expense: ADMIN
- Misc. Expense: REFUND
- Misc. Expense: 0.2 Hrs.
o Multiple refunds should be submitted on one repair line and the invoice details for each
repair should be detailed in the comments section of the claim.

” Copyright 2020 Ford Motor Company

ATTACHMENT II
Page 1 of 1
Customer Satisfaction Program 20N01
Certain 2015-2018 Model Year F-150 Vehicles
Unintended Tailgate Opening
LABOR ALLOWANCES
Description
Modify tailgate/frame wiring harnesses by adding jumper
pigtails, replace tailgate handle release switch and print the
Customer Information Sheet*
(Camera alignment is not required)
NOTE: The tailgate is required to perform the complete
repair but does not need to be installed on the vehicle.

Labor Operation

Labor Time

20N01B

1.4 Hours

* Customer Information Sheet: At the completion of this repair, dealership service management is to
provide a copy of the “Customer Information Sheet” that is posted with this bulletin to the vehicle
owner.
PARTS REQUIREMENTS / ORDERING INFORMATION
Order
Quantity

Claim
Quantity

Tailgate Jumper Harness Kit

1

1

GB5Z-9C888-A

Tailgate Handle Release Switch

1

1

XG-12

Motorcraft® Electrical Grease (One 3 oz. tube will
service approximately 15 vehicles)

1

Claim as
Misc.
OTHER

Part Number

Description

LL3Z-14A411-D

Order your parts through normal order processing channels. To guarantee the shortest delivery time,
an emergency order for parts must be placed.
DEALER PRICE
For latest prices, refer to DOES II.
PARTS RETENTION AND RETURN
Follow the provisions of the Warranty and Policy Manual, Section 1 - WARRANTY PARTS
RETENTION AND RETURN POLICIES.
EXCESS STOCK RETURN
Excess stock returned for credit must have been purchased from Ford Customer Service Division in
accordance with Policy Procedure Bulletin 4000.

” Copyright 2020 Ford Motor Company

ATTACHMENT III
PAGE 1 OF 17
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 20N01

CERTAIN 2015 - 2018 MODEL YEAR F-150 VEHICLES — UNINTENDED TAILGATE
OPENING
Complete Tailgate Jumper Harness Part Kit

E

C
B

A
D

F
1856H

FIGURE 1
ITEM

DESCRIPTION

QUANTITY

A

Dual Wall Heat Shrink Tubing

8

B

Delete Caps

2

C

Male end of New Jumper Pigtail

1

D

Female end of New Jumper Pigtail

1

E

Convolute

2

F

Push Pin Tie Strap

1

CPR © 2020 FORD MOTOR COMPANY
DEARBORN, MICHIGAN 48121
03/2020

ATTACHMENT III
PAGE 2 OF 17
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 20N01

SERVICE PROCEDURE
NOTE: The parts being installed in this procedure are not labeled. Refer to Figure 1 for component
identification.
NOTE: The tailgate is required to perform the complete repair but does not need to be installed on the
vehicle.
1. Disconnect the negative battery cable(s) and position aside. Please follow the Workshop Manual
(WSM) procedures in Section 414-01.
2. Using the vehicle spare tire rod, lower the spare tire and secure it out of the way using a ratchet strap
or other similar device.
3. Position the vehicle on a hoist. Please follow WSM procedures in Section 100-02.
4. Disconnect inline connector C408 and C405 located on the left hand (LH) side of the frame at the rear
of the vehicle. See Figure 2.
NOTE: If a service pigtail was installed it is possible that the wire colors will not match the figures below.

CONNECTOR
C405

FRONT OF
VEHICLE

CONNECTOR
C408

1856A

FIGURE 2
5. Blow dry both halves of C408 with compressed air.

CPR © 2020 FORD MOTOR COMPANY
DEARBORN, MICHIGAN 48121
03/2020

ATTACHMENT III
PAGE 3 OF 17
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 20N01

6. Detach the two connectors and the wire harness push pin retainers. See Figure 3.

WIRE HARNESS
PUSH PIN

FRONT OF
VEHICLE

CONNECTOR
PUSH PIN

1856B

FIGURE 3
7. Route the C405 and C408 halves up over the frame and under the attached wire harness to allow for
more slack. See Figure 4.

