When it comes to full-size pickup trucks, it's like John Travolta says in Pulp Fiction, "it's the little differences." They can all tow around four or five tons, they all have the same big, bulky styling, they largely pack the same safety features and conveniences in the cabin. But the Ram 1500 has the Rambox storage system, and Chevrolet offers a segment-leading off-road trim in the Trail Boss Silverado. These trucks basically all do the same thing, so their makers are always looking for a way to stand out, without compromising usability.What we're looking at right now is sort of a tailgate arms race. Honda brings the Dual-Action Tailgate to the market in the 2006 Honda Ridgeline, so Ram fires back with the Multifunction Tailgate, and Ford responds with the Pro Access Tailgate, and so on. This begs a few questions, like, why is it that truckmakers are focusing their creative energy specifically on the tailgate, and is it actually moving the needle when it comes to sales? Let's dig in and see what we see. Almost Every Major Truckmaker Has A Fancy Tailgate Up For Grabs General Motors has gotten into the advanced tailgate game on both the Silverado and GMC Sierra fronts, while Honda, Ford, and Ram have all ante'd up, as well. Toyota and Jeep have both kept their tailgates relatively simple, but the leading full-sizes, plus the outgoing Honda Ridgeline, all offer tailgates with more locks, latches, and doodads than you'll find on some cars. Honda Started This Whole Mess With The Dual-Action Tailgate Honda Honda's Dual-Action Tailgate is relatively simple in its operation. You can swing it out from the side, or drop it down from the bottom like a conventional tailgate.HondaHonda pioneered the dual-action tailgate in pickup trucks, but it wasn't the first brand to ever put these gates into action. Multi-hinged gates were a popular feature in station wagons for decades, dating back to models like the 1966 Buick Ford Fairlane wagon, and still available on models at least as recent as the mid-1990s Caprices and Buick Roadmasters.The advantages of applying this tailgate to a pickup truck should be obvious. By pulling the gate open to the side, you're able to more easily reach in for a toolbox or a cooler full of Miller Lite without having to climb all the way into the truck. And, since it still opens like a regular tailgate, you can drop that sucker down and lay some 2x4s in the back of the truck, using the tailgate for extra floor space. General Motors Followed Honda Into The Tailgate Race For The 2019 Model Year 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 4The multi-hinge tailgates offered in General Motors pickups date back to the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500, and the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. GMC calls it the MultiPro, while Chevrolet calls it the Multi-Flex, but it's the same gimmick in both trucks. It's a six-position, two-piece tailgate, allowing users to select between multiple open positions.To list your options. You have an automatic remote-operated primary tailgate that pops up and down like a standard tailgate. A built-in load-stop allows you to flip a panel up to hold cargo in place. The inner gate panel can flip down for easier access, or into an L-shape to serve as a step. You can keep the primary gate up, and flip the inner-gate back to function as a second-tier load-stop. The inner gate can be folded to provide a chest-height workstation for paperwork, soldering, or anything else you need to do. If this is starting to read like origami instructions, here, just watch this thing in action.Basically, you got two gates that you can fold any which way you like. It's not as complicated as it sounds. Ram's Multifunction Tailgate Debuted In The 2019 Ram 1500 2025 Ram 1500 Tunsten Maroon Rear Multifunction Tailgate Right Side OpenThe Ram 1500's barn-door-style tailgate splits the tailgate at the 60/40 position for easy access, while still allowing the gate to drop down like a conventional tailgate. The Multifunction gate is designed to function without interfering with towing and hauling duties. Ford Introduced The Pro-Access Tailgate In The 2024 Ford F-150 FordFord offers one of the simplest and most elegant of the show-offy tailgates. It doesn't configure into a half dozen different positions, it simply features a small door in the center of the tailgate that you can swing open for quick access. This allows you to grab whatever you need from the back without dropping the gate and watching a bunch of old tires and chains and towing equipment rolling out of the back and into the parking lot. Sophisticated Tailgates Introduce Another Possible Failure Point Ford The upsides to these tailgates should be obvious. Easier access, greater versatility, no more tweaking your shoulder reaching over the side of the bed to grab a tire iron. The downside is that you're adding more hinges and motors and panels and stuff that can break, or otherwise cause problems for owners.2019 Sierra owners have noted that the opening between the primary and interior tailgate can leak, with one driver in the GM-Trucks forum reporting a 3/4-inch crack that seems to invite snow, water, and dirt. A report on CarComplaints for a 2019 Sierra 1500 simply reads "tailgate broken" at 17,100 miles. The 2019 Ram 1500 was hit with a recall in 2022 for 1,224,078 units with tailgates that could potentially swing open in traffic.Honda's tailgate is relatively simple, but has nevertheless been generating complaints for faulty trunk seals and broken tailgate release handles since it first hit the market. Meanwhile, the Ford F-150's two-door tailgate is relatively new to the market, and currently shows no reports on CarComplaints, nor has it been hit with any recalls. But, we would bet a dollar or two on the 2024 F-150's first tailgate recall being a matter of time. Is A Fancy Tailgate Worth The Worry? Honda Whether we're talking about skid-plates or lift-kits or a turbocharger or a big 13-inch infotainment screen, anything you add to a pickup truck is one more thing that can break. But what are you gonna do, never drive anything newer than a 1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, so you can avoid onboard computers?That GMC Sierra gate might have too many bells and whistles for some drivers, but we think an extra trip to the shop to fix a busted latch now and then is a small price to pay for the time you save with the Ridgeline's Dual-Action gate or the Ram's barn-door solution. Are These Gates Actually Selling Any Pickups? Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet It's difficult to say whether fancy new tailgates are actually making a big difference in automotive sales. The Ford F-Series sold 750,789 units in the US in 2023, and would go on to sell 834,641 units in 2024, the year Ford introduced the Pro-Access gate. That looks like evidence that these gates are an excellent marketing gimmick, but new vehicle sales were on the rebound in 2024, anyways, with 3.3% more sales than in the previous year.The Honda Ridgeline offers us a smaller case study, selling 3,512 units the year before the introduction of the Dual-Action gate, and 4,988 units the year the Dual-Action gate debuted. An extra 1,476 is peanuts to Ford and Chevrolet, but suggests that the gate may have helped the Ridgeline stand out when it was brand-new.At this point, it's more a matter of keeping up with the competition. Truckbuyers are a famously loyal bunch, swearing by their Rams or Fords or Toyotas as a matter of principle. They're unlikely to be swayed to the competition by a fancier tailgate, but, they might feel underserved by an automaker that keeps offering the same-old-same-old while everyone else gets to play with a two-door tailgate, or a gate that turns into a workbench.Additionally, a fancy new tailgate can encourage more trade-ins. If someone's been puttering around in a 2010 Ford F-150 that "still has some years left in it," that inner gate might be just the thing to convince them to swap their old truck in for the new model.In short, we have our doubts that many drivers are switching brands over a tailgate with some extra hinges. But these gimmicks are just the excuse you need to buy a new truck.