Problems with 2005 Dodge Durango POWER TRAIN

While driving around 55 mph, smoke and a burning smell appeared out of the rear of the car. after stopping, then turning right, a loud noise was heard at the rear end. after arriving home, an inspection showed leaked fluid all around the underside rear end. after taking it to a mechanic, they determined that the differential pinion nut had come loose, which damaged the pinion seal, and required a differential overhaul.

Shifting into 4 wheel drive driving down the road on its own and then back into low 4 when backing up on its own all types of streets moving

While driving, svc awd light comes on, then goes out. no problem there but that is only the beginning. in a slow hard turn on reverse, the wheels seem to bind up with an uncontrolled lock into four wheel drive. with my research into this problem, i discovered many other people with the exact same problem. 72 pages of the same complaint !! some even tell the of car shifting into 4 wheel drive on the highway slowing the car into dangerously slow speed . i traced complaints back to 2004 , all deal with the transfer case shift motor or the wiring controlling it. also related to the a/c connection, or the awd, 4 high and 4 low lock switch. i experienced the shift into four wheel drive in slow speed turning and backing but to have it shift into 4 lo lock during driving has me afraid to drive it at all. over 350 complaints of the same problem, with only one web site sounds like a major design problem that dodge has not addressed at all. fyi i bought this car used at koch 33 dealer and they did not disclose the problem in advanced. thanks rich

4 lo light flashing. service 4wd light flashing. shifted to 4 lo on its own. stuck in 4 lo. have to unplug transfer case to drive vehicle. back wheels locked up. this happens in a parking lot after turning car off and using key to fob to lock doors. lights flash going down highway and on city streets at all speeds. car will make shifting noises when turned off in park and key removed.

Tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2005 dodge durango. when the vehicle was placed in drive, it would not accelerate and the check engine indicator illuminated. also, whenever the four wheel drive was engaged, a loud clunking noise was heard. furthermore, the air bag indicator was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to family chrysler dodge jeep ram (215-492-8600, located at 6735 essington ave, philadelphia, pa 19153), but the cause of the failures could not be diagnosed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v352000 (air bags). the failure mileage was approximately 166,000. parts distribution disconnect.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge durango. the contact stated that the four wheel drive engaged independently. also, when the vehicle was slowed down, the steering wheel seized. the failures were experienced several times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who believed that the four wheel drive engaged independently due to an electrical switch failure. the contact inspected the vehicle himself and believed that the four wheel drive engaged independently due to a failure in the wiring harness behind the dashboard. the contact also stated that the heater blower motor failed. the heater blower motor remained on the high setting. the contact replaced the heater panel himself, but it did not correct the failure. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 167,000.

It switches into 4 high and 4 low all by its self. the vehicle can be off for hours and it still will do it. the scary thing is it will shift like that while delivering as well. very dangerous, and lucky there was not another vehicle either coming towards me or behind me, cuz i lost control of the vehicle and i an sure a incoming car would of kill everyone. this needs to be fix. there is hound to be a law suit and i read three is alot of other and you people know it.. this will be on you people,

Transfer case control motor shifts into 4wd and 4lo on its own while driving and while vehicle is off. i wrote about this a while back, still no solution. many others are having this issue. check out this website. https://www.cargurus.com/cars/discussion-t4148_ds482593 there are over 300 posts about this issue.

Transfer case is engaging 4hi and 4 lock while driving automatically. blinks lights on dash and goes away. can hear the transfer case actuating when vehicle is parked after engine runs. then goes away.

The awd engages and disengages all on its own. it can engage in the middle of turning which locks up the front wheels, it also engages when you lock / unlock the car. i find it this is a safety issue. it also said service 4wd all the time. this should be a recall as there are many pages online of people having the same exact problem.

