Liftgate Strut Recalls: Gates, Tailgates and Hoods That Fall

A liftgate strut recall covers gas struts, stays, cables or brackets that can lose pressure, rust or break, so an open liftgate, tailgate or hood falls on whoever is under it. NHTSA’s file holds 32 such recalls for cars, SUVs, vans and pickups; this guide lists them with vehicles, units and repair rates checked against each record. A gate or hood that opens while you drive is a latch fault, covered in our guide to doors, hoods and tailgates that open while driving.

Liftgate, tailgate and hood support recalls in NHTSA’s file

NHTSA has no single category for this.A text search for “liftgate”, “hood”, “tailgate” or “trunk” near “strut”, “support”, “cable” or “hinge” returns 57 recalls for catalog cars, SUVs and pickups, but only 17 are about a support failing; the rest are mostly hood latches, tailgates that unlatch while driving, battery cables and trim. We added 15 the search missed, such as the Ford Explorer lift cylinder recalls and both Mitsubishi Outlander gas spring recalls.

Source: NHTSA recalls file and completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026; compiled by PlainVIN from each record. Model years come from the record, or from PlainVIN’s catalog where the record lists none. “–” means no completion figure was reported, common before about 2010.

The set is old: 20 of the 32 recalls were filed before 2010 and only 10, covering 1.73 million vehicles, since 2014. Those 10 are the only ones with repair rates, so the 66% figure covers 1.73 million vehicles, not the whole set. Ford has the most recalls, eight, from 1983 F-250 hood springs to the 2005–2006 Freestar power liftgate.

Corroded struts and stays

A gas strut, called a stay or gas spring in some records, is a sealed cylinder of pressurized gas that lifts the gate and holds it open. If its tube rusts through, the gas escapes and nothing holds the gate up. Five of the 10 recalls filed since 2014 name corrosion:

• Mazda 16V644 (2016): 580,455 Mazda3, Mazdaspeed3, Mazda5, CX-5 and CX-3 models whose struts may corrode, “possibly causing the struts to break and/or the lift gate to drop unexpectedly.” Parts were not available at filing; the recall began in April 2017. It is 65% repaired, leaving about 200,700.
• Nissan 16V219 (2016): 108,503 2014–2016 Rogues whose stays had “insufficient anti-corrosion treatment” and could break off after “a sudden release of pressure.” 79% repaired.
• Mitsubishi 16V867 (2016): 50,228 2011–2012 and 2016 Outlander Sports whose support tube may corrode “due to salt and water penetration.” 59% repaired.
• Mitsubishi 25V507 (2025) and 26V252 (2026): 2014–2020 Outlander and 2018–2022 Outlander PHEV gas springs that “may corrode and lose pressure.” The first covered vehicles sold or registered in 27 states and DC, from Alaska and Michigan to New York and Wisconsin. The second, filed in April 2026, expands it with no state list; its letters went out June 17, 2026, so 2% repaired is early.

“If the lift gate falls unexpectedly, it may hit the user, increasing their risk of injury.”NHTSA recall record 16V644, Mazda3, Mazda5, CX-5 and CX-3, nhtsa.gov

All five replace the struts or stays. For recalls whose coverage depends on where a vehicle was registered, see our rust and corrosion recalls guide.

Power liftgate recalls: worn struts and software fixes

A power liftgate still relies on gas struts to carry most of its weight. When they weaken, the records describe two outcomes: the gate drops, or the motor closes it unexpectedly.

• GM 15V415 (2015): on 2007–2012 Acadia, 2008–2012 Enclave, 2009–2012 Traverse and 2007–2010 Outlook models, worn struts mean “the open liftgate may suddenly fall.” GM’s defect report says the struts were “oriented in a way that allows dirt particles to penetrate,” and that vehicles built from March 1, 2012 have re-oriented struts. Filed in June 2015, the recall began on November 15, 2016; it is 80% repaired, leaving about 141,000.
• Toyota 08V244 (2008): on 196,222 2004–2006 Siennas, worn struts let the gate “fall about ten inches” after opening, then the motor powers it shut. Dealers fitted redesigned struts.
• Honda 10V055 and 12V062: 2005 Odyssey Touring (21,776) and 2008–2009 Odyssey (45,747) struts that wear early, so the gate may close unexpectedly. Dealers replace the struts.
• Ford 06V069 (2006): on 2005–2006 Freestar and Monterey vans the motor disengages once the gate is open, so a strut failure lets it “fall freely with no prior warning.” Dealers reprogram the module.
• Audi 07V334 (2007): on 2006–2008 A6 and 2007–2008 Q7 models, a strut that loses all pressure can make the software release the rear lid to close rapidly. New software is the fix.
• Mazda 21V086 and Volvo 19V046, 25V654: 2020–2021 CX-30 gates may partly lower when parked uphill (97% repaired); 2018–2019 XC60 lifting arms may freeze and separate; on the 2025 EX90 a drive-unit spindle nut may detach, “causing the tailgate to suddenly drop,” and owners are told not to use the power tailgate until it is repaired.

“GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge.”NHTSA recall record 15V415, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook, nhtsa.gov

So a repaired Acadia, Enclave or Traverse can still have worn struts. GM’s report says the system should lower a gate with weak struts slowly, sound a warning and flash the tail lamps. If yours does that, or drifts down after opening, the struts may need replacing, which the recall does not promise.

Not every power liftgate recall is about support: Jeep’s 23V338 (132,099 2014–2016 Cherokees, 45% repaired) is a module fire risk with park-outside advice, listed on our park outside recall list.

One supplier behind four minivan recalls

The Freestar (06V069), Sienna (08V244) and Odyssey (10V055, 12V062) recalls were filed years apart, and the first three named no supplier. In 2012 NHTSA opened an equipment query, EQ 12-010, after Ford, Toyota and Honda confirmed that Stabilus made the struts. Its population, 276,473 vehicles, is exactly the sum of the four recalls in the file.

“Stabilus gas struts, installed on the rear liftgates of multiple manufacturers’ vehicles, may fail causing unexpected closure of the rear liftgate.”NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, EQ 12-010 resume, 2012, static.nhtsa.gov

The closing summary records Stabilus’s view that the struts were not defective and that the fault lay in liftgate software meant to catch a falling gate; Ford’s fix did not replace the struts at all. Stabilus said similar strut combinations, with design improvements, went on the Ford Freestyle and Taurus X and on GM’s Traverse, Enclave, Acadia and a Saturn model. NHTSA closed the query on December 31, 2012 without new recalls. GM’s own strut recall for those crossovers, 15V415, came in 2015 and cites a different cause, dirt entering the strut.

Pickup tailgate support cable recalls

A pickup tailgate is held level when open by two steel cables, and GM recalled them twice. Its 2004 recall, 04V129, is the largest in this set: 3,662,211 Silverado, Sierra, Avalanche and Escalade EXT trucks whose galvanized cables “may corrode, weaken, and eventually fracture.” If both break, the tailgate drops onto the bumper, and the record says anyone sitting or standing on it could fall and be injured. In 2006, 06V066 added 805,368 1999–2000 Silverado and Sierra pickups, this time with stainless steel cables and a hinge inspection.

Recalls filed again for the same part

A repair under one campaign does not close another, so check the VIN again rather than relying on an old dealer visit.

Hood and trunk lid supports

We found no hood gas strut recall for a car, SUV or pickup; the “hood strut” recalls in NHTSA’s file are for Kenworth heavy trucks. Passenger-vehicle hood and trunk support recalls are small:

• 2008 Honda Ridgeline (07V542, 410): the hood prop rod base was not punched to specification, so “the hood could fall.”
• 1983 Ford F-250 and F-350 (82V105, 600): hood lift springs may detach “without warning.”
• 2003–2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (04V285, 16,690): trunk lid springs may fail, so the lid could come down on someone reaching in.
• 2002–2003 Subaru Impreza wagon (08V135, 36,791) and 2026 Forester (25V889, 5,603, 89% repaired): a rear gate stay bolt and a hatch support bracket that can let go.

Hinge recalls about crash strength (1998 DeVille, 2011–2012 Corvette, 2021 Rogue Sport) are not counted, and hood latch recalls are in our doors and hoods guide.

What the records say about the risk to people

The person at risk is usually outside the vehicle, loading or unloading. The records describe four risks:

Source: the consequence field of each NHTSA recall record, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

The recall records do not count injuries, and GM’s 15V415 defect report gives none, so news totals are not repeated here.

What to do if your liftgate or hood won’t stay up

1. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or start with our VIN decoder. Several recalls cover only some build dates or states.
2. Don’t stand under a gate that drifts down. A gate that sinks after opening, or a power gate that runs slower than before, is how the Sienna and Odyssey records describe worn struts. MotorWeek’s Goss’ Garage recommends a strut clamp or adjustable prop rod as insurance when working under a hood or hatch.
3. Follow interim advice: don’t use the EX90’s power tailgate, and park the 2014–2016 Cherokee outside, until each is repaired.
4. Ask what the repair includes. GM’s 15V415 and Ford’s 06V069 are software updates; Mazda, Nissan and Mitsubishi replace the struts.
5. Report a gate that fell, even if no one was hurt (see how to file a complaint with NHTSA). Buying used? Open the liftgate and hood and let go at half height; each should stay put. Our used car inspection checklist covers the rest.

Recall figures are PlainVIN’s analysis of NHTSA’s files and update when we refresh the data. “Reported repaired” is the automaker’s figure; “still unrepaired” is units × (100% − repaired), computed by PlainVIN. This guide is general safety information, not mechanical advice for a specific vehicle; follow the recall notice and your owner’s manual.