Chrysler Pacifica Complaints
794 consumer complaints on file.
- #11450835February 7, 2022FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
We were driving on the interstate when the vehicle all of a sudden lost power. We were luckily able to get it to the side of the road, but if there was more traffic, we would not be able to do so. The car was then towed to the dealership and they said they will be replacing the the power inverter. The car has been in the dealership since the October and it is February now.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11450601February 5, 2022POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The car stalled while driving. I was driving down a city street and the engine cut off and a message on the dash read "Put Vehicle in P to start." I pulled over and it took several minutes to get the car to restart. This happened several times on the way back to the dealership (we had only just bought the car the day before). Our safety and that of others on the road was put at risk because we were stopped in the middle of traffic and were unable to move. Pulling over across traffic once the car had stalled was also dangerous because I could not propel the car forward. I did manage to steer the car to the side of the road. After this happened several times in the course of a few blocks, I called for roadside assistance to tow the car back to the dealership. After the incident happened, the "check engine" light came on. The car is currently at the dealership awaiting repair.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11450203February 3, 2022POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving, the vehicle shut off. Steering and brakes were still working, so I was able to coast off the highway. The check engine light, a battery fault indicator, and a service charging system warning all displayed on the dash. This is the second time this has happened, and a Chrysler dealer service center installed software updates they claimed fixed the issue. It is now back at the dealer. The first time this occurred, it was on a busy road with no shoulder near a dangerous turn. I was stopped in the road for several minutes before I got it to restart and was able to limp to a safe parking spot. There are several other posts on web forums and YouTube of other owners having the same problem.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11448319January 21, 2022SERVICE BRAKES, POWER TRAIN
My PHEV Pacifica Hybrid experiences intermittent dangerous lurching during braking. Symptoms: - During modest braking where regenerative braking system is doing most of the braking, the regenerative braking system flutters on an off a couple seconds at a time - The Power gauge on the cluster (Far Left) Bounces wildly with each flutter - Sudden loss of braking causes lurching of vehicle - Problem is periodic. Will not have the problem for weeks and then suddenly have the issue constantly for several days I have experienced this at highways speeds but it is most dangerous when braking in traffic.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11446843January 10, 2022POWER TRAIN
Vehicle lost all power while traveling on interstate. Vehicle is a hybrid plug-in and was fully charged at time of power loss. Appears to have taken place when vehicle attempted to transfer from combustion engine to battery power. Safety was put at risk as my family was in heavy traffic (70 mph) on interstate when all power was lost and were forced to traverse lanes of heavy traffic in attempt to safely reach road shoulder without any power. Vehicle is currently at dealership and they are the only organization that has inspected. Before issue there were no previous warning lights, codes, or indications of a problem. Post problem check engine light is now illuminated.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11446802January 9, 2022POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
We currently have 13170 miles on our 2021 Pacifica. We have seen this charge system error now for the third time. Here is the list of errors below. First time I was driving 45 mph and the vehicle lost power and had a charge system error. I was able to safely stop on the side of the road. I was able to restart the vehicle after about 2 minutes with a check engine light. I was able to take it to the dealership and had all of the current software updates and removed the check engine light. Second time I was at work and I attempted to start the vehicle from the run button. The radio turned on but I had a charge system error and the vehicle would not turn off. I worked for about 5 to 10 minutes to turn the vehicle off. Luckily I was not driving at the time and was parked. I again had a check engine light. The dealership diagnosed that I have a failing PIM. The vehicle sat at the dealership for a month, the part was continually on back order every two weeks. The check engine light was removed and I took the vehicle home still waiting on the replacement PIM. Third time I was in the garage, PIM still not replaced, on back order and the vehicle would not start from the run button. I was able to turn on the vehicle after waiting about 2 to 3 minutes. After driving for about 25 minutes the issue came up again. I was able to wait and the vehicle restarted. A check engine light illuminated on the dash. On the way home after a stop, I had loss of power and had the charge system error going 25mph . I was able to stop the vehicle in a empty parking lot. I waited about 5 minutes and was able to restart the vehicle. I drove the vehicle straight home and is now sitting in the garage at home. As of today I am still waiting for this back ordered PIM since October. The vehicle now will sit in the garage, unusable, until the replacement part can be installed. This may be a reliability and safety issue in the future.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11446225January 4, 2022POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
