I am unable to get it out of 4wd , The four wheel drive light stays on all the time. It will pop out of gear

first time used 4WD on this car?????
what transfer case is there,? key fact #1 not told
JF1A<<< my guess this.
NOT TOLD YOU WHAT THE TIRES ARE ROLLING ON
PAVEMENT, DIRT, OFF-ROAD.. ICE, SNOW OR WHAT.
THE CAR IS NOT AWD
THE CAR IS NOT FULL TIME 4WD
IT IS PART TIME 4WD.
THE USERS MANUAL TOLD YOU THIS


Four?wheeldrive models-Toyota rec-
ommends not using four?wheel drive on
dry hard?surfaced roads, because four?
wheel driving wil l cause unnecessary
noise and wear,and poor fuel econo-
my.

WHAT HAPPENS IS DAMAGE TO THE TRANSER CASE MAIN CHAIN OR FAR FAR WORSE.
or
google
"what part time 4 wheel drive means."
it means there is no center Differential to have AWD

SAME GUIDE SAID

Four?wheel DriveSystemWarning
Buzzer(four?wheel drive models)
This buzzer reminds you that the transfer
mode is not selected correctly.
If the buzzer sounds when you shift the
transfer from "2 WD" to "4H", "4L" to "4H",
"4H"to "4L",or"4L"to "2WD"mode,follow the instructions in"Four?wheel drive
system"on page 239 in Section 1?7.

TO EXIT 4WD, IF SELECTED INCORRECTLY ON DRY PAVEMENT.
GET 1 TIRE OF THE TRUCK ON LOSE DIRT ,GRAVEL ,GRASS. AND SHIFT TO 2WD.
AND STAY OUT OF 4WD UNTIL LEARN HOW PART TIME WORKS.,

4WD IS FOR
DIRT
FOR ICED OVER WHAT EVER.
FOR PACKED SNOW OR DRIFTS.

NOT FOR DRY PAVEMENT AT ALL. OR EVEN WET

A clue to the make and model of vehicle may help you get an answer.

did you turn the locks on the wheels, or check the fuses

try it in dirt yet (gravel, sand, grass dirt)
since you didnt post transfer case type can't answer
if you use , part time 4wd on dry pavement this will happen as
will 4low or lock. read the operators guide, one more time.

its a new car get it serviced, or drive in dirt, and turn off 4wd
see if it stays off. if you use the car wrong, the dealer will just stare at you, in a very not so funny way.

new cars come with options, or by sub model, (same really)
some have Automatic Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive
which one?
The Compass also features two electronically controlled four-wheel drive systems. Freedom Drive I and Freedom Drive II, Freedom Drive I is a full-time four-wheel drive system with locking capabilities

if some one used LOCK
you need to unluck in dirt. drive to side of road with gravel
or any loose surface and get bad to normal.
read opeators guide 1 more time.....

Have you checked the engine and transmission mounts?? If these are loose they could easily shift causing the linkage to kick it into another gear.

Most of these I have seen were Electronically shifted, if that is the case you might have a sensor problem in the cab, or a wiring issue.

All wheel drive is just that-- All wheel drive-- not to be confused with 4 wheel drive . The difference is with AWD there is a 3rd diff in the transmission that allows the front and rear wheels to operate at different road speeds . When 4wd is selected that 3rd diff is locked and so both front and rear wheels drive at the same speed regardless of ups and downs in the road surface . This results in a torque wind up in the drive train and places load on "U" joints --splines --CV joints and gear teeth . The grinding on turning corners will be the CV joints trying not to flex because of the torque wind up . How to prevent this problem=== Do not use 4wd on hard road surfaces === as the tyres cannot slip to relieve the torque Restrict the 4wd use to snow , mud and loose surfaces TO fix the problem unselect 4wd drive and reverse several yards to release the pressure in the drive train and the actuator has a chance to pull the gear out of lock up. If that doesn't work check that the actuator is actually working

no year?
never drive, part time 4wd on pavement, unless said pavement
is ice or snow covered.
only AWD allows pavement (tires direct upon) driviing.
part time 4wd is for offroad , off pavement driving,
this is because 4wd has no center differential.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-wheel_drive

and with out such, winds up the drive line fast. and breaks it.

wiki states (no year stated by you)
Part-time four-wheel drive was standard on all models. to 1991
then came
ActivTrak 4WD
cept
4H (high-range full time four-wheel drive), 4HLc (high-range four-wheel drive with locked center differential) and 4LLc (low-range four-wheel drive with locked center differential
so do not use LOCKED on pavement. on active track. only 4H
the wiki states the Super-select is retained 2006 to present.
Super-Select 4WD II

read the glove box manual under 4wd

Sounds like the transfer case is not engaging into 4wd. It has a solenoid or actuator, but it could be damaged inside too.

Use 2 wheels, the other 4wd low ,for climbing at slow speeds: 4wd high, for driving on low traction roads,like mud or snow,at medium speeds: 4wd auto full time all wheel drive, for highway speeds on slippery surfaces, like rain or light snow.

could be a bad 4wd actuator or solenoid- those arent terribly expensive to fix- but a bad transfer case is expensive. either way id recommend putting it in the shop if you need 4wd