NHTSA Complaint #10682005 — 2005 DODGE DAKOTA

VEHICLE WHILE ON HIGHWAY WOULD FLASH 4LO ON DASH OR ILLUMINATE SVC 4WD. VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WOULD ATTEMPT TO ENGAGE 4LO AS WELL. WHILE ENGAGING, VEHICLE WOULD LOSE ACCELERATION AND RPMS WOULD IMMEDIATELY INCREASE. THIS WOULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. WITH VEHICLE OFF AND KEY REMOVED, TRANSFER CASE MOTOR WOULD TRY TO CHANGE TRANSFER CASE POSITION. NONE OF THESE SYMPTOMS OCCURRED WHILE 4WD WAS ENGAGED USING SELECTOR SWITCH. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR SERVICE. CODES RECORDED IN COMPUTER WERE FOR TRANSFER CASE POSITION SENSOR BEING OUT OF RANGE. (BOTH HIGH AND LOW VALUES WERE RECORDED SIMULTANEOUSLY) DEALER ORIGINALLY FOUND LEADS ON FCM CONNECTOR BETWEEN WIRING HARNESS AND PCB HAD CORRODED DUE TO FAULTY SEALANT AND WERE POSSIBLY SHORTING OUT. MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF FAULT. MANUFACTURER REPLACED FCM AT NO COST. AFTER FCM WAS REPLACED VEHICLE WOULD STILL EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO SAME DEALER. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF TESTING, TECH WAS ABLE TO GET VEHICLE TO EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS IN SHOP. TECH FOUND THAT THE RANGE POSITION SENSOR WAS FAILING. IT WAS FOUND THAT VIBRATION WOULD CAUSE THE SENSOR TO SHORT OUT OR GO OPEN. MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE BUT WOULD NOT COVER REPAIR. TRANSFER CASE MOTOR ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED AT COST TO CUSTOMER. VEHICLE HAS SINCE BEEN DRIVEN OVER 2000 MILES WITHOUT FURTHER ISSUES. *JS