Check engine light illuminated and there was a warning message on the dash screen that I was not able to capture. This model of van is a plug-in hybrid. With this failure the engine systems are NOT utilizing the hybrid traction battery portion of the system. I have driven many small trips up to about 65 miles, but no drive has yet used the battery capacity. So the vehicle is running 100% on the gas engine, and is not able to function in hybrid or electrical only drive mode. The dealership is unable to tell me if driving the vehicle in this state will cause further damage to the van, therefore I am stuck unable to drive the vehicle for fear of causing even more damage. Error code pulled from personal obd2 reader: P0E15 - Hybrid/EV Battery Pack Coolant Heater A Control Performance On 1/4/2022 the dealer service advisor called and confirmed that the issue is the expected part failure/replacement, and that there are no parts available in the US for this repair. The last instance that my dealer repaired took 4 weeks to secure the needed parts for repair. Still no confirmation the van would be safe to drive in the interim. Therefore I am without my new 2021 vehicle purchased 5/10/2021, while it only has 1608miles... for what seems like will be at least another month. The dealer SA also mentioned to me that Chrysler currently had another ~450 instances of this same failure happening right now, all which going to be significantly impacted by the lack of parts availability. This is unacceptable.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11446222January 4, 2022POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The van displayed various error messages in the dash screen, and issued a warning beeped, then told me to shift the vehicle to park. The van then locked itself in park and could not be moved. Rotary gear selector non-responsive, transmission selector gear lights went out. We had to have the vehicle towed out of the restaurant drive through lane and delivered to the dealership. Van would still start, but wouldn’t move. "Errors in dash: ""Service Hybrid Electric System"" ""Service Shifter"" ""Service Shifter Stop Safely Shut Off Vehicle to Engage Park"""
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11445603December 30, 2021BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BACK OVER PREVENTION: CAMERA SYSTEM
The infotainment system would crash and freeze, causing the backup camera not to be visible on the center screen when in reverse.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11445247December 28, 2021ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Driving twice we have gotten a message "Pullover vehicle will shutoff" on the display, and the motor and engine shut off shortly after. After restart, the console says "Service Hybrid System" the van then has a top speed of 40-45 MPH, not safe to drive on interstate even to get to the next exit. The first time the dealer had the van for 10 days said the problem was in the hybrid system related to the charging cord (provided with the vehicle) The second time we were 2 miles from home and able to get the vehicle home safely with the hazard light on. The dealer is trying to tow it for the second time, the vehicle does not have enough power to drive up the ramps onto the roll-back tow truck.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11444827December 23, 2021UNKNOWN OR OTHER
There has been a lot of talk about the possible distractions in Tesla vehicles. I happen to have a Tesla Model S and I have a Chrysler Pacifica Plugin Hybrid. The Chrysler, although overall is a great vehicle, poses a risk because they do not treat the drivers as adults. Let me explain. While using the navigation system, it will not let you interact with the vehicle while it's in motion. This literally assumes that no one else is in the vehicle that could co-pilot. So, when I was traveling with my family over Thanksgiving, with my wife in the front passenger seat and four kids in the back, I had to pull over to the side of the road to make any adjustments to the navigation system. I don't have to you tell you how dangerous pulling off to the side of a highway is whether at night or during the day. This is extremely frustrating and dangerous and I take it personally that adults are being treated like children when it comes to interacting with these machines. If we're truly concerned about distracted drivers, then we would ban even carrying a cell phone with us in a vehicle and even ban the radio and the ability to change the station while driving. This is of course impractical, and that's my point. Tesla treats its drivers with respect and allows for responsible interaction with the navigations system, radio, other vehicle functions, etc. I play "Caroke" in the car all the time for my kids in the rear seat. If I'm distracted by the lyrics on the screen constantly changing with the song, then that is my issue and I should shut it off. However, it is not an issue with me and I remain focused on the road. Manufacturers should treat drivers as adults and allow them to be responsible. Anything short of that, and any regulation barring the great functionality of a Tesla, will only hold us back technologically. Please ask Chrysler and other OEMs to stop barring interaction with the vehicle while it's in motion before a truck slams into a vehicle pulled over to the side.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11442993December 7, 2021POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
