Tailgate trim plastic rivets

[Prickly Pear]

+1 for the rivets recommended by @jfgesquire. Perfect fit and they look like parts Ford should have used in the first place. If I wasn't so lazy I'd just replace them all before they fail, but by the way the OEM parts look that won't be too long! Here is the broken part I found in my driveway

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[Prickly Pear]

I haven't even thought about them, so I just went out to look and take a picture. They haven't moved a millimeter. They are the right diameter for aesthetics and the right length to fit securely.

To me they look like they could have been OEM.

Edit to add.... They are still press fit, they just look like Phillips head.

Not trying to be contrary, but the core pin is indeed threaded. They are meant to be pressed in for installation, but the pin can be backed out by turning it counter-clockwise. I verified this by visually seeing the pin is threaded, not serrated, and backing one out after pressing it in. This makes these fasteners removable/reusable. Cheaper and better than OEM!

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Thanks for the tip. They gotta match. Esthetics matter.

Buy a bag and replace all of them.

 

[DannyUncanny]

For anyone else trying to size these guys. The panel hole is nominally 7.2 mm diameter 0.9 mm thick, the slotted plastic trim is 1 mm thick and the OEM rivet is 6.8 mm diameter before pushing and expanding the core.

Anything sized for a 7 mm hole should work.

 

[jfgesquire]

For anyone else trying to size these guys. The panel hole is nominally 7.2 mm diameter 0.9 mm thick, the slotted plastic trim is 1 mm thick and the OEM rivet is 6.8 mm diameter before pushing and expanding the core.

Anything sized for a 7 mm hole should work.

But if the head is too wide in diameter it looks wrong extending past the recessed area where it sits.

 

[DannyUncanny]

But if the head is too wide in diameter it looks wrong extending past the recessed area where it sits.

The fastener head diameter is 14 mm
and it’s 1.5 mm tall

 

[jfgesquire]

The fastener head diameter is 14 mm
and it’s 1.5 mm tall

That was the problem I was running in to, not the hole diameter but the head diameter.

 

[BlueStreak]

+1 for the rivets recommended by @jfgesquire. Perfect fit and they look like parts Ford should have used in the first place. If I wasn't so lazy I'd just replace them all before they fail, but by the way the OEM parts look that won't be too long! Here is the broken part I found in my driveway

Got a 2025 Hybrid AWD XLT in April 2025. Installed Tonneau in Sept and awhile later noticed that most of the upper trim rivets on the tailgate trim were missing. Ford replaced them under warranty, but wouldnt give me a free supply. April 2026 I noticed another rivet missing. Dealer will fix under warranty and we discussed there should be a better design and fix. The fasters should be designed to last more than a few months.

 

[Prickly Pear]

One of my fellow engineers at Boeing liked to tell people he was flying with "Just think, every part on this plane was made by the lowest bidder"!

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