Gen2 top plastic trim on tailgate coming loose

[Larry Michael]

We've got some weather coming in today so I thought I'd post this question here before I have the opportunity to take things apart. 2010 LTD here.

Has anyone had the top plastic trim piece on their tailgate come loose? The left side started wobbling when I gripped it and I don't want to accidentally break it off. I presume some plastic fasteners have broken. But are they integral to the part, requiring a whole new one, or is it fastened in place in another way?

Looks like Torx screws holding the main inside cover in place so once I take those out I should be able to see what is going on. But if anyone has experience with this problem I'd like to hear suggestions for repair.

Edit: Of course once I posted this, the "similar threads" showed one regarding a 2007 model. But since I don't know what broke yet, I'm still looking for current options. I did see that Pfeiffer wholesale Ford parts has that molding (7A2Z-7840602-BA) for $89.25. But if I needed the whole part would I also need some additional parts to hold it in place?

 

[Rkb53]

I used gorilla 2 sided tape. 2 continues pieces from edge to edge. Works great. Just remember to trim off plastic taps before putting the panel back on.

 

[Todd Z]

Yeah, need to stop closing the tailgate by it..... Tape, Glue, Replacement or I drilled the plastic and put a few Christmas tree fasteners through it.

 

[Larry Michael]

Thanks for the reminder about the ebay option. It seems the product sellers are divided between a Chinese import company and Ford dealer parts department OEM parts. I decided to support an American dealer with my purchase for a few dollars more. Curiously, the ebay price was discounted from that same dealer's parts web site price.

 

[Todd Z]

A lot of dealers are selling on ebay now, they discount a little and sell more... win win...

 

[Larry Michael]

Thought I'd update the group on this. I got the OEM part from Gary Smith Ford in Fort Walton Beach, FL (gsfordauto on ebay). The price was discounted and the part had free shipping. It came in a very sturdy cardboard box that the USPS delivered intact. The part was a perfect fit.

Not being the experienced gearhead that many of you are on here, I did not realize that I had to warp the plastic tailgate inside liner a bit after I took out the screws in order to pull it lose. But once I saw where it was still attached I figured that out and did not break the two tabs holding it in place.

But I did manage to break the first plastic "pop rivet" retainer I tried to get out. After looking at the broken one I quickly figured out how to get my fingers under the rivet to first push the center pin back out and then squeeze and push the rest of the rivet out. Then I just ripped the old molding off since more than half of the molded retainer clips on it were already broken. I then retrieved all of the broken clips from inside the tailgate.

After cleaning the sheet metal on the tailgate I centered the new molding and then used a rubber mallet to gently tap the clips into the holes in the tailgate. I decided that leaving out one plastic rivet out of seven was not going to make things rattle so I left out the center one.

Even with the learning curve on the plastic rivets the whole procedure only took 25 minutes. I may keep the old one just in case I break this one. I must admit that despite Todd's warning I have not found a graceful way to close the tailgate without grasping this molding. I'll just be careful not to torque it when I do so.