The vehicle began making a clicking sound after turning the key off and removing the key. it sounded like it was trying to lock into 4-wheel drive mode. i stuck my key back in and turned it to just before starting engine to see if any dash lights come in and the svc light flashed once. when i've turned the ignition on but let it in park i hear the same clicking sound. i've turned the knob that changes mode from 4lo, 4x4, and awd but this changed nothing. i was told the sound comes from the transfer case motor but none of the local dealerships can find anything wrong. please investigate several of the on-line forums are full of these same type of issues with the same make, model, and year as mine; and even with the same dealership act of ignorance issues i experienced.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge durango. while driving 25 mph, the contact depressed the brake pedal and heard a grinding noise. also, the four wheel drive low indicator illuminated and the vehicle inadvertently shifted into four wheel low drive. the contact slowly drove to a parking lot where the engine was turned off. after a few minutes, the vehicle was restarted and the contact was able to drive home. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed, but not repaired. the diagnostic results were not provided. the dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. the failure mileage was 194,000.

The transfer case make clicking counts when driving and while car is idle. it also makes these clicking noises while the car is off putting the car into 4 lo on its own. the car will sometimes shut off while driving low speeds and attempting to make a turn. the battery dies frequently after a week of not is use.

About 2 weeks ago, my 4lo light would blink and then go off, and then my svc 4wd light would go on for about 4min. i took it into my mechanic, he could not find anything. today, as i was backing out of my driveway - with my 3 kids, all my wheels locked up and i could not drive it. mind you, i am in the middle of the street now. when i got out of my car i could hear my car trying to shift from 4lo/4hi/awd. i had to call my husband to come home to get my car off the street. in looking up this matter online, there seems to be alot of issues with this and seems to be a huge safety issue when you're talking about your car shifting from awd to 4lo or 4hi - thankfully, i was not on the highway going 55. we were able to get it to the mechanic and you can hear it trying to shift when the vehicle is off - no key or anything - wow! mechanic said i was very lucky. i would highly suggest someone looking into this issue, it seems to be a pretty widely known issue.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge durango. on multiple occasions, while driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle attempted to stall. the contact heard a clicking noise underneath the vehicle and the 4 low warning indicator illuminated. the dealer (larry h. miller dodge peoria at (480) 865-3986 (8665 w bell rd, peoria, az 85382) stated that there were no recalls on the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 1,000.

While driving the 4 wheel drive kicks in and out without moving switch to 4 wheel drive

Was driving at a low rate of speed making a left turn into a parking spot and heard a huge clunk as if i hit a pot hole then the car became very sluggish as if something was slowing it down. i thought maybe i blew a tire so i got out and looked but the tires were fine. i then backed into the parking spot then drove forward a little and it seemed fine. i put it in park and turned off the ignition, then heard like an air compressor noise letting out air. it stopped after a few seconds. when i came out of the store it drove fine but the svc 4wd light came on, then back off. when i am travelling at lower rates of speed the light intermittently comes on and off and i haven't heard the clunk again but just now as i was making a left again at a slow speed the car came almost completely to a stop.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge durango. while driving 50 mph, the service 4 wheel drive warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle went in and out of 4 wheel drive automatically. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the approximate failure mileage was 113,000.

Takata recall i took the durango to orange coast dodge in costa mesa to fix the recall. they inserted a diagnostic device that showed that the air bag system was off line. no warning light was showing on the dash. when starting the vehicle the airbag light and the restraint system indicators on the dash light up for a few seconds then go off. the dealer ran a diagnostics and found that the airbag system was not initialized and that the warning light does not come on because the vehicle computer cannot connect to the system. he said its as if the system is not installed. the service associate said that he's seen this before and doesn't know for sure how it happens - maybe a voltage spike or battery issue. they performed the recall, initialized the system, tested and say everything works. cost me $155. how will i know for sure that my airbags are online if the indicators don't show me? i had a front end collision in the vehicle in 2015 and the airbags did not deploy - see attached photo. after the collision the transfer case motor was stuck in 4 wheel drive mode even though the switch is in awd position. at no time have i seen any indicator on the dash that shows the air bags or restraint system not working.

