Chrysler Pacifica Complaints (2021)

362 consumer complaints on file.

#11743527June 11, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that the message "Service Gear Shifter" was displayed, and the gear shifter lights were not illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the ESS system malfunctioned, and the 12-volt battery had failed, which the contact related to the gear shifter failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741712June 3, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While driving the vehicle, the accelerator will become inactive and result in the vehicle slowing to a stop. I will shut off the ignition and let vehicle rest for 10-20 mins before restarting. This does not resolve the issue and I end up towing the vehicle into the manufacturer’s service department. This often results in 100s of dollars in “diagnostic” fees. The service dept claims it’s bad battery, changes and issue arises again. Next they say it needed a software update, and a few days later it fails again. Next they said it was PCM module and replaced it, and finally they replaced the transmission. The 4th visit, change of transmission, lasted a little over a year and then the issue arose once again! After paying $259 in diagnostic fees, they said I used a bad “charger”
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732777April 21, 2026
SEATS
After deploying the second-row Stow 'n Go captain's chair seat from its stowed position in the floor, the integrated headrest fails to lock in the upright, passenger-safety position. The headrest remains folded forward or flops forward under normal conditions and cannot be secured in the upright position required for safe occupancy of the seat. The root cause, as identified by dealership technicians and documented by numerous owners across multiple model years (2017–2022), is failure of a small plastic component within the headrest actuator cable assembly. This cable mechanism is designed to automatically fold the headrest during stowing and return it to the locked upright position when the seat is deployed. When the plastic cable end or the locking mechanism fails, the headrest cannot return to or maintain the upright, locked position. The cable itself is not sold separately by Chrysler/Stellantis, with dealers quoting $500–$1,000+ for repair requiring full seat frame or headrest replacement. This constitutes a safety hazard because: (1) a headrest in the forward/folded position provides no rear-impact protection to an occupant, increasing the risk of whiplash or cervical spine injury in a collision; (2) the condition prevents safe installation of child booster seats in the affected seating position; and (3) the defect is a known, widespread, and persistent design flaw affecting multiple model years with no manufacturer recall or remediation issued. This issue has been reported by a large number of owners on owner forums and acknowledged by Chrysler customer care representatives, yet no recall, technical service bulletin fix, or goodwill repair program has been established. I am filing this complaint to support an investigation and potential recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732419April 20, 2026
POWER TRAIN
This vehicle quit driving and you can move it. Confirmed bad transmission. I bought it this way from the insurance company because it bounced off a concrete barrier. I suspect this happened when the transmission failed. Unsure of a police report due to it happening to the previous owner.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728146March 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I encountered two incidents of the same type. One was on Friday, March 27, 2026, the same day I picked up the vehicle from a local Chrysler dealership, where software updates and issues related to recalls were supposedly completed. The vehicle was at 38% battery level at the time of pick up from the dealership parking lot. After driving it for about 14 miles, the battery level depleted to <1% and that's when the "Stop Safety. Vehicle will shut off soon" displayed on the dashboard. I slowly drove for less than a minute and parked the vehicle and turned it off. Then restarted and drove for less than two minutes, but again the same warning ("Stop Safety. Vehicle will shut off soon") displayed; I turned it off again. After taking a few minutes break, I restarted it and it was showing 1% battery; it gave me a little distance to travel until unfortunately the same warning displays. Fortunately, this time I was close to a place where I can charge the battery. The battery got charged to 100%, partly on the night of March 27th and the remaining in the morning on March 28th. The second incident was on March 29, 2026, on Sunday afternoon. As soon as the battery level reached <1%, the exact the same warning ("Stop Safety. Vehicle will shut off soon") was displayed. I slowly drove the vehicle to the side of the road and called my insurance company; I reported the issue and requested them to tow the vehicle to a nearby Chrysler dealership. As of now, the vehicle is at the dealership parking waiting for diagnosis. Based on my initial conversation with the customer service person, they don't know if this is considered part of any recall or not. Not only was I stranded on the road because of the above incidents, not having the vehicle at the moment is straining me a lot - trying to handle personal and work schedules.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728011March 30, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Had two different electric coolant heaters fail in just over 2 years. One at 36,000 miles and one at 72,000 miles. Each time it has failed it results in a loss of cabin heat which prevents me from being able to use the defrost capability and heat my minivan that I bought to drive my 4 young children around.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727813March 29, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, STEERING
