Problems with 2005 Dodge Dakota POWER TRAIN

Service 4wd light keeps coming on and i was watching it and notice the 4 low light blinked on once. nothing seems to be wrong with the transfer case but i think it wanting to go into 4wd on its own. the serv 4wd light stays on at times and other times after awhile it will go off but later come back on.

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.

My 2005 dakota has been jumping in and out of 4wd while driving down the road and yesterday the transfercase locked into neutral while the vehicle wad sitting in my mother's driveway and rolled into the road

Truck tries to engage into 4x4 mode while knob is in 2x4 selection and key is not even in ignition. also while driving truck engages into 4x4 mode while knob is in 2x4 mode. dodge dealer said they no longer make tipm part to fix this issue and no other parts company make this part.

Dodge durango 2005 transmission was replaced at 100,000. once that was replaced 4wd service light appeared and switching sounds under the truck started. the truck locked into place and could not move. i went into 4wd automatically and when i went to seach problems online i came across hundreds of the same complaints. please check out https://www.cargurus.com/cars/discussion-t4148_ds482593 i am speechless and very afraid of driving this car.

Transmission slips to neutral from full stop while moving from stoped ,and bangs into gear while moving

The transfer case on this vehicle will randomly shift from 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive or even to 4 wheel drive low range with no driver input. shifting to 4 low is very dangerous as it tends to lock up the drive train which could result in loss of control of the vehicle

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. while driving 5 mph, the vehicle independently shifted gears without warning. the failure recurred randomly. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer stated that there were no reports for the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Mine is the 2005 dodge dakota extra cab and the exhaust manifold bolts breaking/shearing at the engine block. this can cause (and it has) a ticking sound that gets louder as you accelerate. once you hear the ticking sound, both sides of the engine are affected. this results in poor mileage, overheating, engine will stall at low idle, ultimately allowing exhaust fumes to enter the cabin, potentiallu, poisoning the occupants with carbon monoxide fumes. i took this vehicle to the dealer to have then replaced. the 1st dealer said it wasn't repairable. 2nd one said, 1400 $ per side to extract broken bolts at the rear of the exhaust manifold on both sides of my 4.7 . 3rd repair shop told me this very common on the 4.7 and he does about 10 a week. his price was 350 $ per size plus gasket and doughnut gasket at the collector. hey! if this is such a common problem why are we dodge owners being hostage by having to make this repair ourselves and pay for it? it is an emmisions engineering underdesign that needs to be fixed and a recall needs to be issued. it is a design defect. please investigate and get this situation corrected before some innocent child dies from carbon monoxide entering the cabin. not to mention other potential hazards that may occur because the driver is overwhelmed by carbon monoxide and runs down 78 people because they passed out from the carbon monoixide filled cabin while driving. please. do. something. time is running out. before somebody is killed.

Randomly, the 4 wheel drive will engage when not selected. so far this has only happened at low speed (in parking lots). i can tell it is engaged because i get wheel slippage while turning. after straightening the truck and shifting to neutral, the problem will be resolved. additionally, the "service 4wd" light or "4lo" lights will illuminate while driving, but the transfer case does not appear to actually shift. no damage to drive train so far. thirdly, the transfer case will shift while the truck is parked in the driveway, the ignition is off, and the key removed, with no-one in the vehicle. i can hear the shift motor trying to engage.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. the contact stated that the transmission caught on fire while the vehicle was parked. the wiring harness and alarm system were burned. the contact was able to extinguish the fire. in addition, while the vehicle was in reverse, the gear shifter would shift into park or neutral. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

Transfer case shifting into 4 wheel drive on its own. you can sometimes here it shifting when you open the door no key even in the car yet ? it tries to shift into 4 wheel drive at all speeds . it sometimes goes into 4 wheel drive when turning at low speeds ? i don't have a problem paying to fix the problem but no one seems to have a solution ? change front control module?, transfer case shift motor?,change wiring from module to transfer case ? change 4 wheel drive selector switch . which one, where do you start . need help! should be a recall. seem's very dangerous . sounds like hundreds with the same issue and no answer's .

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. while operating the vehicle, the service 4 wheel drive indicator intermittently illuminated. during the failure, the vehicle could not be driven in 4 wheel drive. also, after removing the ignition key, the 4 wheel drive actuator would remain active. eventually, the transmission failed and was reset. after resetting the transmission, the vehicle operated normally. while driving 60 mph, the transmission erroneously switched into 4 wheel drive and caused the speed to reduce to 10 mph. the failures were not diagnosed or repaired. an unknown dealer was notified. the manufacturer was not notified of the failures. the failure mileage was 130,000.

