2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid engine problems

ENGINE

Vehicle states "Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon" with a red turtle logo. I have restarted the vehicle, and the warning persists. I am bringing in the car to the dealer next.

NHTSA complaint #11639047 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

On [XXX], my vehicle produced a large red wrench and a turtle warning on a busy highway and I was forced to pull to the side with my [XXX] son in the car, as the vehicle lost motive power. It was towed to the dealer and after several days, they told me the issue was due to normal wear and tear in the transmission. I had to escalate to a service manager to even get a diagnosis after 5 days in the shop. I believe my transmission issue is due to a failure of the fix implemented in the 03A/NHTSA 23V-010 recall. It has been documented that the software update did not fix the issue. My vehicle experienced the exact series of failures described in the recall. Chrysler is refusing to fix my vehicle, even though they had extended the warranty on my Pacifica to unlimited miles/unlimited years because of all of the transmission issues the model has experienced. I would appreciate it if someone could look into this and Chrysler's unwillingness to stand behind their products and provide fixes for their recalls that work. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11629611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred immediately after the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V010000 (Electrical System, Hybrid Propulsion System). The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer requested that the vehicle be diagnosed and provided the cost for the diagnostic test. The contact declined to pay for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 100,800.

NHTSA complaint #11608273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

After refueling on a recent road trip the check engine light came on. After driving for a little bit to get to a hotel for the night white smoke started coming out the back of the car. To me the incident seems similar to the recall for other 2018 Chrysler Pacifica's, noted below, but did not apply to my VIN so wasn't completed for my car. The mpg's kept going down because I believe too much fuel was being fed to the engine resulting in the white smoke. When taken to the dealer there was a pending error code to the catalyst. It is currently at the Riser Chrysler Dealership in Hot Springs, AR awaiting further diagnostic and repair. NHTSA Campaign ID: 18V740000

NHTSA complaint #11603594 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I was driving with my family on the interstate and was exiting when the car shuddered and I lost propulsion. Interior electrical power was still functional. This occurred as the car was switching to gas mode as I had been been driving about 30-35 miles on electric at that point. The gas motor never came on. I was able to roll into a gas station since we were on a bit of a downhill. Shut off car and waited a beat then started car again, battery showed 1% and was able to pull 2 more feet into gas station and off to side before it completely died again (battery at 0%). I feel extremely fortunate that this didn't happen a moment earlier when I was on the expressway and that were able to get off of a busy road. I had the vehicle towed to nearest Chrysler dealer and had a friend drive me and my family to a nearby car rental place. After two weeks at the dealer, we were informed that the issue was likely the Power Inverter Module. We are still without car and waiting for updates from service department.

NHTSA complaint #11600061 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I was driving on the freeway and my engine suddenly stopped out of nowhere. A console message informed me to shift from Drive to Park. The accelerator did not work. This happened 4 times before I could get off the freeway. The first time I pulled into the shoulder, but I still had to get off the freeway. I had to wait about 10 minutes each time for the engine to start again until I could pull off the freeway and wait for AAA. I did not feel safe waiting on the freeway. I'm aware that there is a recall and that Chrysler has extended my engine warranty to 10 years. This is unacceptable because: 1. Replacing a part or wire does not ensure my transmission will not give out again. I was fortunate this last time, but I may not be so the next time this happens. I could die or cause harm to others, especially if I am travelling fast in the carpool or fast lane. 2. My car is paid off and has only 40,100 miles on it. But I have lost money and value in my car. 3. Chrysler knows there is a grave problem and should recall all affected vehicles to replace the entire transmission. The company is putting tens of thousands of people's lives at risk by not doing so.

NHTSA complaint #11596296 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Warning message stating "stop safely, vehicle will shut off soon", which is followed by loss of power and vehicle will only go about 30 MPH. There is an open investigation according to the NHTS website, NHTSA Action Number: RQ24004. Loss of motive power due to an internal wiring connector short. Dealer says that the fix is to replace the Power Inverter module (PIM), for which we are waiting for the part.

