The hands free sensor(s) at the bottom of the rear bumper cover plug in at one location. I've disabled this on (2) Escapes and on (2) Edges that I have owned. Go under the vehicle at the rear bumper cover and find where the hands free wiring plug connection is and unplug it- It's that easy. Why Ford doesn't have a manual shut off switch for this is beyond me.. . This is especially important if you have a hitch mounted bike rack and you inadvertently trigger the damn hands free liftgate. If you don't realize it quickly and don't forcefully stop the liftgate from opening, the liftgate will hit the bike rack and damage the liftgate paint and may even cause the liftgate to bend a little at the contact area.
For corrosion protection of the now unplugged wiring connection because I live in Michigan where they use WAY TOO MUCH road salt in the winter, I always added a little grease to both the male & female side of the plug, took a rubber glove and cut off 2 of the fingers and covered each end of the wiring connectors and finally wrapped each one with electrical tape. I zip tie any loose end up and out of the way. That all may be overkill but I'm okay with it and everything in all is a 5 minute ordeal.
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