Multigate electrical problem

[smitty81503]

I had a problem with my top inner tailgate not opening. Made sure that it was unlocked, etc. Had some work done at a body shop and they disassembled the tailgate. They couldn't 

get the top part down either after replacing the bottom part of the tailgate. The shop took it to a Chevy dealership which took the tailgate apart again. They found that the electrical

connector(s) for the upper part of the switch were corroded inside. There are two little drain holes in the latch above the connections which,I suppose, are to let water drain through

and out at the bottom of the tailgate. However, these allow water to get to the electrical switch connections and corrode them. 

 

Has anyone else experienced this?  Is there a recall out from GM on the multi-gate latches?

[rjgvt]

There was a recall on the tailgate in general for opening on its own. Mine has a cap on it and it won’t let the tailgate open.

 

My tailgate has two holes in the top of the tailgate. I filled them in with silicone sealant. 

[Another JR]

The recall is for exactly this issue - those drain holes combined with the limited environmental capability of the tailgate electronics card inside the tailgate were a problem. The “safety issue” was the potential for the tailgate to spontaneously open, but all kinds of tailgate misbehavior can occur from water contamination of that control card. 
 

There is no real fix yet. The initial recall just disabled the tailgate. Later, when parts became available, they would replace bad parts with new parts of the same bad design. My dealer is going nuts because the few times I let them get their hands on my truck, my tailgate is off due to a slide-in camper installation. They really want to cut my tailgate wires, but I won’t give them the chance. I will let them get their dirty hands on it when a real fix (redesign) is available.  My tailgate, which works just fine with sealant plugging the drain holes, will remain safe in a dry storage crate until then.