NHTSA complaint #11584816 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Tried to start car. When start button was pressed the dash lit up like a Christmas tree. Multiple error messages. FCW unavailable, power steering unavailable, fuel door open, park brake unavailable, park sense unavailable, Service hybrid electric system, power steering unavailable. The gear indication, both on dash and by shifter was flashing. The car would not turn off. I had to open hood and disconnect 12v battery for the car to power off. Waited 10 seconds and connected 12v and it power on, but the check engine light is still active

NHTSA complaint #11570442 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the check engine warning illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

NHTSA complaint #11528390 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

My Pacifica Hybrid van has been at a Chrysler dealership (Castle Rock in Colorado) for over six weeks now to have the Z11 recall addressed. It is clear that neither Chrysler nor their dealers know how to properly fix this (potentially lethal) issue with their vehicle batteries. Chrysler have failed to provide a loaner vehicle, even though it is stated in their recall letter that they would, and their "Customer Care" hotline have been unable to assist in any way. No one will call me back or otherwise inform me of next steps.

NHTSA complaint #11528111 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

With Chrysler, recalls are never ending. Last year there was battery recall (Z11) that took 10 months to fix. Just after I got that fixed in Dec-2022, in Feb-2023, we have a new recall, where the vehicle is pretty much rendered useless as it can stop anytime on freeway. My friend who has the car had the vehicle suddenly lose traction and stop in freeway (this happened last week). Fortunately nothing happened as he was able to exit safely. Given it hit so close to home, I am scared to drive my Chrysler Pacifica car anymore. When i contact Chrysler for possible remedies like offering a rental assistance e.t.c they are adamant and refuse to help in anyway. I don't understand this ; I have brought a car in good faith and for no fault of mine , i need to spend on "rental car" now? In prior recalls, Chrysler did offer Rental assistance, but this time around they seem to refuse to entertain any such help. This is really a very precarious situation for me. My wife constantly uses this car to shuttle kids to/from school/activities and frequently needs to use it on freeway. I am really concerned for my family's safety and well being. I think this unfortunate stance by Chrysler is placing us in great danger. Pls help!!

NHTSA complaint #11520060 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the messages "Service Hybrid System" and "Service Shifter" were displayed. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the software update was completed under Chrysler Campaign Number: A14; however, the failure persisted. The check engine and the MIL warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where Chrysler Campaign Number: Z11 was performed. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it started after 45 hours. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer received assistance from the manufacturer’s engineers; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The failure persisted with a beeping sound activated. The dealer diagnosed that the vehicle speed signals, the Coolant Bypass Valve 'B' Control Circuit, the coolant two-way valve had failed, and the high temperature shut off valve had failed internally. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V010000 (Electrical System, Hybrid Propulsion System), which the dealer related to the failure; however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The PCM was updated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA complaint #11519807 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

2018 CHRYSLER PACIFICA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO PARTS BEING UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM SAFETY RECALL.

NHTSA complaint #11518592 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I was driving with my family about 30mph and for no reason, the vehicle lost power and I coasted and braked to a stop on the side of the road. Nothing I did would bring any response from the vehicle while it was coasting. A short time later while stopped, I was able to turn the vehicle off and then was able to turn it back on. This happened about a year ago and I thought it was strange. It has not re-occurred. I did not seek out any resolution until I found out about the 03A recall (NHTSA 23V-010). That recall describes what happened to me. My vehicle is currently undergoing multiple attempts to perform the Z11 recall (NHTSA 22V-077) so I do not currently have access to my vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11515085 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Check engine light stays on and car does not charge. Both recalls were done at the dealership

NHTSA complaint #11514439 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

While driving at a low speed in a neighborhood, received the message "Service Charging System" then within seconds car completely died. No engine power or electrical systems working, all lights and screens were black. Was able to pull over and park safely.

NHTSA complaint #11508762 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle decelerated and failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the hybrid vehicle battery capacity warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light also remained illuminated. The cause was not yet determined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.