CONNECTOR
C405

CONNECTOR
C408

1856C

FIGURE 4

CPR © 2020 FORD MOTOR COMPANY
DEARBORN, MICHIGAN 48121
03/2020

ATTACHMENT III
PAGE 4 OF 17
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 20N01

NOTE: If a service pigtail was installed, it is possible that the wire colors will not match the figures below.
The wires in cavity's 1 and 2 will remain the affected wires.
8. Measure 140mm (5.5 in) from the back of the male end of C408. Remove 140 mm (5.5 in) of tape to
expose the wires. See Figures 5 and 6.

140 MM
(5.5 INCHES)

FRONT OF
VEHICLE

C408 MALE END
1856D

FIGURE 5
9. Measure 50 mm (2 in) from the back side of the male end of C408 and cut the Green-White (GN-WH)
wire (cavity 1) at the 50 mm (2 in) measurement. See Figure 6.

GN-WH WIRE

50 MM
(2 INCHES)
GN-WH WIRE
C408 MALE END

C408 MALE END

FRONT OF
VEHICLE

FRONT OF
VEHICLE

FIGURE 6

CPR © 2020 FORD MOTOR COMPANY
DEARBORN, MICHIGAN 48121
03/2020

1856E

ATTACHMENT III
PAGE 5 OF 17
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 20N01

10. Measure 50 mm (2 in) from the back side of the male end of C408 and cut the Brown-Yellow (BN-YE)
wire (cavity 2) at the 50 mm (2 in) measurement. See Figure 7.
BN-YE WIRE

BN-YE WIRE

50 MM
(2 INCHES)

C408 MALE END
FRONT OF
VEHICLE

C408 MALE END

1856F

FIGURE 7
11. Install a piece of dual wall heat shrink tube on the GN-WH and BN-YE wires making sure the end of
the wire is located in the middle of the tube. Evenly heat up the heat shrink tube until the heat shrink
tube sealant bubbles out of both ends. See Figure 8.
NOTE: Make sure the heat shrink sealant is bubbled out of both ends or the circuit is not sealed.
GN-WH WIRE

HEAT SHRINK
TUBE SEALANT

HEAT SHRINK
TUBE SEALANT

C408 MALE END

FRONT OF
VEHICLE

1856G

FIGURE 8

CPR © 2020 FORD MOTOR COMPANY
DEARBORN, MICHIGAN 48121
03/2020

BN-YE WIRE

ATTACHMENT III
PAGE 6 OF 17
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 20N01

12. Strip 9.5 mm (3/8 in) of the GN-WH and BN-YE wire insulation on the male connector harness side.
See Figure 9.
FRONT OF
VEHICLE

GN-WH WIRE

BN-YE WIRE

9.5 MM
(3/8 INCH)

1856CC

FIGURE 9
13. Strip 9.5 mm (3/8 in) of the wire insulation on the new jumper harness male connector end.
See Figure 10.

MALE END OF THE NEW JUMPER PIGTAIL

9.5 MM
(3/8 INCH)

1856DD

FIGURE 10

CPR © 2020 FORD MOTOR COMPANY
DEARBORN, MICHIGAN 48121
03/2020

ATTACHMENT III
PAGE 7 OF 17
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 20N01

NOTE: Do not leave any stray strands of wire poking outwards as this may puncture the heat shrink tube
when heated.
14. Place a heat shrink tube onto each GN-WH and BN-YE wires. Install the male end of the new
jumper pigtail to the corresponding wire colors of the male end of the vehicle harness by twisting
the exposed wires together. See Figure 11.
FRONT OF
VEHICLE

GN-WH WIRE

BN-YE WIRE

HEAT SHRINK
TUBES
MALE END OF NEW JUMPER PIGTAIL
1856i

FIGURE 11
15. Solder the twisted wires of the male connector. See Figure 12.