While driving vehicle went into full lock down. Vehicle remained running with all systems on except completely unable to engage drive, shut vehicle down or even power it off. Towed to dealer. Dealer stating codes stating hybrid error and transmission errors. Vehicle has 7021 miles and was purchased March 2021. My wife and 2 children were stranded on the road in a vehicle that would not move. Terrifying for me.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11441768November 26, 2021STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated that the hatchback door would not close and lock securely. The contact stated that he attempted to close the hatchback door by using the key fob, by depressing the hatchback control panel inside the vehicle and the button on the hatchback door but it failed to close and latch securely. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that he manually pushed the hatchback with the assistance of his wife, but the door would not lock. The contact stated that they were able to close the hatchback door using duct tape. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing however, the dealer advised the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The contact notified Goeckner Bros Inc (600 E Fayette Ave, Effingham, IL 62401) who sold him the vehicle and the dealer advised the contact to take the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 2,970.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11441603November 24, 2021POWER TRAIN
Component: The Low gear does not function properly. When the car is in Low on a steep grade it allows the engine to rev up to 6,000 RPM before shifting into second gear. On a hill, the RPMs rev up quickly and the car’s momentum is not properly arrested. In practice, this car does not have a true Low gear. L1 acts more like an L4. Safety risk: We use this car in the mountains of Virginia. We have an AWD model, which performs great in the snow. However, with no hill descent feature and a malfunctioning Low gear it is dangerous to drive the car in the mountains. Driving down a snowy mountain with no low gear is a major risk. Service center: Yes, the problem has been confirmed by my local dealer, both in my car and in a brand new 2021 Pacifica. Inspected by others: No. It was confirmed by the service manager of my local dealer only. I emailed Chrysler but have not received a response. Warning lights: No. The vehicle is performing as it was designed, there are no malfunction lights. According to the dealer service manager it is a transmission problem. He thinks it is a problem with the computer system as well as the ratios for the transmission system. After confirming the problem in my car we tested a brand new 2021 Pacifica (9 miles driven). Our first time down a hill it worked perfectly, the RPMs held below 3,000 and the low gear slowed our descent. By our third attempt, the RPMs were revving to 6,000, and the low gear “grip” was gone. The service manager conjectured that there is something in the computer system telling the Low gear to act like that. Which doesn’t make any sense because revving the RPMs up to 6,000 is not healthy for the engine. I have a video of the problem but it doesn’t allow me to upload it below. Thank you!
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11441482November 23, 2021ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car stopped 2 times on it's own, told me to shift to park immediately but was in essence shutting itself off. Once approaching a stop light going ~10 mph and the second time I was going 50 mph down the road. The first time 3 warnings flashed across my screen, Service Charging System Service Required, Front Parksense Unavailable Service Required, Active Parksense Unavailable Service Required, I shut the car completely off waited a couple minutes and turned it back on. The check engine light stayed on. During the 2nd event it was only Service Charging System, after i shut the car off and restarted the Uconnect started updating and I couldn't drive and the check engine light came on.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11441157November 20, 2021ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
We have now had two incidences where the vehicle is being driven both on the highway and in the city. The vehicle malfunctions without any indication or warning. While driving the vehicle beeps and the check engine light comes on, you lose all control or ability to accelerate. You still have steering. The screen on the dash in front of the driver flashes and continues to flash and says there is an issue, while saying to move the drive to park. The drive options (park, drive, reverse, etc) flashes on and off but will not move anyways. You are essentially forced to cruise to a stop hopefully in a safe place or emergently braking. The only way to get the vehicle to reset is once completely stopped. To push the ignition off button. Which does not fully turn it off. You then have to open the driver door hopefully safely. And allow the vehicle to completely shut off. Then get back in and it will usually start at this point with the check engine light still on. We have video and pictures of this happening to us both times and am have seen others experience this extremely dangerous situation. I am going to report to the dealer and the customer service for Chrysler as well. Then the news.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11440660November 16, 2021POWER TRAIN
