Having read some reports of owners having major problems with electric tailgates I just wonder if it's actually worth specifying one. Is it better to just have the standard tailgate, so less likely to have a failure?

 

 

Yes in my view, less tech less to go wrong

That was my thought. I know forums generally only discuss problem areas rather than praising components etc but .....

1 hour ago, sussamb said:

Yes in my view, less tech less to go wrong

 

 

It's perfectly true that less tech means less to go wrong, but my question would then be, why consider a Skoda rather than a Dacia?

 

It all boils down to probability. Are electric tailgates a common point of failure on VW group cars?  Not to my knowledge it ain't. 

 

On occasion when one of my passengers decide to close the tailgate, they don't realise it's electric and try to manually close it. ( before I scream at them to stop  ). So I wonder how many of these failed tailgates are a result of being mis-treated?

Edited 22 September, 20232 yr by kodiaqsportline

3 hours ago, kodiaqsportline said:

It's perfectly true that less tech means less to go wrong, but my question would then be, why consider a Skoda rather than a Dacia?

 

It all boils down to probability. Are electric tailgates a common point of failure on VW group cars?  Not to my knowledge it ain't. 

 

On occasion when one of my passengers decide to close the tailgate, they don't realise it's electric and try to manually close it. ( before I scream at them to stop  ). So I wonder how many of these failed tailgates are a result of being mis-treated?

Would be very useful to know the actual % failure rate of this component.

If you do specify an electric tailgate ensure that you have an extended Warranty ,

Both the struts on our car have been replaced over the last few months but covered by VWFS having taken out the “all in one package”

28 minutes ago, Williami33 said:

If you do specify an electric tailgate ensure that you have an extended Warranty ,

Both the struts on our car have been replaced over the last few months but covered by VWFS having taken out the “all in one package”

Don't really want to have an extended warranty. Had thought about the electric tailgate to make life easier for my wife but on reflection, as I believe you can adjust the limit of opening for the manual tailgate (?), that I'll probably go for the manual one. 

Can one actually adjust the non-electric tailgate for its opening height?

 

I have read that if the electric tailgate struts etc fail, one can replace them with the standard tailgate struts, reverting the car to factory non-electric spec - is this correct?

On 22/09/2023 at 17:03, survey said:

Can one actually adjust the non-electric tailgate for its opening height?

 

I have read that if the electric tailgate struts etc fail, one can replace them with the standard tailgate struts, reverting the car to factory non-electric spec - is this correct?

Yes - to first question.

 

Don't know - to second question.

 

ps - I’m on my 3rd car with powered tailgate and never had a hitch.

Edited 24 September, 20232 yr by BoxerBoy

12 hours ago, BoxerBoy said:

Yes - to first question.

 

Don't know - to second question.

 

ps - I’m on my 3rd car with powered tailgate and never had a hitch.

Thank you for your response. Very helpful.

13 hours ago, BoxerBoy said:

Yes - to first question.

 

Don't know - to second question.

 

ps - I’m on my 3rd car with powered tailgate and never had a hitch.

Any idea how to adjust the non-electric tailgate opening height?

2 hours ago, survey said:

Any idea how to adjust the non-electric tailgate opening height?

 

Pretty certain you can't - they are just a gas strut that extends to their full length.  On the electric versions the opening height is governed by the motors within the struts that cut off at a predetermined distance within the full stroke - that's not possible with a gas strut.

10 hours ago, survey said:

Any idea how to adjust the non-electric tailgate opening height?

There’s your answer above.

Can’t comment on the longevity of the strutts yet, but I find the kick pedal to be frustratingly difficult to operate, there is obviously a “knack” and I don’t have it. The remote open on the key fob is very useful as is the touch on boot catch.

For a “one off”, you can stop the electric tailgate rising fully open, by pressing the key fob boot button. I have to do this if getting something from boot, while car in garage, as I have a low garage roof. 

The usual failure is the wires between the car and the tailgate breaking after a few years.   Folding mirrors can do the same.  Not a problem if you buy on lease / PCP and change every 3yrs,

 

It's a nice 'upmarket' feature but on cars I've had with it I can't just press the button and walk away - I have to stand there like a lemon and wait until it's closed.  It's much quicker on a manual tailgate.   I disconnected my electric garage door (it's a sectional one,a nd the car doesn't go in the gaerage so remote opening isn't useful) ) for the same reason - takes literally 2 seconds to pull it closed vs 10 seconds of standing there and 10% of the time it would drop not quite square, stick a little so reopen itself.

 

@thamestrader - a common reason is people don't step back after doing the kick,

Edited 29 July, 20241 yr by Rory

On 28/07/2024 at 22:31, thamestrader said:

Can’t comment on the longevity of the strutts yet, but I find the kick pedal to be frustratingly difficult to operate, there is obviously a “knack” and I don’t have it. The remote open on the key fob is very useful as is the touch on boot catch.

Straight kick in under the centre of the rear bumper then step backwards away from the car. You need to step backwards otherwise it doesn’t function, presumably for safety reasons.

9 hours ago, chieflordy said:

Straight kick in under the centre of the rear bumper then step backwards away from the car. You need to step backwards otherwise it doesn’t function, presumably for safety reasons.

 

What a faff. Im so pleased I can manage to open and close the tailgate myself! 😜

On 28/07/2024 at 22:31, thamestrader said:

Can’t comment on the longevity of the strutts yet, but I find the kick pedal to be frustratingly difficult to operate, there is obviously a “knack” and I don’t have it. The remote open on the key fob is very useful as is the touch on boot catch.

I think I may have identified why I have so much trouble with the virtual pedal 'kick'  - I think the virtual pedal becomes a non-existent pedal if  the car has been locked with the remote and a front door handle touched to disable the keyless unlock. I tend to always disable keyless unlock every time I lock the car. I stumbled on this when I couldnt open the tailgate with the virtual pedal or the button on the tailgate, it would open with the button on the remote. 

Both struts on mine have failed. I pursued Skoda Uk and Skoda Czechoslovakia to get a technical answer on possibility of putting gas struts on to end this inconvenience and financial burden . They wore me down in avoiding giving me an answer.

My tailgate has failed again, I think it is the controller not the strut but reluctant to pay the exorbitant charge that Skoda main dealers require to plug into the diagnostic port.

Anyone had the experience of changing the controller?