I have a 2018 XL F150. The latch on the tailgate takes some effort to open and I have to manually push it down when I want the latch to close. I took it apart and noticed that there is only a spring on one side when there should be one on both. I also sprayed it with lubricant but that did not help. Now, I think me next step is to purchase and replace it with a new latch?

If so, I can only find 2015-2017 tailgate latches online. I am pretty sure that those fit my 2018 but wanted additional thoughts before purchasing.

 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...te+handle,1426

 

You can find the handle and related parts on parts.ford.com
https://parts.ford.com/shop/en/us/bo...ndle-8343181-1