Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid transmission problems
172 of the
1,077 complaints filed about the Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid
are about the transmission —
16% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2022.
172
Complaints
16%
Share of all complaints
2
Crashes
2
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
The contact owns a 2024 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was stopped, the gear selector was twisted to select a different gear; however, the response was significantly delayed, or failed to shift into gear as intended. The contact stated that after approximately two attempts, or after waiting for several seconds, the transmission would shift into the intended gear. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200.
NHTSA complaint #11683469 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH down a winding mountain road, the message “Pull Over Immediately - Vehicle will Shut down Soon” was displayed. The contact pulled over and was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the message was displayed three times. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that a software update and transmission rebuild were needed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 70,200.
NHTSA complaint #11667607 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We were driving down the freeway at 70 mph and the vehicle displayed "Vehicle will shut off soon, pull over safely" and IMMEDIATELY lost power and the gas pedal would do nothing.
NHTSA complaint #11650449 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle lost power with no prior warning at highway speeds. Vehicle then displayed "Stop Safely Vehicle will shut off soon" message. In order to attempt a reset, driver must turn off, leave vehicle with FOB and secure vehicle. Then return to vehcile and start up in an attempt to reboot. Check engine light remained, but functioned nromally for a day. Vehicle did the same on another freeway at 70 mph, and continued with the same events above several times, some producing immediate repeat message, or other times getting a half mile down the road. Depending on availability of a shoulder or center divide, this is extremly dangerous to fail unexpectedly on the highway. In California there are freeways with over 6 lanes, try getting across 6 lanes of traffic with no power, in limp mode. Vehicle is now at dealer awaiting diagnosis and repair. I continued with the vehicle when the tow truck service via Chrysler corporate stated 60 -90 min response. My saftey was more of a concern if I had to wait that long.
NHTSA complaint #11650515 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, with the image of a turtle displayed, and the message "Vehicle Speed May Be Limited" was displayed. The contact pulled over and waited for several minutes before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to two dealers to be diagnosed; however, the contact was not provided the diagnostic results by the dealers. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Action Number: PE22008 (Power Train); for which an investigation was launched by the NHTSA to address the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.
NHTSA complaint #11646438 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated while reversing into a parking space at approximately 2 MPH, the service transmission warning light illuminated, and the transmission shift knob was flashing. The contact stated that the vehicle had ceased to move. The contact stated that the parking brake light was illuminated. The contact attempted to turn off the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to shut off. The contact attempted to shift between reverse and drive; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle finally shut off. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
NHTSA complaint #11644536 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I received a service hybrid electric vehicle system warning. Also vehicle speed may be limited warning. When I shut the vehicle off, it was loud and remained running. My safety and the safety of others were put at risk because the warning happened while I was driving and I couldn’t get speed to park in a safe location. I had my car towed to a local Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealer and they updated software related to my car that was the source of the problem. They also told me the battery completely drained. The recall was due to a faulty PCM that the recall was for. You can see in the invoice the problem I communicated to the manufacturer before they diagnosed my vehicle. You can see clearly the vehicle was still active even after shutting off, likely causing the battery to drain completely. And due to the faulty PCM, it failed to tell the systems to shut down. Chrysler is giving me $100 for the tow. But they say the battery is out if basic warranty so will not reimburse me the $650 or so for the battery. My argument is that it doesn’t matter if the battery is out if basic warranty as the draining of it was a direct result of the recall and failed PCM. There is case law that supports the fact that If a recall-related defect (such as a faulty PCM) directly causes a secondary failure (e.g., battery damage), the manufacturer still bears responsibility, as the defect rendered the vehicle unfit for normal use.