NHTSA complaint #11495594 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

While driving an a well paved road, I received a check hybrid system alert on my dashboard. Then several lights bean to flash including the blind spot alerts on the side view mirrors and several other alert system. Adaptive cruise control and lane change failure alerts also went off. I was only two miles from home and managed to get back. The engine did not cut out. The next morning, it started up but just a few miles into testing it out, the same alerts and light appeared, but this time the engine died along with the power steering. I coasted to roadside, turned off the car, and waited for 5 to 10 minutes. I started it up and drove it home. The engine remained on but the lights and warning continued to flash. The emergency lights also cut out periodically. I managed to drive the car to a Chrysler dealership I've visited in the past. The diagnostic alert on the Mopar app said there was a problem with the Electronic Throttle control (ETC) and the service person that looked over the diagnostic saw several system failure and alerts when he viewed the diagnostic record. At this point, the dealership has had my car for the week and the problems persist and now it won't go into gear. They still cannot determine the source of the problem. I contacted the Chrysler support line to ask them to escalate the problem. There is an open recall on this vehicle, but the parts are still not available to fix it. It only has 101,000 miles on it. I've found several complaints from Pacifica Hybrid owners related to the same ETC alert.

NHTSA complaint #11486046 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

While traveling at 75+ mph on a multi-lane highway the vehicle shut off displaying warnings "Shift to P to Start" "Service Charging System" "Sliding Door Open" "Forward Collision Warning Unavailable" and large red turtle icons. With the van shut off the only option available was to coast to side of the road/shoulder while trying to avoid other high speed vehicles and while the other vehicles attempted to dodge me. The vehicle has been at the dealer 5 times. Various codes are always available but they are unable to recreate the problem. The first visit the 12v battery was replaced. The most recent visit (the van is still at the dealer) the dealership and the manufacturer tore apart the van and checked parts for 5 weeks and could not identify anything wrong. I have pictures and lists of conditions, codes and problems. There is no warning when this happens, the vehicle merely chimes and lets the driver know that it's no longer on.

NHTSA complaint #11476245 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I was driving on I95 in Virginia doing 70mph and the car lost all power. I was able to glide to the side of the interstate and wait for a tow. I had 2 kids and our dog in the car. We live in Maryland and were far from home. It was a very dangerous situation on the should of I95. When the car lost power I got an error message to put the Van into park. The Van is under recall for a fire risk which still hasn't been fixed. This is another issue with the Van. It is currently at Ourisman Chrysler in Clarksville, MD. No answers yet.

NHTSA complaint #11473411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I was driving with the gas engine running when I lost power and then the engine shut off. I was able to get the engine restarted but it wouldn’t move forward or backwards under power.

NHTSA complaint #11454767 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

While driving at 60mph, vehicle shut off and would not allow me to accelerate. Error message displayed on speedometer, vehicle must be in park to shift gears. The PRNDL blue LED was flashing as well. Several indicator lights on my dashboard illuminated too. Vehicle has approximately 9300 miles on it. This is a pacifica e-hybrid. After pulling off the road I was able to restart and the van worked in “limp home” mode with the red turtle displayed. I then limped the van to a gas station, shut off the van, topped off the fuel tank which had been at 1/4 full, and after a few minutes restarted. After restart, only the yellow check engine light was displayed and the van operated normal. I have read a safety recall exists but Chrysler is saying it is not an active recall for my specific VIN even though I am experiencing the same problems as other owners. I am pretty sure it is associated with one of: 19V348000, 18V049000, or 18V524000. The dealer won’t repair this under recall since all my “active recalls” have been fixed. I can’t drive the vehicle safely but how can I get it fixed if Chrysler won’t repair the issue I am having. With no error codes saved, the dealer said unless it replicates while they have it they won’t be able to diagnose.

NHTSA complaint #11442778 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Picked up Vehicle from Bayside Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Annapolis after we were told the problems were addressed. After driving about 50 miles home parking than driving the Van again about 5 miles, In the center lane of the road driving about 45 mph the van said "Shift to P to start". The van wouldn't accelerate forcing my wife to drift to the shoulder of the road. The van was turned off and attempted to turn back on, but the Van would not turn completely on to drive. After about five minutes the van was able to be restarted and turned on. The check engine light came on, the van was driven to Auto zone to have the check engine light read. "Power Train System - P0BFD" & " Secondary DTC".

