Tailgate Inside Lights Staying On
 

My wife has been complaining of getting a "Tailgate Open" error message, but when she checks it, it is closed. I've searched and found comments on this, but I haven't seen anything about the latest issue, which is the interior lights on the inside of the upper tailgate (liftgate?) have stayed on for the last two hours since she got home from the store. We've tried opening and reclosing the tailgate multiple times, turning off the interior lights from the overhead switch above the rearview mirror, locking the car, etc., all to no avail.

Any suggestions for a fix/workaround until we can get it to the dealer? It's an 07 4.8i.

Update - after approximately 2+ hours, the lights finally went out. I'll post further updates.

Yes i also noticed that the tailgate (interior) lights are automatic.. (can't manually turn on and off) to the best of my knowledge. I just hope it won't stay on till the battery runs out

I presume the lights go out after a set amount of time when the hatch is open? Can anyone confirm this, and how long does it take?