NHTSA Complaint #11129573 — 2005 DODGE DAKOTA

APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AGO FROM THIS COMPLAINT, WHILE DRIVING THE AFOREMENTIONED VEHICLE (2005 DODGE DAKOTA) DURING NORMAL, SUMMER TIME ROAD CONDITIONS, WRITER NOTICED THAT THE "SVC 4WD" WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES BEFORE TURNING OFF. LIGHT DIDN'T ILLUMINATE AGAIN UNTIL SUNDAY, 09/09/2018. WHEN UNLOCKING THE VEHICLE USING THE VEHICLE'S REMOTE UNLOCK ON THE KEY, WRITER NOTICED A SOUND THAT SOUNDED LIKE THE VEHICLE ENGAGING THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE MECHANISMS. WRITER STARTED THE VEHICLE, NOTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE, AND THE SERVICE LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. DURING THE COURSE OF THIS WEEK, THE SERVICE LIGHT HAS INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED ON OCCASION, REMAINING ON FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THEN TURNS OFF. TODAY, 09/14/2018, WHEN LEAVING MY WORK FOR AN ERRAND, I NOTED THAT THE "SVC 4WD" LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE. WRITER NOTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO, IN FACT, IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE, AS THE VEHICLE WAS "SKIPPING" THE TIRES WHILE TURNING AND EXHIBITING SIGNS OF A VEHICLE IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE WHILE DRIVING ON DRY PAVEMENT. WRITER NOTED THAT THE "4WD CONTROL KNOB" WAS IN THE 2WD POSITION. WRITER PARKED THE VEHICLE AND MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, WHILE BOTH IN PARK AND NEUTRAL, TO ENGAGE THE 4WD AND DISENGAGE USING THE 4WD CONTROL KNOB. NONE OF THESE ACTIONS WERE ABLE TO DISENGAGE THE TRANSFER CASE. WRITER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO MY DESTINATION, (APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES), NOTING UPON MY ARRIVAL THAT THE SERVICE LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE ANY LONGER. WRITER ALSO NOTES ELECTRICAL SYMPTOMS SUCH AS VEHICLE NOW HONKS AFTER LOCKING WITH THE REMOTE LOCK ON THE KEY. COMPLAINT IS CONCERNING SPONTANEOUS ENGAGEMENT OF THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE MECHANISM, WITHOUT CAUSE, POSSIBLY RELATED TO DEFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TIPM.