NHTSA Complaint #10679611 — 2005 DODGE DAKOTA

THE 2005 DAKOTA BEGAN SHOWING A SERVICE LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD INSTRUMENT PANEL, INDICATING TO SERVICE THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM. SERVICE LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT BUT FREQUENT, AND CONTINUES TODAY!. FOUR WHEEL DRIVE GEARS WOULD ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE ON THERE OWN, AND THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE SELECTOR SWITCH PROVED USELESS TO DISENGAGE THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE UPON CHOOSING THE VARIOUS SETTINGS. UPON TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE AND EXITING WITH THE VEHICLE IN PARK, THE TRANSFER CASE CAN BE HEARD ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE GEARS, EVEN WITH THE KEY IN THE OFF POSITION AND AFTER A NUMBER OF SECONDS HAVE PASSED. THIS WOULD PROVE VERY HAZARDOUS IF THE VEHICLE SELF-ENGAGED INTO 4-WHEEL DRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY IF IT OCCURRED AND ENGAGED THE "LO-4-WHEEL DRIVE" FUNCTION, WHICH WOULD LIKELY CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL/STEERING AND POSSIBLY DAMAGE TO THE REAR CHUNK/DIFFERENTIAL RESULTING IN HIGHWAY DEBRIS. I SEE AND READ MANY INSTANCES FROM CONSUMERS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IN DODGE 4-WHEEL DRIVE PRODUCTS FROM 2001 THRU 2009, AND IT IS SUPPOSEDLY CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL MECHANISM CALLED THE TCCM OR IPM (DEPENDENT UPON YOUR MODEL) AND WHICH PURPORTEDLY CONTROLS THE TRANSFER CASE MOTOR THAT ENGAGES THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE. *TR