Started with the ser 4 wheel drive light coming on intermitly ..then passenger side window intermitly stops working ..next the transfer case motor switches all by its self into 4 wheel lock and 4 wheel lo with no lights on the dash..when its in 4 wheel lock its very hard to drive and turning almost imposable this creates a very unsafe condition when your driving when its in lock you can barely get out of a parking spot or get turned around even more scary on the road when it shifts all by its self ..many times no lights on the dash to tell you it has changed ...other time while driving at highway speeds the 4 lock of 4 lo lights come on ..very dangerous ...sometime the key fob also makes the transfer case motor change when the truck is not even running

When turning and driving at slow speeds, wheels lock up like brakes are on, not letting car move. has on occasion when driving at speeds of 40 to 55, transmission does not go into overdrive. of all the complaints i've read, i wish dodge would admit they have a problem. i don't want this to lock up at highway speeds. thank you

I vehicle likes to turn its 4 wheel drive on while i am making turns. also when it is parked you can hear the 4 wheel drive system making clicking noises. this happens when the vehicle is turned off and the key is not in the ignition. i have read thousands of complaints about this same problem. i see that some people have spent thousands of dollars to fix this problem and it does not. some people have stated while driving on a highway or road it has kicked in and caused traffic accidents, some serious and some minors. when will this problem be addresses? will it take someone dying to get an investigation started? i have had this problem for a couple of years and thank god, nothing has happen to me or my family when this issues happens.

I bought this durango used. i looked up recalls before i bought it to make sure nothing really bad was an issue. 2 days after i bought it it started shifting into 4 high and 4 low by itself, while i was driving. fortunately it did not shift into 4 low while i was at high speeds, but it did it once while i was pulling out of a parking lot at about 10 mph and could have caused an accident very easily since i came to a complete stop, had to put it in neutral, play with the shift knob to get it back into awd. after that i went home. when it is parked and off, you can hear the tranfer case actuator shifting into 4 wheel drive in and out on its own. i did some research and unplugged the actuator until i can get this resolved so that i can safely drive this vehicle. this needs to be a recall, i have read hundreds of reports just like mine. it is a very common problem with this vehicle, and it is very dangerous unless the actuator is unplugged so that it cannot shift. the dealerships don't know how to fix it. some of the reports i read, the owner has spent thousands, and still the problem persists! that is why i have not attempted to fix the problem on my own by replacing any parts.

Vehicle switches into 4x4 with vehicle turned off chrysler says they don't know what's wrong but if you go to car gurus .com lots and lots of people have this problem and no one will help us cause is transfer case motor engages on its own causing our car to lock 4x4 and yes vehicle will skid around corners and is dangerus

The transfer case puts itself into 4 wheel drive while driving. it also seems to be affected by the door locking mechanism as you can hear the transfer case moving. when it's in 4 wheel drive it makes turning very difficult and dangerous because it just won't turn. i am grounding this vehicle and will have it towed to dodge but after reading all the posts about these vehicles it appears dodge doesn't know how to fix it either.

My dodge durango limited started shifting from and to 4wd and the service 4wd light came on. the vehicle began shifting randomly wile driving down the hwy. it will shift into 4wl wile driving 60 miles per hour down the road. this is going to get someone killed!

While traveling on i-90 eastbound at 70 mph my 05 dodge durango suddenly lost momentum and the engine rpm went up. i managed to get to the shoulder safely. the engine was still running and the vehicle still in gear but the vehicle failed to move. the vehicle was towed to a repair facility just off the next closest exit. examination showed the transmission fluid was okay, the repair facility found the torque converter had been stripped out. this vehicle had been displaying problems with the transfer case shifting without touching the selector switch. also you could hear the transfer case motor activating while unlocking the doors ??? research has shown that there are many such incidences of problems with this vehicle. repair costs me $1403. but the vehicle is still doing the same thing. there are reports of people changing out parts with no fix. i feel this vehicle is unsafe and the dealer should recall before someone gets killed. repair facility said my torque converter had been totally stripped out as a result of whatever caused the problem. i am disheartened as i like this vehicle but can't afford to spend thousands of dollars chasing a fix that many including dealers have been unable to resolve. whatever assistance would be greatly appreciated. see https://www.cargurus.com/cars/discussion-t4148_ds482593

My durango shift into 4wd lo while driving and turning. the motor also engages when the the car is locked and unlocked. the motor also engages and disengages for unknown reasons when it is parked and the key is off. this has happened multiple times. i have had it in the shop on multiple occasions to fix this problem

The vehicle doesn't want to drive like the brake is on this happens even worse when trying to turn.the service 4 wheel drive light is on.i got on a forum and was blown away by all the people having the same problem.some say electrical some say transfer case.they was 2005 or all in this area.the vehicle only has 69000 miles on it.