This Chrysler Pacifica is only a few weeks old with around 1700 miles on it- I had only made our first car payment a few days prior. I tried to put my car in park in a long line of vehicles, and heard a clicking noise, followed by an immediate dinging with an error message. The vehicle told me "service trans." It would not allow me to park my vehicle. Shortly after this happened, the service engine light came on. There was absolutely no indication of anything being wrong with my BRAND NEW vehicle prior to this incident. I was able to drive the car home without error in the drive function, but shortly after arriving home, the car also starting dropping out of drive. Through all of this, I was not able to place my vehicle in park. I had no option but to drive my children in a vehicle that was consistently dropping out of drive and completely not able to park outside of using the parking brake. To me, this is the worst possible safety concern. This vehicle is BRAND NEW by all standards. We drove the vehicle straight to our dealership for servicing. The vehicle died on the lot before they were able to pull it into the service bay, as the car would not turn off until it was placed in park; which could not be achieved. The dealership claimed it was an alternator issue and has ordered a replacement part, which we are waiting on as I write this report. We were told that our dealership has seen similar issues in Chrysler Pacificas recently. It is absolutely a massive safety concern to me that this could affect the transmission in such a profound way, especially so soon after driving my vehicle off the lot.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11440404November 14, 2021ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I purchased a pre-owned 2021 Pacifica Hybrid on November 4th 2021. After driving it off the lot, the vehicle stalled (essentially loses power and gas pedal does not work) while driving at a high rate of speed on the highway. Symptom: While driving at a high rate of speed (65MPH, 60MPH, 50MPH, 70MPH), van loses power and gas pedal will not work. Van is on <1% battery and running off gasoline power. After coasting to a stop on the side of the road, a message pops up that says "Service Charging System" and the check engine light comes on. Then it says "Shift to P to Start". Check engine light is on. Frequency: Occurrences happened immediately after taking ownership of vehicle and were 11/4/21, 11/6/21, 11/7/21, 11/9/21. After that we stopped driving the vehicle and took it back to the dealer because of safety concerns. Workaround: Shifting to P to start (starting like you would normally start the car) does not start the vehicle. We have been able to figure out a workaround to get it to start however. If you push the start button without your foot on the brake so it is in the "accessory" power mode, then put your foot on the brake, then push the start button again, it starts. The check engine light stays on for a period of time (less than 24hrs) after each event, but then goes off. I see this has been reported by several people with at least 4 NHTSA IDs filed with the exact same issue. This is a serious safety concern and is not only reported with these IDs, but also is prevalent on other online forums such as pacificaforums.com and Facebook group "Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid 2017 and beyond." Symptoms match these NHTSA IDs. NHTSA ID Number: 11439920 NHTSA ID Number: 11432866 NHTSA ID Number: 11430933 NHTSA ID Number: 11418815
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11440309November 13, 2021ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
While driving on the interstate at ~60MPH the vehicle suddenly shut off and flashed a "Service Charging System" Error. The gas pedal was unresponsive and we were forced to swerve through traffic as the vehicle was rapidly decelerating to make our way to the side of the interstate. This is a minivan, and as a minivan, we were using it for it's intended purpose of transporting our 4 small children to school and daycare. Because this event happened on the interstate, not only did we risk a high speed crash, but we had to move the kids from one vehicle to another as cars whizzed by at 60-70mph. We tried multiple attempts at restarting the vehicle and it would not restart. The vehicle is currently at the dealership and is being looked at under warranty.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11439920November 9, 2021FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I wanted to write to you and let you know about our recent and scary experience with our new 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited. We purchased our van on Labor Day, September 6, 2021. Since then, we have had 2 out of town family funerals and a family vacation so we have right at 5k miles on the vehicle. On 11/5/2021, at approximately 1:15pm, I was driving our van on a 6-lane major thoroughfare with my two small children with me. We had 43% of our EV battery remaining and so we were driving on EV power (and had a half tank of fuel also). Suddenly, the engine power stopped, I had no acceleration, and a “Service Charging System” message popped up on the instrument info panel along with a check engine light, a red battery light near the compass, and a red plug symbol just below the fuel gauge. I was not able to get the van to do anything but roll with whatever forward momentum we had toward the side of the highway. In nothing short of a miracle, we avoided multiple collisions and safely made it to the shoulder. We had electric power to run the radio and climate fan only but the car engine was completely inoperable and could not start or shift into gear after multiple attempts to restart it. I contacted roadside assistance and waited for a tow while trying to keep my small children calm and safe sitting in a dangerous location on the side of a highway. After about 30 minutes, the car engine fan shut off and so I attempted to restart the car and it finally worked. I immediately headed toward the closest dealership by taking the side roads and hoping that we wouldn’t have another incident and be a sitting duck on the highway again. This vehicle malfunction could have, and realistically still could, cause a traumatic and horrific fatal motor vehicle collision. This is not just a routine and minor malfunction like a door sensor issue, or check engine light, etc. This issue can lead to a severe safety issue that will, and did, render the vehicle a target with no escape.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0