Will Installing a Trailer Hitch on a 2019 Ford Edge Cause Hands-Free Liftgate to Not Open

Question:

Same question as the person that inquired about the 2016 Edge. We purchased a 2019 and would like to install a hitch that will allow us to hook up a bike rack to the rear. The dealer has informed us that no hitch will work as it will cause the lift gate to not work properly. Is this accurate for the 2019? Do you offer a solution for this?

asked by: Tony

Expert Reply:

The hands free lift gate sensor will still work with a trailer hitch installed on your 2019 Ford Edge. However, like most vehicles with this sensor there will be some limitations to this. The location that you will need to place your foot to activate the sensor will moved about 3-4" from either side of the receiver tube opening but it will still work and it won't open unannounced. Afterwhile, you will get the hang of it and where the sweet spot is so it won't take much time to find this.

I recommend the Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver part # 75234 because it is the only option for you that has a hidden cross tube so that the only part that shows is the receiver tube (see photo). There is really no way around the limited access for the hands free lift gate sensor unless you were to move this yourself somehow but it does not get rid of the feature entirely which is important to note.

For a bike rack, I really like the Kuat Transfer Bike rack part # KU24FR because they are easy to use (no center post to lift bikes up and over) and they are lightweight (easy to take on and off vehicle).

expert reply by: Conner L