Does anyone have an ingenious fix for the rattly rear license plate holder? Every time I close the hatch it sounds terrible. I do have the black rubber bumpers installed (I know some FEHs didn't get them), but they don't help.

I have a new weathertech plate frame. That didn't help.

The problem is the bottom edge of the plate frame banging against the hatch.

I've tried putting weatherstrip along the bottom edge of the plate frame, and that helps somewhat.

Has anyone drilled two holes in the hatch to attach the bottom edge of the plate frame to the hatch?

 

I totally forgot about that. I don't know about ingenious, but soon after I picked mine up I wedged in some electrical tape. I haven't heard from it since.

 

I bought some 1/2 inch wide Velcro adhesive tape (it comes in two strips -- one has the hooks, the other with the loops) and used the loops strip (the softer of the two). I taped it to the back of my license plate frame (I have heavy chrome plates, see signature, so they were really rattling when ever I closed the liftgate.) It provides the perfect cushioning to keep the plate and frame from slamming into the body, thereby causing less/no noise and eliminating the potential for scratches beneath the plate due to the repeated impacts.

I trimmed carefully around the edges with an Xacto blade so the Velcro loop material extends right to the edge but isn't visible when viewing the license plate or rear of the vehicle.

 

You can also pick up some license plate bolts, a small drill - for a pilot hole, then just screw the self threaders along with a nice fancy license plate bracket - and BINGO - it looks good - and No rattles at ALL -

I did - !

PHIL

 

I had this problem after removing my plate frame to replace my plate sticker, I forgot to put the bottom of the plate into the little notches on the bottom of the plate frame, once, I did, I haven't heard it at all when closing the hatch...

 

I put weatherstripping on the bottom and haven't heard a sound since.....I've got other noises to worry about like the rear-end squeek!

 

Yea, that was one of the "bad" surprises when I bought mine. I was totally surprised that there were no bottom-of-the-plate fasteners on the tailgate!

What I have been looking for, are 1/2" long, round, rubber bumpers that would "snap" into the licence plate's bottom holes from the back. As of yet, I haven't found any. I know I have seen these somewhere, but just can't remember where.

I also have seen, posted somewhere, someone documenting that some Escapes came with small rubber bumpers attached (glued) onto the tailgate itself, and some don't, all of the same model year. This person actually went to a Ford dealer, and snapped some pictures to document the difference.

 

Mine has rubber bumpers where the top of the plate screws in but not the bottom.

As for finding something to snap into the bottom, check a place like Pep Boys or AutoZone. You can get little rubber bumpers with a nub on the end that are used as door bumpers in some cars. They are supposed to pop into holes in the body but might be the right size for this job. I might even have some in my garage......hmmmm. Another option would be to get some self-adhesive rubber bumpers from Lowe's/Home Depot that you would stick to the back of a cabinet door or on the bottom of a lamp or piece of furniture. I know I have a couple of those but they might be too small.

 

Mine does this as well too the point where the plate pops out of the license plate frame in the rear. I keep telling myself to look for something when I go the the auto parts store, but I keep forgetting. Thanks for refreshing my memory as I mainly lift the rear glass.

Speaking of which, I've noticed it likes to stick in the latched position (the glass not the liftgate...) does anyone else have this problem as well?

 

Mine does it to (both cars) but I always attributed it to how rarely I open the glass. I almost always open the tailgate. The latch itself doesn't stick - it just feels like the rubber gasket has adhesive on it. Is that what yours does?

Both of mine have the license plate rattle as well.