NHTSA Complaint #10552301 — 2005 DODGE DAKOTA

UPON SLOWING TO ENTER A GARAGE THE TRUCK SLOWED FURTHER AS IF IT WAS ABOUT TO STALL (SVC 4WD DASH LIGHT CAME ON) BUT REGAINED POWER. AFTER PARKING, THE TRUCK WAS TURNED OFF BUT I BEGAN TO HEAR MECHANICAL NOISES FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE. WHEN DEPARTING LATER IN THE DAY, THE SAME SLOWING MOTION STARTED AS I EMERGED FROM THE GARAGE BUT THE TRUCK REGAINED FULL POWER AND OPERATED NORMALLY. AFTER ARRIVING HOME, I PARKED AND LOCKED THE TRUCK FROM MY KEY FOB BUT AGAIN THE UNDERCARRIAGE NOISES STARTED AGAIN AND SOUNDED LIKE THE POWER LOCKS WERE RUNNING AMOK. A COUPLE DAYS LATER, THE SAME OCCURRENCE. TOOK THE TRUCK TO MY TRUSTED GARAGE (NOT A DODGE DEALER) WHO CALLED DODGE (NO CLUE) AND ANOTHER MECHANIC HOTLINE SERVICE TO CHECK FOR ANY TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS/RECALLS, BUT NO GOOD RESULTS. NEXT, THE CHIEF MECHANIC ROAD TESTED THE TRUCK AND COULD NOT REPLICATE THE UNDERCARRIAGE NOISE BUT DID SEE THE SVC 4WD DASH LIGHT. THE TRUCK WAS RETURNED WITH AN ADMONISHMENT TO RETURN IF IT CROPS UP AGAIN. TWO DAYS LATER IT DID AND I RETURN WHERE UPON DRIVING UP, THE CHIEF MECHANIC HEARD THE NOISES AND DECLARED IT WAS TRYING TO SHIFT INTO 4WD. BY THIS TIME I WAS SEEING THE 4 HI DASH LIGHT IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER WARNING LIGHT.THE TEAM AT THE GARAGE WENT BACK TO WORK AND CONTACTED ANOTHER MECHANIC HELPLINE THAT WASTED NO TIME IN IDENTIFYING THE ISSUE. AS A MATTER OF FACT, AFTER EXPLAINING THE SITUATION THE HELPLINE GUY ASKED IF THE TRUCK HAD ROLLED ON IT'S OWN - BECAUSE IF IT HAS NOT IT WOULD EVENTUALLY. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A DOCUMENTED PROBLEM IN THESE TRUCK THAT DODGE HAS NOT SEEN FIT TO FIX/RECALL FOR SAFETY. FIX WAS TEST AND REPLACE THE TRANSFER CASE SHIFT MOTOR ASSEMBLY. *TR