Condition
Customer uses adjectives like shuddering, jerking, jolting, lurching, lunging or similar to describe the behavior of the vehicle’s drivetrain at lower speeds. Particularly, this occurs while driving in 1st or 2nd gear in the transmission’s automatic mode with some slight brake application in combination with a greater steering angle input (at or close to ‘full-lock’), travelling between 6-10 mph, e.g. while negotiating a parking space or lot. The condition happens in reverse too, and can be disconcerting. There are no fault memory occurrences associated with the behavior described herein.
In some cases, customers may also complain of clicking or clunking noises from the front under similar operating conditions.
Technical Background
A software issue in the All-wheel drive (transfer box) control unit may allow too much torque to be applied to the front driveshafts while the vehicle is moving at slow speeds (6-10 mph) in combination with a high steering angle. This sharp torque increase causes the condition described by the customer.