NHTSA complaint #11638995 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
this weekend my wife was driving my kids home from out of town and was on the highway when she got a warning that said "Stop Safely, Vehicle will shut off soon". we were able to get home and I scheduled the van to be looked at by the dealership. today the dealership was able to look at the van and told me that the code while stored as no longer showing as active and that they could not help me. they told me the best thing for me to do was to continue driving and bring it back when the warning comes back, or the vehicle does completely lose power. I tried to explain to them my understanding of the situation, that there were issues with vans stopping unexpectedly and suddenly in a way that was unsafe. the recall (03A/NHTSA 23V-010) was not a fix to the underlying issue but merely provided ample warning to safely get the van off the road. I feel like the instructions I was given are a direct disregard for the recall in place. basically ignoring the warning that was put in place and asking me to continue driving until the event that triggered the recall happens anyway. This all seems to be confirmed by the NHTSA investigation that was started February of last year (Investigation: RQ24004 ) that confirms that the solution to the recall did nothing to stop the event, but only provided a better warning.
NHTSA complaint #11636342 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving on the interstate in heavy traffic car displayed "Stop Safely - Vehicle will shut off soon" power was reduced and van started slowing down. Turning the vehicle off and on again cleared the problem. Dealer installed a software update and informed us the issue was corrected. Problem persists, happened again at interstate speeds in traffic. Vehicle is now again in the shop for diagnosis.
NHTSA complaint #11633717 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driving on the freeway going roughly 70 MPH, on electrical power, and several instances (XXX, XXX, XXX, XXX, XXX) the dashboard displayed 'Stop Safely, Vehicle will Shut Off Soon' with a red turtle icon, also known as Limp Mode. In all instances we were able to safely maneuver over to the shoulder, turn off the engine for 1-2 minutes, and turn the vehicle back on. In most instances, the Check Engine light remained for a period of time (sometimes just a few hours, others a day). I have taken the vehicle in to 2 separate Chrysler dealerships. The first at CDJR of Los Angeles, who sent a STAR team and was unable to diagnose/replicate the issue, so they claim the issue had been solved. The second at CDJR of LAX where they replaced the Power Inverter Module (and also tightened a loose nut, which was another safety concern). Since both of those visits, the issue has persisted, including the loose nut which made a clunk sound every time when accelerating. This is a serious safety concern. I have spoken with Stelantis, and they refuse to take responsibility to resolve the issue. They only provide the robotic response that 'since the dealer cannot replicate the issue, they cannot do anything.' Complete [XXX]. The dealer has acknowledge error code P0843 in my vehicle, but currently it is not 'active', whatever that means. This is a serious problem that needs to be fixed! This is a good vehicle when it works. I love the PHEV that after 2 years, I only have 16k miles, and most of my miles, as my daily driver, are on electric power. But the issue with this error are severe. Chrysler was aware that there were cars stopping without prior notification, so their solution was updating the software so the system would have these notifications to alert the driver. What baloney! That does fix the issue! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11632057 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hello. Writing to you about a serious safety concern on my 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Overnight, I had it parked in my driveway, and this morning, I found it had rolled down the driveway. In addition, because it was plugged in charging overnight, the movement of my van rolling, caused it to pull on the cord and ultimately snapping my charging port. Fortunately,no one was walking at that time as you could understand the concern this would be if this had been the case and my van would’ve harmed someone. I checked my cameras, and it shows the van beginning to slowly roll on its own around 9:40pm until it reaches the end of my driveway. I believe the only reason it did not go any further is because our sidewalk is a bit raised where it meets the end of the driveway, which stopped it from sliding even further than it did. I would like to see if this is a known issue and if not make it aware as this is a serious concern to the public. Also what steps can I take to Chrysler to fix this issue, I don’t feel comfortable now with the car sitting idle in the driveway with kids playing. Also corrected steps to repair the damage to my car. I contacted the dealer and have an appointment scheduled for Friday 12/27/2024. Please see images of damage and start and finish of where the car was and lastly ended up. Please feel free to contact me about this.
