NHTSA Complaint #10576712 — 2005 GMC YUKON XL

MY 2005 GMC YUKON XL 1500 WILL SPONTANEOUSLY SHIFT ITSELF INTO 4LO. THIS DOESN'T ONLY HAPPEN AT LOW SPEEDS. IT OCCURS AT ALL SPEEDS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS MOVING AND IN GEAR. WHEN IT HAPPENS, ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE PUSH-BUTTON 4WD CONTROL MODULE WILL LIGHT UP OR FLASH. NO AMOUNT OF BUTTON-PUSHING WILL DISENGAGE 4 WHEEL DRIVE. I HAVE ALSO NOT COME ACROSS ANY SORT OF MANUAL FIX, I.E. TURNING OFF THE IGNITION, TAKING THE VEHICLE OUT OF GEAR, BACKING UP, ETC. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN 5 TIMES, AND HAS ONLY CEASED TO HAPPEN BECAUSE I HAVE REMOVED THE RELAY WHICH CONTROLS THE 4WD SYSTEM. I AM FIRMLY CONVINCED THAT IT IS ONLY THROUGH SHEER BLIND LUCK OR DIVINE INTERVENTION THAT NO ONE HAS BEEN INJURED WHILE OPERATING THIS VEHICLE. LET ME RESTATE: THIS ISSUE OCCURS ENTIRELY AT RANDOM, AND NOT ONLY WHEN JUST STARTING OFF DRIVING. IT OCCURS AT SPEED! WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE VEHICLE LITERALLY CAN GO FROM TRAVELING AT 35 MPH TO LESS THAN 5 MPH. KEEP IN MIND THAT SINCE THE BRAKE IS NOT DEPRESSED, FOLLOWING DRIVERS HAVE NO WARNING OF THIS RAPID DECLINE IN SPEED. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL DEFECT IN GM VEHICLES USING THIS 4 WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM. I THINK THAT THE ONLY REASON THE PROBLEM IS NOT SEEN AS MORE WIDESPREAD IS THAT THE ISSUE HAPPENS IN DIFFERENTLY-NAMED MAKES AND MODELS. FOR INSTANCE, MY PROBLEM MAY NOT BE READILY CONNECTED WITH THE SAME ISSUE IN A CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, ALTHOUGH THE TWO ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME VEHICLE. FURTHER, I BELIEVE THAT GM IS AWARE THAT THIS SAFETY HAZARD IS THE RESULT OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND IS UNWILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH OF "STUCK IN 4LO" WITHOUT IDENTIFYING A MANUFACTURER, BRINGS UP ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY GM-BUILT FULLSIZE TRUCKS USING THE SAME PUSH-BUTTON SYSTEM. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS MERE COINCIDENCE. HERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR [XXX] TO SHOW THAT GM OWNS UP TO ITS ERRORS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR