Five things to check on a used tailgate before you buy

Tailgates are one of the most common things we sell, partly because they are one of the most common things people reverse into. They are also one of the easier used parts to buy well, because almost everything that matters is visible.

1. The hinge pockets

Look at the two pockets at the bottom corners where the tailgate pivots. They should be square and undamaged. A truck that has had the tailgate dropped with a heavy load on it will show spreading or cracking here, and that is what turns into a tailgate that sags and will not line up.

This is the first thing we check when one comes off, and the first thing that sends one to scrap.

2. The latch strikers and the handle

The latches sit at the top corners and the mechanism runs across inside. What you want to know is whether it shuts cleanly on the first push and whether the handle returns properly.

Ask. We open and close every tailgate before it goes up. If the handle is stiff or a latch needs a shove, we say so in the listing, because that is the kind of thing that annoys somebody every single day.

3. The bottom seam of the inner skin

Water collects along the bottom inside edge of a tailgate. On an older truck that is where rot starts, and it starts from the inside, so by the time it shows through the paint there is usually more behind it.

Look for bubbling along that bottom edge rather than surface rust on top of the paint. Bubbling means it is coming from behind and it will keep going.

4. The top cap

The top edge takes the damage nobody plans for: things dropped on it, people standing on it, ladders resting on it. A dent in the top cap is cosmetic, but a crease that runs down into the outer skin means the panel has been pushed and may not sit flush.

Sight along the top edge in the photographs. It should be a straight line.

5. What is attached and what is not

Trucks with a camera, a step, or a powered latch have wiring and hardware in the tailgate. If yours has any of those, say so before you order, because a tailgate off a base truck will not have the loom and you will be transferring parts across or buying them separately.

What not to worry about

Paint. A used tailgate will not match your truck exactly, because factory paint drifts with age and washing. Most people accept the difference on a work truck or have the panel resprayed. It is not a defect and we price accordingly.

Stone chips along the lower face are normal. Light scuffing at the corners is normal. A used panel that looks perfect on an eight year old truck has usually been painted already, which is worth asking about.

Fitting it

A tailgate is one of the few body panels most people can change in a driveway. Support it, disconnect any wiring, and lift it off its hinges with a second pair of hands, because they are heavier and more awkward than they look. Check the gap along the top and adjust the strikers before you call it done.