NHTSA complaint #11632172 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving on a road, vehicle came to a sudden stop and began bucking wildly. Dash indicator said to place vehicle in park, but gear selector knob was unresponsive the first few tries, but was eventually successful. Attempted to put in drive to move from roadway and vehicle began bucking again, bucking continued regardless of gear selected. Attempted to place vehicle in neutral for tow truck, and bucking continued in neutral. Two children and two adults were placed in danger when the vehicle came to a sudden stop on a road and could not be moved. Big O Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram at 2645 Laurens Rd Greenville, SC 29607 received the vehicle for warranty repair. Big O was advised that the issue was likely a transmission failure common to this model and trim of vehicle. Big O's service technician replaced the fuel pump control module, which is a relatively low cost repair compared to servicing or replacing the faulty transmission. This repair was unrelated to the transmission failure and unlikely to resolve the issue. Big O returned the vehicle to the owner and the transmission issues continued in their parking lot. By returning the vehicle in an unrepaired state, Big O placed the safety of the driver in danger by clearing her to drive an unrepaired and unsafe vehicle on public roads.
NHTSA complaint #11631358 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
Driving on highway in hybrid mode, van lost engine power and coasts to a stop in traffic. Dashboard light says Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon. The engine is effectively off with no motive power available. This happened 4 times in a row over the course of 1.5 hrs on [XXX] from Virginia to North Carolina! We were nearly killed by traffic trying to clear the roadway with no power from the engine whatsoever. Completely unacceptable! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11625907 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving on the interstate, we heard a warning chime and a warning about the engine shutting off was displayed, along with the check engine light and a turtle icon, and the vehicle lost engine power. It was just coasting, which made it difficult to get to the shoulder in multiple lanes of heavy traffic. We called emergency roadside assistance who told us it was in limp mode and called for a tow truck. According to the dealership, a sensor in the transmission has malfunctioned and the entire transmission will need to be replaced. This appears to be the same issue for which these vehicles were recalled, so whatever repair Chrysler has done is clearly not effective. Our vehicle was purchased new, after the recall service had been done.
NHTSA complaint #11625652 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Van engine failed during driving. This is a known issue by Chrysler and they will not repair the underlying problem - this is related to a prior recall. Instead, it only suggested replacing the battery which is a temporary fix. Separately, this van has a pending recall due to a fire risk. Unable to use the plug-in hybrid function of the van nor park it in a garage due to the recall issue. It has been almost four months since the recall notice without any news of when Chrysler will fix this problem. I requested a buy back due to the inherent risk of severe injury from simply being inside this van but was denied.
NHTSA complaint #11625196 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After three separate incidents of stalling on the freeway, with multiple lights and chimes coming up on the dashboard, I got the car to the dealership. It needs a new transmission. The car has 25k miles on it.
NHTSA complaint #11624553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle check engine light came on preventing state inspection, at same time message on dash states "service charging system" . Using the oem charger 120v. Many complaints online say clear the code and power cycle the circuit and charger. Did both and code persists. Battery not charging affecting fuel economy and raising emissions above the stated usage average due to no battery assist. Try clearing codes no luck. OBD code P0d27 is permanent. Try using OEM level Opus access, factory tech says its a known issue, Tried clearing code no luck. This defect could cause vehicle to have no electric propulsion causing stall if gas engine died and lead to a collision. This defect should be recalled and corrected with a module or software update so generic scan tool or automatic monitor resets upon removal and replug of charging cable. Dealer tech says the IDCM is the cause. 30625 miles. This is causing higher than expected emissions, gas costs, and possible accident risk.
NHTSA complaint #11623036 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V536000 (Hybrid Propulsion System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where unknown repairs were completed at the contact's expense. No further information was provided. 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. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11622410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact rented a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated that while her son was driving 75 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the vehicle decelerated to 3 MPH. In addition, the contact stated that an unknown warning light indicating to stop the vehicle and stop driving was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving on a busy highway while driving out of state. The contact stated that when the failure occurred, it was such a scary situation. The contact contacted the Budget Rental Cars where the vehicle was rented. The contact stated that a replacement vehicle was provided. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
NHTSA complaint #11621339 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.