Shifting on its own. my truck has 75,186 miles on it and has always been well maintained. for the past 10,000 miles or so, it has been shifting in and out of 4 wheel drive and lo 4x4 randomly by itself without any human interaction. even sitting parked you could hear it cycling and shifting electronically in and out of 4x4. i recently parked it in a grass field near a pond and left it - was working fine when i pulled in. came back about an hour later, got in, started it and tried to go... nothing at all. it had shifted into neutral (red "n" lighted) and it would not shift into any gear forward or reverse. rolled freely now both directions. had to get it towed out of the field and up to the roadway and then another company to come load it and tow it to the shop. searched online - there are many similar instances about this vehicle shifting in and out of gears randomly on its own. why hasn't this electronic shifting mechanism been recalled before someone gets killed? my truck easily rolled regardless of the shifting position. just lucky i was on flat land in a field at this time and not on a sloping street - horrible to think what could have happened last week when i parked in the sloping parking lot at teh school above the football crowd at the game below. too terrible to imagine if it would have shifted into neutral by itself at that time.

4 wheel drive is trying to engage on it's own even if it is not running. i am not going to go into detail because there are several complaints for the same problem. i am kind of curious as to why, with so many complaints, something hasn't been done about this problem.

Driving down the road in motion the transmission slams and the vehicle struggles to move it comes up with 2 codes which are p2706 and p0700 and when it sets this code off check engine light comes on.it has caused us to almost accidents as vehicle wont move.i am scared to drive with kids in vehicle in fear of an accident.

Four wheel drive engages and disengages by itself. it does it sometimes when i unlock the doors with remote and other times when nothing is done. there is no certain thing that i do to make it happen. it does it in drive also but i have only noticed it when i am stopped at a light or in my driveway. engaging 4 wheel drive while driving or in drive, i believe falls under unsafe conditions. have done research on different dodge forums and found that 04-05 durangos and dakotas have this problem.

Transmission slips in and out of 4 wheel drive on its own. when i hit a bump in the road the service 4 wheel drive light comes on, hit another bump and it goes off. while sitting in my driveway truck has been shifting in and out of 4 lo by its self, this has happened while the truck was off, and while the truck was running. this has happened now about 10 times in the last week. then on saturday, 06/11/2016 when pulling into my driveway, making a left hand turn, truck went into 4 lo by itself, i had to put the truck in reverse to get it out of 4 lo. after doing some research on this issue on the internet i hit the reset button on the 4 wheel drive switch, truck ran fine for 1/2 day, when i stopped to check my mail the truck went in and out of 4 lo by its self 3 times.

Truck is going into 4wd by itself. i almost crashed going at a high speed. truck steering wheel locked up, tires locked up, truck lost all power and turned off. the 4x4 light turns on and off. when using the keyless entry button on remote i can hear a clicking and grinding noise under truck. the 4wd engages without me even being in the truck it happens sometimes when i ise the remote to unlock truck. i jad the 4wd engage also while making a turn. the wheels ceased up and couldnt get truck to advance. this has been happening since 2 weeks ago. started with the 4wd light turning on amd off and progressively getting worse.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. while driving various speeds, the vehicle switched into 4 wheel drive without warning. when attempting to make a left or right turn, the wheels locked and prevented the vehicle from making a complete turn. the contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that there were no recalls that related to the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 104,093.

Shifts into 4 wheel drive by itself. svc 4 wheel light comes on sometimes. becomes difficult to drive.

The 4wd transfer case motor sometimes operates while the vehicle is off, after doors are unlocked with the key fob. the 4wd randomly & spontaneously attempts to engage at highway speeds without any 4wd-related indicator lights. there is a moment of resistance - like an extreme headwind, then a violent thud in the drivetrain when it disengages. at times there is a rolling pulsation in the drivetrain, as if the 4wd is attempting to engage over longer distances. engaging 4wd unexpectedly at highway speed could cause catastrophic failure of the drivetrain, loss of vehicle control, and potentially serious accidents. this complaint is posted literally thousands of times on internet forums and should be investigated.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. while driving 45 to 70 mph, there was an abnormal noise. the accelerator pedal was applied, but did not respond. the contact had to apply force to the accelerator pedal. the vehicle randomly shifted from 2 to 4 wheel drive without warning. the vehicle was diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 54,000.

Truck shifted into 4 wheel drive by itself. event occurred without any warning lights or indication it was 4 wheel drive. i noticed truck was in 4 wheel drive when i was slowing to make a left hand turn at about 20 mph and the steering was difficult and front tires were hopping and jerking until i stopped. i think this is an unsafe condition and that the truck should failsafe and never allow the truck to go into four wheel drive if some component in system fails. a warning light should come on and the system should block any attempt to engage 4 wheel drive. luckily this event occurred at low speed and without a vehicle in front of me.

Tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. the contact stated that the four wheel drive function was activating and deactivating without warning while the vehicle was in motion. the vehicle was taken to two different independent mechanics who were not able to replicate and diagnose the failure. the vehicle was to be taken to a dealer to inspect and diagnose the failure. the vehicle was also included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v313000 (air bags) and was waiting for the dealer to schedule the repair. they indicated that they would schedule an appointment when the part was available, but did not follow up for weeks. the contact was unable to determine when the recall repair would be completed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 98,000. parts distribution disconnect.

Tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v046000 (power train), 15v313000 (air bags), and 16v352000 (air bags). the parts were not available within a reasonable time frame to schedule the recall repair. the contact called four dealers that could not provide a specific date for when the parts would become available. the contact was unable to determine when the vehicle would be repaired. the manufacturer could not provide an estimated date for when the vehicle would receive the recall repair. the contact was not experiencing a failure. parts distribution disconnect. vin tool confirms parts not available.

I'm left with a dilemma. i own a 2005 dodge dakota 4x4. this vehicle has a problem where the transmission electronically switches from 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive without the driver's consent. this is a well documented problem across the internet with other owners of this vehicle. we've known the transmission has had issues for a while, but (warranty company) has a theory of can't replicate it, won't fix it .and that is what occurred. on 3/23 while driving at 70mph, the vehicle attempted to electronically shift into 4lo from 2wd, a system that should only function under 20mph. it failed to engage, causing grinding noises from the transaxle case and a slow stop on side of interstate. upon later inspection by a in network repair facility, the vehicle failed to produce a pcm code and mechanically could not be replicated in the 2 hrs at the shop. we were charged a $112.51 and sent on our way. today 3/28, it happened again but in worse format, the transmission did engage 4lo at 70mph and it caused rear wheels to lock up and freeze. we were forced to swerve under control to a stop in the median of the interstate again. we immediately had a local automotive parts store drive to us where he was once again unable to pull any pcm codes. he tested the vehicle in the median and was able to immediately replicate the problem. *tr

The "check 4wd" indicator light comes on at random times and the 4wd engages on it's own. even parked with no key in the ignition you can here the electronic hubs engage and disengage. this makes driving the vehicle a real hazard, since the handling characteristics change dramatically when in 4wd on dry pavement. i have done much research and found many people that have had or do have this exact symptom, including several on you complaints page.

Vehicle switched into 4wd by itself at high speeds occasionally. when the 4wd is engaged on dry pavement handling is reduced. *tr

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

4lo intermittently flashes when traveling at speed. "svc 4wd" may come on and go out for a few seconds, following by "4lock" flashing for a second or two. 4wd will engage/disengage on it's own with no indication. transfer case motor will engage/disengage on it's own while vehicle is parked, turned off, and key out of the ignition. today, the 4wd engaged and bound up the wheels. transfer case was overheating. pulled in parking lot and can manually "4lock", then "2hi", then pulled fcm fuse to disable 4wd. manufacturer and dealer have not been contacted at this time. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. while driving at various speeds, the vehicle forward drive activated independently and unknown warning lights illuminated. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transfer case connection motor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 70,000.

Warning indicator flashed "4lo" multiple times, "4lock", then "svc 4wd". 4lock autonomously engaged with no visual indication. *tr

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. the contact parked the vehicle and removed the key from the ignition. the gear then shifted to reverse independently. the contact was unable to start the engine until the gear was shifted to neutral. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but the mechanic was unable to diagnose the failure. the transmission and brackets were replaced, however the failure recurred. the contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced for a manufacturer's transmission recall. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000. updated 09/10/15*lj

Driving down the road at 55 miles an hour the 4lo light started flashing like it was trying to shift into 4lo. it also shifted into tow neutral without even being started. you can hear the servo motor trying to engage the 4wd with the truck parked. i'm worried about what would happen if the 4lo engaged on the interstate at 70 mph. *tr

Rear wheels locked up after pulling onto roadway from a grade and turning left. accelerated to approx. 25 mph to enter roadway, heard loud bang and felt vehicle shudder. drive shaft separated from rear differential, rear wheels would not move; vehicle stopped in middle of 35 mph roadway. metal shaft appears sheared off. used 4x4 mode to power front wheels to pull onto shoulder. had i been merging onto highway my truck could have stopped without warning, potentially causing a serious accident. vehicle removed by flatbed tow - again rear wheels would not roll. vehicle serviced regularly including rear differential pinion seal replaced on 11/5/10 and again on11/29/13 by dodge dealer. 2005 dodge dakota laramie 4x4 quad cab with tow package; very little towing performed over vehicle life. *js