Shifts from awd to 4lock and 4low on it's own while parked or even when driving down the road. also, can hear the transfer case trying to shift even when the vehicle is off. *tr

Driving the durango the vehicle will shift into 4 wheel low at any speed,also when i turn the car off and take out the key you can hear the transfer case or transfer case motor engaging,also the service 4wd system light blinks on and off all the time.dodge dealer have no clue whats wrong.

Two days ago i was driving down the highway about 75 mph when my service 4 wheel drive light came on and then it switched itself into 4 wheel drive by itself. and then i herd a load pop and it started smoking. i managed to get pulled over while it was yanking me to the left the hole time. i popped the hood to fined what smelled like burned tranny fluid all over my engine. i managed to move the vehicle to the exit in front of me and had it towed from the gas station back home. i had my mechanic from the car lot i bought it from come and take a look he said the transfer motor was ready a faulty voltage and triggered the 4 wheel drive and going 75 mph when it engaged blew my transfer case and maybe more. he have to get it back to the shop to find out more. i looked on several forums to find that for over the past 5 yrs a lot of dodge durango owners have had the same issue and have spent thousands to fix an issue that obviously was a defect from the factory. they replaced front control module, transfer case, transfer case motor and had it rewired. some did part and later had to do it all just to fix. if i had not had durby driving experience when this happened i could have been killed. i feel this is a major safety issue for the people that don't have knowledge of controlling a vehicle that you have shift on its own and put you all over the road. here is one site among others where it is a major issue http://www.dodgedakota.net/boards/dea/132-1.html,http://www.carcomplaints.com/dodge/durango/2005/drivetrain/power_train.shtml. *tr

4lo light blinks or stays on for short periods and the 44 locks for no apparent reason causing the vehicle to jerk and become hard to control in turning and nearly impossible to make a sharp turn until it disengages. this happens in city driving or stopping and starting or on back road driving. it can be fine when i park it and when i unlock get in and start out it may or may not lock into 44 but when it does it becomes extremely difficult to maneuver in tight parking spaces. i feels like the power train is going to fall completely appart.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge durango. while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly shifted to 4 low and began to decelerate. the contact was unable to shift out of that gear. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 127,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge durango. while driving 60 mph, the vehicle converted into four wheel drive lock and became unstable. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 215,000.

The vehicle is swithing into 4wheel drive on its own and svc 4x4 flashes on dash. also when key off and/ or after unlocking doors wit key fab i can hear it swiching in and out of 4x4. i have read forums about this problem and there should absolutely be a recall on this issue. shame on dodge bigtime!!

Several incidents of uncommanded engagement of the four wheel drive from the all wheel drive mode. no indication at the dash or at the switch located on the dash. this has occurred while in motion at highway speeds and while the vehicle is stopped and turned off (the sound of the transfer case servo motor operating is quite obvious). this presents a very dangerous situation since engagement of the 4wd at highway speeds, particularly when the road surface is slippery, could easily results in lose of control.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge durango. while driving at various low speeds, the vehicle independently switched into four wheel drive. the dealer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 150,000.

4 wheel drive engages by itself. vehicle can be running at highway speed, idling, or completely off and the four wheel drive will shift from awd to locked to low.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge durango. while driving 55 mph, the vehicle voluntarily went into four wheel drive. the failure occurred when the vehicle was driven for long periods of time. when the vehicle was in four wheel drive, it became harder to steer, turn, and drive. the contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. the dealer was notified of the failure and no repairs were made. the failure mileage was 160,000.

Car stalls at stop light. no reason. car started shifting into all wheel drive by itself. i could hear it shifting as i opened driver door, and car was not on. did not know what the noise was. car sounded like it was grinding the gears when moved into drive. towed to shop. transmission guy could not figure out why it changed all by itself. cargo lamp is one if i open rear hatch. it will only go off if i close the hatch twice. now airbag light is on, since new battery was replaced.