NHTSA complaint #11427310 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

This happened the Day after we purchased the 2018 hybrid Pacifica limited.While Driving the van started to stall out (wouldn’t go when pushing gas) and said shift to P(park) to start. Pulled over turned off the van and restarted it, that didn’t fix the problem. Restarted again and it went back to normal but the check engine light is on. Also the battery is dying extremely fast. Within 5 miles it’ll go from 40% to 0%.

NHTSA complaint #11426922 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

This is the second time we have had this issue with our van. The first time was May 25, 2019. On June 4, 2021, my wife was driving down the highway with our two kids and as she began to exit toward the off ramp, several alarms and warning appeared on the driver’s dashboard including 'SERVICE HYBRID SYSTEM', a red wrench with a lightning bolt through it, the orange engine warning light, and a message appeared saying 'SHIFT VEHICLE TO PARK'. The van stalled and when my wife pressed the accelerator, nothing happened. She was able to coast down the exit ramp and pull over to the shoulder. The van was out in park, shut off and we were able to restart it. The orange engine warning light remained on. We immediately drove to the dealership. They ran a diagnostic test and said no issues came up but there were twenty some software updates. The issue has not been reproduced by the dealer but we have had it happen two times. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer.

NHTSA complaint #11423716 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

This is the third and fourth time we have had this issue with our van. The previous two times were on May 25, 2019 and June 4, 2021. In this incident, my wife was driving our van with our two kids and I down Northwest Highway in Arlington Heights, IL. We were going about 35 miles per hour when several alarms and warnings appeared on the driver’s dashboard including 'SERVICE HYBRID SYSTEM', a red wrench with a red lightning bolt through it, the orange engine warning light, and red battery warning icon, and a message appeared saying 'SHIFT VEHICLE TO PARK'. (See attached photos.) When my wife pressed the accelerator pedal nothing happened. We were able to coast and turn down a side street. We put the vehicle in park, turned it off and we’re able to restart it. We immediately notified the dealership and drove it there. On the way to the dealership, we made a stop. When in a parking lot, my wife pressed the accelerator to drive and the same issue happened with the same warning lights and alarms. Once again, we shifted to park, turned the vehicle off and we’re able to restart it. We drove straight to the dealership, informed them of the repeated issue and left the van with them. The dealership indicated there were over twenty software updates. We were told the exact same thing on June 4th the last time this happened. They have not yet been able to tell us why this has happened or continues to happen. The problem has not been reproduced by the dealership but this is the third time this has happened. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer.

NHTSA complaint #11423721 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

WE HAVE A 2018 PACIFICA LIMITED HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING, IT BEEPED, THEN MESSAGE APPEARED TO SAY "SHIFT TO P". THE VAN THEN LOST MOTIVE POWER SHORTLY AFTER. ONCE STOPPED, SHUT DOWN ENGINE THEN RESTARTED, IT WOULD DRIVE AGAIN. THIS ALSO OCCURRED A FEW TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON A FREEWAY, I HAD TO QUICKLY GET TO EMERGENCY LANE/SHOULDER. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH CARS WHIPPING BY US WHILE WE STOPPED WITH VAN FULL OF KIDS. BUT IT ALWAYS RESTARTED BACK AND WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP GOING. ENGINE LIGHT WOULD STAY ON BUT THEN WOULD DISAPPEAR LATER. WE TOOK IT TO OUR DEALER (FRESNO CHRYSLER JEEP) AND THEY SAID "SOFTWARE ISSUE" AND THAT THEY WILL UPDATE IT. I DIDN'T GET TO TALK TO THE ADVISOR BUT LOOKING AT THE SERVICE BILL - UNCLEAR IF ANYTHING WAS DONE. THEY DROVE IT AROUND FOR 30 MIN AND ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT COME BACK ON. THE VEHICLE ALREADY HAS DONE ALL THE RECALLS PREVIOUSLY. WE TOOK IT HOME - SHORTLY AFTER THIS HAPPENED AGAIN. NOT SURE WHAT CONDITION TRIGGERS IT. MY WIFE WILL TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER TODAY AND WILL ASK THEM AT LEAST CHANGE THE 12V BATTERY (NOT SURE IF THAT IS THE REASON BUT PER FORUM DISCUSSION, THIS CAN BE A CULPRIT). THE PROBLEM IT SEEMS IS THAT DEALERS ARE IN THE DARK ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND MOST PROBABLY DONT HAVE CLUE HOW TO ADDRESS IT.