This is an intermittent issue that has been happening for a while now and the car was sent to the dealership twice but the issue still persists. The engine would shuts down or partially loses torque all of a sudden and the steering becomes very stiff. At the same time you would see all kinds of alarms, error messages, and check lights on the dashboard. I would then have to pull over to the side of the road, turn off the car, then try to start it back up. Usually after several attempts (one time that took nearly 30 minutes), the car works properly again with no error messages but sometimes I'd still have some persistent check lights on the dashboard. Error messages and check lights that I see include the following: -Service Electronic Stability Control -Autopark Engaged -Shifter Autocorrect Active -Park Brake Temporarily Unavailable -AWD System Temporarily Unavailable -Automatic Emergency Braking off check light -Forward Collision Warning off check light -Check Engine light The dealership has been unable to properly diagnose and fix this issue so far. On the first visit, they replaced the main battery, auxiliary battery, some wire harnesses that I was told had some corrosion, and the adaptive cruise control module. On the second visit, they replaced the CAN Bus star connector. The same issue still persists after replacing all above components.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727464March 27, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Incident: While driving at highway speeds (65–75 mph), the vehicle issues imminent-shutdown warnings, the reduced-power (‘turtle’) light and check engine light illuminate, and the vehicle loses motive power. The driver must pull over to the freeway shoulder immediately and restart the vehicle. The condition is intermittent, occurs after cold starts, and sometimes with cruise control engaged. Safety Risk: Sudden loss of motive power at 65–75 mph without warning creates extreme crash risk. This is the exact risk stated in the recall notice. The software-only remedy appears insufficient. FCA’s own Warranty Extension Campaign XE1 — covering transmission replacement at unlimited years/unlimited mileage — suggests FCA is aware the software fix may not be adequate. Requested Action: Please investigate whether the recall remedy is adequate or whether physical transmission replacement is required. This vehicle has been documented experiencing the recalled defect seven times after the recall repair was completed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726234March 22, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The power liftgate safety detection has failed numerous times, hiting both myself and my husband on our heads with the full force of the liftgate closing. It is not detecting an obstruction in the way and going back up again, this is incredibly dangerous - I was hurt quite badly today.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725453March 19, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While driving at normal road speed, the vehicle suddenly lost propulsion and entered limp mode. A turtle warning icon appeared along with multiple system fault messages. The vehicle began slowing down on it's own and was unable to accelerate. I pulled to the side of the road. The vehicle displayed an error "Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon". After sitting for a period of time, the vehicle restarted and was able to be driven again, but the failure occurred without warning and created a dangerous situation in traffic. Diagnostic trouble codes were present related to the hybrid system and high-voltage battery, including P1D43, P1A21, U029A, and U0412. These codes indicate faults in the hybrid control system and battery communication. A Chrysler service department inspected the vehicle, confirmed the trouble codes, and returned it to me without repair because the issue was not immediately reproducible at the dealership. The vehicle has a history of similar intermittent issues, including prior loss-of-power events and repeated service visits for hybrid system faults. The condition is not consistently reproducible, but when it occurs it results in a sudden loss of motive power while driving. This creates a significant safety risk due to unexpected loss of propulsion in active traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725106March 17, 2026
SEATS
The rear headrest will not stay in its proper upright position. After putting it into its Stow N Go position in the floor, the headrest is broken and down and no one can sit in the seat safely. This is a safety issue and Chrysler needs to repair it for free. It is a design flaw. A very thin piece of plastic breaks and results in an unusable rear seat! So many complaints from people who have had this happen. It is not a fluke. It is a regular problem with this otherwise great car! And if someone has an accident with someone trying to sit in that broken seat and gets hurt because there is no headrest………..
