Poor Tailgate open warning - allows driving with tailgate 1/2 open

[sammoj]

Warning: Tailgate did not shut but car drives without warning.

Today I opened the tailgate to put a bag in the car then pressed the close button and walked past to open the car and get in. The car started as normal and let me drive off and only 10-15 seconds later I got a single bong, like the one saying speed limit change, and the car icon displayed with flashing tailgate. The tailgate was not shut and the car had let me drive off at 20 mph before I got a warning.

Stopped the car and pressed the button to shut and it did as normal.

Tested this when I got back and if you press the button and walk behind the tailgate it stops, I guess thinking there is an obstruction, but no warning beep or anything.

Surely this should be a bit more obvious when you put the car in drive?

J

 

[DaveIJ]

My GLE does this also I suppose it’s lets you move the car with Back open!!

 

[MGZSEVNSW]

I have posted on another forum, with regards to the MG ZS EV (and presumably other models), I don't have an electric tailgate closure system, but in my case, if you close the tailgate (i.e.make a connection between the tailgate and the the closing mechanism) but don't close it properly, you don't get any warning until you drive off. Then you only get a flash of the door ajar display occassionally (presumably as you go over bumps) - I can't tell whether the display shows the tailgate as the point of fault (because I'm driving and it's too hard to determine). But if you leave the tailgate wide open, based on previous experience (fortunatley without any damge being incurred) you can drive away merrily with the tailgate wide open until you work out where the noise is coming from, or notice when you look in the mirror that you have no rear window! Per the other forum if you try and lock the doors with tailgate open or ajar, you get an alert, so maybe that's my new failsafe process. Apparently you can't use cruise control with the tailgate open either.

I have asked for my dealer's service department to check this out but I spoke to another MG ZS driver today who confirmed the same symptoms in his model.

 

[MGZSEVNSW]

o.k. so given this is a design limitation and not something the dealership can "fix", I boughta magnetic sensor and have installed it on the rear pillar (with the magnet connected to the tailgate), so now if I leave my tailgate open for more than 30 seconds I get a continual beep. AUD 7 well spent I think.

 

[Joningy]

Warning: Tailgate did not shut but car drives without warning.

Today I opened the tailgate to put a bag in the car then pressed the close button and walked past to open the car and get in. The car started as normal and let me drive off and only 10-15 seconds later I got a single bong, like the one saying speed limit change, and the car icon displayed with flashing tailgate. The tailgate was not shut and the car had let me drive off at 20 mph before I got a warning.

Stopped the car and pressed the button to shut and it did as normal.

Tested this when I got back and if you press the button and walk behind the tailgate it stops, I guess thinking there is an obstruction, but no warning beep or anything.

Surely this should be a bit more obvious when you put the car in drive?

J

Exactly this happened to me a week ago, but by the time I'd noticed the tailgate open (NO Warning bongs) I'd driven around 100metres and was on the slip road of the Salisbury ring road dual carriageway at a busy time, having to stop and get out to lower the door as it was half open, lots of cars behind me, fortunately nobody getting irate.
We get a warning if the charging flap is left open, but NOT if the tailgate is open, Agree with you @sammoj, it presents a much bigger potential hazard leaving the tailgate open vs the charging flap!