NHTSA complaint #11415567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

MY CAR PURCHASED IN 2018 FROM REED JEEP CHRYLSER IN OVERLAND PARK KANSAS. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020, THE VEHICLE WAS IN HYBRID/ELECTRIC MODE AND STOPPED RUNNING AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET. WE WERE DRIVING SLOWLY AND ABLE TO COAST TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WERE ABLE TO SAFELY LEAVE IT ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET. THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND IT WAS NOT AN ISSUE RELATED TO THE STARTER OR BATTERY. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE PROBLEM WAS REVIEWED BY THE ENGINEERING TEAM WITH CHRYSLER AND IT WAS FOUND TO BE A COMPUTER ELECTRICAL HYBRID COMPONENT. ORIGINALLY, CHRYSLER ADVISED THEY HAD NO REPLACEMENT PART ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. AFTER TWO WEEKS, THEY ADVISED THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO GET A COMPONENT FROM THE COMPONENT MANUFACTURER BUT THAT IT WOULD TAKE TIME. THE CAR REMAINED IN THE SERVICE CENTER FOR AT LEAST TWO ADDITIONAL WEEKS. THEY REPLACED THE REGULAR BATTERY AND PERFORMED RECALL ON OTHER COMPONENTS DURING THIS TIME AS WELL. A LITTLE OVER A MONTH LATER, THE SAME FAILURE/PROBLEM OCCURRED. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE AGAIN ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND LEAVE IT. A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER, WE WERE ABLE TO START IT AND GET IT BACK TO OUR RESIDENCE. WE TRIED TO CHARGE IT USING THE 240V CHARGER WE HAD BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT TAKE ANY ADDITIONAL CHARGE EVEN THOUGH NOT FULLY CHARGED. THREE DAYS LATER, WE RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT AND WERE TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. OUR OVERARCHING CONCERN IS SAFETY, AS THERE IS NO WARNING AS TO WHEN THE CAR WILL SHUT DOWN.

NHTSA complaint #11374102 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING ON A FREEWAY, THE ENGINE STARTED LOSING POWER AND WOULD NOT REACT TO THE GAS PEDAL. IN ADDITION, THE GEAR SHIFT WOULD NOT CHANGE WHEN I TRIED TO CHANGE IT FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL. THE CAR WOULD PURPOSELY BE SLOWED DOWN BY THE ENGINE AS IT WAS STUCK IN DRIVE POSITION. THE CREATED A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS IT WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL CAR TO MOVE IT INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. AFTER PULLING OVER, SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE AND VENTS. I WAS THEN UNABLE TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AS THE POWER BUTTON WOULD NOT REACT WHEN PRESSED. PER THE DEALERSHIP, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS WAS CLOGGED AND OVERHEATED SO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE OXYGEN SENSOR. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED IN A CAR THAT IS ONLY 1.5 YEARS OLD AND CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE FREEWAY.

NHTSA complaint #11317504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

MY CAR ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN ON STOP AT RED LIGHT IN AN INTERSECTION AND THEN HAPPEN AGAIN DURING DRIVING ON THE CITY STREET THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AGAIN AND UNABLE TO RESTART. THE DASHBOARD SHOWED MESSAGE OF 'SHIFT TO PARKING TO START' HAD TO TOW THE CAR TO DEALER. ANOTHER EXPERIENCE WITH ENGINE SHUT DOWN WAS ON THE FREEWAY OF 210 BUT ENGINE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER TURN OFF THE CAR FOR FEW MINUTES.

NHTSA complaint #11316107 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.