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11722157March 5, 2026
STEERING
When driving at speeds over 45 mph and making turns (eg on high ways) the van will sway and rock. I have installed new shocks, had an alignment, had ball joints and sway bars inspected, and had tires restated. I’m wondering if there is some sort of an issue with the electronic assist power steering that senses g forces and compensates inappropriately. It is extremely dangerous and we have nearly lost control of the car while doing a routine turn. It happens when turning left, but not when turning right.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719236February 19, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The Electric Coolant Heater (ECH) failed (Error Code P0E15), which is a critical component of the High Voltage Battery Thermal Management System. This failure disabled the vehicle's hybrid propulsion system and prevented the vehicle from operating in electric mode. This is a documented systemic issue (Ref: TSB S2208000203) that affects the driveability and safety of the vehicle's hybrid powertrain.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718575February 17, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The back up camera does not work intermittently. The screen is just black. This was supposed to be resolved as part of recall 66B/NHTSA 24V-436. I had that recall work completed in January 2026 but it did not resolve the issue. The dealer said they are unaware of that repair not resolving the issue and said I would be liable for the costs associated with the additional diagnostics if the manufacturer refuses to pay. I went on line and apparently a lot of people are continuing to have the same issues. This is a recurring issues that happens about 25% of the time we back up. The attached photo was the latest time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716949February 10, 2026
WHEELS:HUB, SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 - 35 MPH, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the wheel well or near the front underbody near the air dam, as if there was a piece of ice stuck in the air dam. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the front wheel hub hardware was loose, affecting the wheel bearings, and causing the failure. The contact was informed that the wheel hub hardware and front wheel bearings needed to be replaced, and the front wheels needed to be rotated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716357February 6, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I was driving my Pacifica, got the warning light telling me to pull over. The van lost power 3/4 way up a hill blocking traffic and had to get towed to the dealer, where it now awaiting a transmission rebuild. This is the 4th time this same van has died like this, including twice on the highway. Previous times when I brought to the dealer, they only updated software or told me there was nothing they could do
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11715665February 4, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Went to start vehicle and it was possessed. Would not turn over. Wipers lights everything was going off. Could not get it out of a/c mode. When hooked to a computer at mechanics it can only read two modules. ECM is malfunctioning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714476January 30, 2026
STEERING
If I am trying to park and going like 10 miles an hour and start turning the steering wheel, it starts shaking. And it does it every time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714366January 29, 2026
ENGINE
On January 14, 2026 while driving on highway fast lane warning light came on that engine was going to shut off and withing a few minutes it did. I managed to pull over off the freeway before engine completely shut off. Turned everything off and waited about five minutes and turned car back on. Car ran with engine warning lights on. Took it to Carl Burger Dodge but they could not check in the car due to an abundance of work. Asked that I make an appointment later. On January 26, 2026 while driving on the highway same thing happened, warning light came on that engine was going to shut off, pulled over from fast lane to side of busy highway and stopped. Turned everything off and waited for about five minutes and started car again with car warning lights on. Drove it that day. Later in the day parked car at a shopping mall and turned car off. When I returned to turn car on warning light came on that engine was shut down. Turned everything off and waited for about five minutes and turned car back on, it drove with engine warning lights on. On January 29, 2026 took car to Carl Burger Dodge and left it there for evaluation and repairs. Question, has there been any recalls or fixes relating to alleged problem an internal transmission wiring connector that may short and can cause the car to shut off? An issue NHTSA had previously identified as a problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713759January 27, 2026
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH and attempting to slow down to park in a parking spot, the steering wheel started shaking unexpectedly. There was a clunking sound coming from the steering wheel. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,432.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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