When i unlock the doors with the remote or open unlocked doors, the shift motor activates, i can hear it engaging and disengaging. there is a delay upon starting my truck before the drive gear kick in and i can proceed to drive vehicle. when i make a sharp turn going forward or backing...the rear tires lock up. the awd lights flickers on/off. constant smell like something is burning.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge durango. while the vehicle was being operated, the vsc sensor warning light illuminated and the power steering suddenly failed. the steering wheel became extremely difficult to maneuver. in addition, the transmission switched to all wheel drive and the speed drastically reduced. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was unable to be duplicated. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 175,000.

While driving, turning, parked, vehicle on or off, the 4wd selector will switch between awd, 4lock and 4lo. the svc4wd light sometimes blinks after start up, sometimes while driving. this happens in park, neutral or drive and the transfer case motor can be heard switching under the vehicle. see issue described exactly here: http://www.cargurus.com/cars/discussion-t4148_ds482593 this is not a one-off issue, this is affecting multiple dodge, jeep, chrysler 4x4 vehicles over multiple years with both the 2wd-4wd and awd options. can be hazardous when traveling at highway speeds and causes loss of control during turning while on hard surfaces due to locked axles. even the manual warns against running in 4 lock/4lo on pavement or blacktop, this can cause damage to the powertrain.

Having problems with the 4wd engaging on its own while vehicle sitting after shutoff as well as has shifted automatically from awd into 4wd while driving down the road at 55+mph...totally unsafe. have seen many complaints for this same issue going on from other dodge owners for '04 and '05 dodge caravans for same issue. appears to be related to faulty chinese manufactured part dodge was installing and faulting out connections causing power load to not be same power load as original spec (easily corroded wiring) and then screwing up the connection and faulting the unit out to start to shift on its own. major safety concern if occurring on many different personal over the past 5 yrs histories seen for same vehicle models. when vehicle is shutoff can also hear the 4wd selector clicking / engaging back and forth the 4wd system in / out from awd to 4wd. vehicle is currently stuck in 4wd lo now.

Vehicle started showing an intermittent "svc 4wd" light and vehicle would shift itself into low 4wd while making low speed turns. had it checked by dealer, who said codes showed "unequal tire pressure". tires were within 1 psi of each other. drove vehicle again, and codes said "unequal tire speed". dealer advised we replace all four tires, which we did. during our next trip (yesterday), the "svc 4wd" light came on and off several times, then vehicle suddenly lost all forward momentum while driving at highway speeds. vehicle's transfer case had shifted itself neutral, leaving vehicle stranded in highway with no shoulder. while starting the car to try to troubleshoot the problem, it suddenly and without warning shifted itself into low 4wd and lurched forward. i have researched the issue online in various dodge forums, and have found dozens of similar cases where there have been vehicles stranded in the highway due to the same problem. several dodge dealers evidently have had problems diagnosing the problem, replacing all possible parts only to have the issue recur within days. there are others who say they have filed complaints here and urge us who experience the same problem demand a recall. please investigate and force dodge to fix this obvious safety flaw that could easily cause a loss of life accident.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 dodge durango. while driving at any speed, the vehicle lost power without warning. the vehicle was pulled over and restarted. the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. the failure recurred several times. the manufacturer was made aware of the complaint, but did not assist. the failure was not remedied. the failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

The vehicle tries to shift into 4 wheel drive on its own while traveling down the road. depending on speed it is sometimes successful causing difficult steering on dry pavement. it also sometimes sounds like it is trying to shift into 4 wheel drive when the vehicle is parked and not running; especially right after unlocking the doors with the key fob.

My vehicle will kick into 4x4 lo with no warning or notice. happens on tight turns. seems this is a huge problem on 2004-2005 dodge druango.

While driving my 2005 dodge durango limited at low speeds in my neighborhood, the 4wd automaticly engaged with the selector switch still in the awd position and no indicator lights on the dash stating that the 4wd was engaged at all. it make it very difficult to turn the corners even at low speeds sometimes even binds up enough to even stop the vehicle if i turn too sharp. very unsafe and is starting to happen more and more frequently. when i park it in the garage and with the key out and no power, i have started to notice you can hear the 4wd trying to engage and disengage multiple times while just sitting there.