NHTSA Complaint #10599051 — 2005 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW. A FEW DAYS AFTER USING THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE I RECEIVED A "SERVICE 4WD" MESSAGE. RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. DEALER SAID THEY NEEDED TO UPDATE THE FLASH. A FEW WEEKS LATER SAME WARNING. RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY PERFORMED THE SAME ACTION. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO PERIODICALLY SELF-ENGAGE INTO 4WD LOW WHEN STOPPED (TRAFFIC SIGNAL OR STOP AND GO TRAFFIC). RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP A TOTAL OF 9 TIMES IN THE FIRST 72,000 MILES (EXTENDED WARRANTY). SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, THE 4WD BEGAN MALFUNCTIONING AGAIN SELF ENGAGING THEN NOT FUNCTIONING AT ALL. RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WOULD COST $125 FOR THEM TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE BUT SINCE THIS WAS A RECURRING PROBLEM THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT FOR FREE. DEALER UPDATED THE FLASH AGAIN AND SAID THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. LESS THAN 1 WEEK LATER AT A 2-WAY STOP THE PROBLEM RETURNED. WHEN I WAS STOPPED THE VEHICLE PUT ITSELF INTO 4WD LOW WITHOUT ME KNOWING. AS I ENTERED THE INTERSECTION I REALIZED THE PROBLEM AND PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR TO AVOID GETTING HIT BY CROSS TRAFFIC. I MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD; HOWEVER, WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO DISENGAGE THE 4WD I WAS UNABLE. AFTER RETURNING HOME IN 4WD LOW I PARKED THE TRUCK AND DID SOME RESEARCH. TURNS OUT THIS WAS A PRETTY COMMON PROBLEM AND CHEVY STILL DOESN'T HAVE A SOLUTION. WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE SO I COULD TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IT SOMEHOW PUT THE TRANSFERCASE IN NEUTRAL AND GAVE ME A "SERVICE 4WD" MESSAGE WHICH PREVENTED ME FROM SELECTING ANY DRIVETRAIN SETTING. AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND WAITING 15 MINUTES I STARTED THE VEHICLE WHILE HOLDING THE 2H SELECTOR. IT ENGAGED INTO 2H AND AT THAT POINT I FIGURED I HAD ENOUGH. I DISCONNECTED THE WIRE HARNESS FROM THE TRANSFER CASE ACTUATOR. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING AROUND WITHOUT 4WD EVER SINCE. *TR