GM MultiPro Tailgate Review: Clever Tech With Real Trade-offs for Work Truck Owners

Introduction

Truckmakers keep adding small bits of technology so buyers feel a little more comfortable spending big money. The GM MultiPro tailgate is exactly that kind of feature: a multi-panel, electronically controlled tailgate that looks impressive on a spec sheet. But for anyone who actually uses a truck as a work truck, our experience suggests it introduces more problems than it solves.

What the MultiPro Actually Changes

The first thing worth knowing is the construction. The MultiPro tailgate is entirely plastic, with no steel in the tailgate itself. A magnet sticks to the bumper, which is fine, but the bumper itself is thin, and the tailgate surface accepts a magnet nowhere. If it were simply plastic or composite, that might not matter much. On a work truck, though, where a 3/4 ton or one ton bed carries real cargo, that plastic surface is easy to gouge, scratch, or crack if you are not careful.

There is one genuinely useful feature: the tailgate can be locked. Push and hold the top section for roughly 3 to 7 seconds until it blinks, and the tailgate is locked out and will not open. That said, unlocking it again requires having the key nearby, so it is a convenience that also adds one more thing to manage.

The Debris Problem Is Hard to Ignore

The main complaint is the opening around the inner gate. First, it is not level, so anything you slide across it will constantly catch. Second, everything ends up falling into the gaps. The area packs up with pine needles, small debris, and anything else the bed produces, and once the tailgate is closed, whatever sits in there tends to work its way out.

The hinges inside are completely open to the elements as well, and cleaning that area out took well over an hour and a half to get accumulated debris out from around them. Unless you open the tailgate and scrub those gaps out consistently, it fills up. For a truck that earns its living, that is a maintenance burden the standard tailgate never had.

Trailer Hitch Clearance Is a Real Risk

There is another practical hazard. If you drop the tailgate down while a trailer hitch is installed, you can put a serious dent in the tailgate. The panel extends far enough that the hitch and the lowered gate simply conflict. On a conventional tailgate this is much less of an issue, and it is something to think about before paying extra for the MultiPro setup.

What a Damaged One Costs to Fix

Repair economics are worth considering too. A wrecked conventional tailgate used to be roughly a $400 fix with paint. Fixing a MultiPro tailgate, with all of its electronics included, can run an estimated $3,000 to $5,000. And because everything is electronic, if the battery is dead, you are not getting into the back of the truck at all. Pulling a simple handle has been replaced by a system with more ways to fail.

Do You Actually Need It?

The built-in tailgate and bumper steps work well: they fold out, incorporate cleanly, and make getting in and out of the bed easier without much effort. The question is what that convenience costs and whether it is needed. Not everyone will want to press, push, and lower their way into the bed when a simple step would do the job.

There is also the bundling problem. On some higher-end pickups, the MultiPro tailgate is not optional, and it comes packaged with a Kicker audio system that technically adds around $900 to the price, a stereo most buyers will rarely use. For a truck with a price tag approaching six figures, the real frustration is being forced into technology instead of being offered it as an option. A simpler, well-equipped truck in the $50,000 to $60,000 range would suit most buyers just fine.

Buying Advice

If your truck is a weekend vehicle that rarely carries messy cargo and you value the step and gate flexibility, the MultiPro can work for you. If you run a work truck with a loaded bed, expect debris in the gaps, protect the plastic surface, and think hard about hitch clearance. For heavy-duty use, a conventional tailgate remains the more durable, more repairable, and cheaper choice.

Conclusion

The GM MultiPro tailgate is an example of technology added for its own sake: clever on paper, but flawed in the way it is implemented. The all-composite construction, the non-level catching opening, the debris-collecting crevices, the hitch clearance issue, and the expensive electronic repair bill all weigh against it for anyone who actually works out of their truck. The locking feature and the integrated steps are the genuine highlights, but for a work truck, most buyers would be better served by a simpler tailgate, or at least the option to choose.