While driving, the amber service 4wd light comes on followed by a tone. the dash switch(2wd, 4lock, 4lo) is rendered inoperable. the vehicle will put itself into 4lo when you slow and try to turn. in many situations, this can be very hazardous to the driver and dangerous to the drivetrain. sometimes the 4lock or 4lo lights will blink randomly while driving, then lead to the service 4wd light coming on. checking online, many owners of dakotas are having similar pro- blems, wondering why there hasn't been service bulletins, warnings on this de- fect, safety recalls, or acknowledge by the manufacturer of this situation.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. while driving various speeds and while the vehicle was turned off, the vehicle would shift into different gears without warning. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. the contact stated that while parked on an incline, the vehicle shifted out of gear independently and rolled backward crashing into a house. the fender, tire rod, bumper and tail lights were damaged. there were no injuries. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and later explained that they were not able to provide any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 120,618. updated 8/29/14*cn updated 11/18/2014 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. the contact stated that while sitting at a stop sign, he heard a loud bang. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the rear end had seized and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 28,000. updated 5/27/14*cn *tr

Upon slowing to enter a garage the truck slowed further as if it was about to stall (svc 4wd dash light came on) but regained power. after parking, the truck was turned off but i began to hear mechanical noises from the undercarriage. when departing later in the day, the same slowing motion started as i emerged from the garage but the truck regained full power and operated normally. after arriving home, i parked and locked the truck from my key fob but again the undercarriage noises started again and sounded like the power locks were running amok. a couple days later, the same occurrence. took the truck to my trusted garage (not a dodge dealer) who called dodge (no clue) and another mechanic hotline service to check for any technical service bulletins/recalls, but no good results. next, the chief mechanic road tested the truck and could not replicate the undercarriage noise but did see the svc 4wd dash light. the truck was returned with an admonishment to return if it crops up again. two days later it did and i return where upon driving up, the chief mechanic heard the noises and declared it was trying to shift into 4wd. by this time i was seeing the 4 hi dash light in addition to the other warning light.the team at the garage went back to work and contacted another mechanic helpline that wasted no time in identifying the issue. as a matter of fact, after explaining the situation the helpline guy asked if the truck had rolled on it's own - because if it has not it would eventually. this is supposed to be a documented problem in these truck that dodge has not seen fit to fix/recall for safety. fix was test and replace the transfer case shift motor assembly. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. the contact stated that while traveling 55 mph, the rear wheels seized. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was found that the differential along with several other components needed to be replaced. the vehicle was being repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 68,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the vehicle shifted out of drive. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis but was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. the contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the gear shifted into four wheel drive independently. the four wheel drive warning indicator illuminated. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 96,000.

2005 dakota club cab. consumer writes in regards to problems with vehicle gears and rear axles. *smd the consumer stated when he applied the accelerator, from a stopped position, the vehicle lurched slightly forward and a high pitched whining sound emitted from the vehicle. the consumer then realized, he didn't have any gears. he was able to drift the truck off the road, since he was on a slight upgrade. the truck was towed to a repair shop. an inspection revealed, the pinion gear had metal fatigue and fractured on the shaft behind the spline and ahead of the gear.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering felt loose. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the trans cooler line failed and was leaking. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileages were approximately 85,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. the contact stated that while driving 70 mph he heard a loud grinding noise as the vehicle engaged into neutral independently. the failure recurred numerous even when the vehicle was parked and the vehicle shifted into four wheel drive with no driver or passenger inside the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis but the failure could not be duplicated. the failure continued to recur. the vehicle was returned to the dealer but again the failure could not be duplicated. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileage was 70,000.

The pinion gear shaft to my differential sheared off just aft of the tapered roller bearing in the front of the housing. the portion of the shaft still attached to the drive shaft through the universal joint and the roller bearing pulled out of the housing and fell to the ground. this appears to be a fatigue failure of the gear shaft. this occurred while driving on a maintained dirt road. no modifications of any kind have been made to the vehicle and aside from occasional use on maintained dirt roads, no off-roading or other severe driving conditions have been encountered. considering the mileage and light usage of this vehicle, this is a very unexpected failure. a gear shaft of this type should not fail, certainly not before the u-joint itself. this would then seem to most likely be a result of a manufacturing defect. this is clearly a serious safety concern as this failure is followed immediately by the drive shaft dragging on the ground and a complete loss of power. a failure of this type at high speed would have been extremely dangerous.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 dodge dakota. the contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the transmission failed. the vehicle made a loud booming sound when the failure occurred. one week prior to the failure, the transmission had been serviced. the rear differential was also replaced for the third time the week before the transmission failed. the vehicle was at the dealer at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 75,000.