2017 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electrical Problems

The car's lithium batteries caught fire to the point of smoldering. This happened at the end of the charge cycle. The car was parked in our garage and if the fire department did not come to help, the fire could have intensified and burned down our whole house. We are very thankful we caught it so quickly. No warnings or issues were apparent with the vehicle when it was parked and put on the charger.

NHTSA ID

11558139

Incident

Dec 2, 2023

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - Internal charging system or vehicle battery pack malfunctioned & caught fire. Vehicle is available for inspection now, but not sure about when it is removed from our property. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - It was a big fire! Close to structures, vehicles & dry foliage – super lucky it didn't spread. Smoke was very noxious and affected our entire neighborhood. Neighbors have reported respiratory irritation since the fire. I now have a cough, burning throat and headaches. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? - There's a burned out van at the end of my driveway... specific instance of this problem does not need confirmation Similar issues are reported on the internet. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? - Not yet. Chrysler says it'll take 2-3 days for issue to be "escalated". Insurance is sending someone. Fire department HazMat crew verified that the battery pack is now "cold" but toxic chemicals are a public safety hazard. Oakland Fire incident #[XXX]. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - July 2022 the vehicle refused to charge & displayed a "turtle" icon. Took it to the dealer and told of the charging/fire recall. Stopped charging until all the recall parts were available which wasn't until August 2023. After repair, we were told the car was OK & it was safe to resume charging the car. Other details: - The vehicle caught fire while charging, engulfed in flames, had to be extinguished by Fire department, total loss. Car plugged in at ~4:30pm and we heard a "pop" at ~8:20pm. So the battery had reached 100%. Ran out and there was small fire dripping from middle underside of the car– quickly spread & consumed the entire car INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF I

NHTSA ID

11553283

Incident

Nov 1, 2023

The vehicle's high voltage battery was being charged using a Siemens VG2 EVSE when an arcing sound was noticed and burning smell and smoking was seen. Looking back at our home energy monitor, it appears to have been arcing for close to an hour without any warnings being thrown until shortly after being noticed. The car did eventually show a charging system error, but the charging didn't stop until I physically unplugged it. The L1 pin on the vehicle and the EVSE showed scorch marks and damage from the arcing, but thankfully it was caught before a fire happened.

NHTSA ID

11523391

Incident

Apr 27, 2023

We had the FCA Recall #Z11, NHTSA Recall #22V-077 repaired on this vehicle. One week later, the plug-in hybrid Pacifica was parked in the garage, plugged in but done charging. In the middle of the night, the battery spontaneously combusted. We heard a loud boom sound and found the car smoldering and emitting significant amounts of smoke. The car then burst into flames. The fire department soaked the car with water but it continued to reignite for approximately two hours despite the fire department’s best efforts to extinguish the fire. The car was completely destroyed. It also caused significant chemical smoke damage to our garage and home. As soon as we found it smoking, we rolled it out of the garage, which saved our house from catching on fire. Luckily our children were not in or next to the car at the time the battery combusted. There were no warning signs in the car prior to this incident. The vehicle has been inspected by insurance and is available for further inspection. At least two members of the family experienced adverse health consequences following the smoke exposure.

NHTSA ID

11496917

Incident

Nov 23, 2022

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the parking brake inadvertently engaged and the passenger's and driver's side rear sliding doors were unable to unlock. The contact disconnected the battery to correct the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.

NHTSA ID

11486752

Incident

Aug 1, 2021

Mileage

66,000 mi

Risk of Fire and no information forthcoming as to remedy. Recall was first advised in February. If the vehicle is defective then it either needs to be fixed or bought back by the manufacturer. If it isn’t then retract the recall. Do something.

NHTSA ID

11482668

Incident

Sep 2, 2022

Recall Z11 was announced in early February 2022 due to fire risk which prompted Chrysler to issue a recommendation that owners not charge their plug-in hybrid Pacifica Hybrids and to park them outside until the fix was completed. More than six months have passed without subsequent update to resolve this recall, and not only is no part or remedy identified, the underlying cause has yet to be identified. This is after two previous recalls, U94 in October 2018 and W46 in June 2020, which were also announced by Chrysler due to fire risk for the Pacifica Hybrid. Chrysler's guidance of parking the vehicle outside and not plugging it in to charge is unsatisfactory and illogical. The normal operation of the plug-in hybrid system leads to the gasoline engine and regenerative braking charging the high-voltage battery during its "Hybrid Mode" operation even when the vehicle has not been plugged in to charge the high-voltage battery. Based upon other recent fire risk recalls related to vehicles with high-voltage batteries such as the Chevrolet Bolt EV--which has led to numerous manufacturer repurchases and complete battery replacement for all affected models--Chrysler's response is neither timely nor sufficient. It is past time that definitive resolution be provided to owners of vans that have already been affected by two prior fire risk recalls and now have been waiting six months with recommendation to not use the vehicle as designed, marketed, and advertised at the time of sell. Given the unresolved nature of recall Z11, I request action be taken to require manufacturer buybacks of the affected products at this time.

NHTSA ID

11481107

Incident

Feb 11, 2022

I received a letter from Chrysler instructing not to charge Pacifica hybrid and to park it away from the house because they have experienced several fire. I paid a high price to purchase a plug in hybrid, and when gas prices are at their highest, I am unable to use the electric battery. Most of my driving is done within range of the battery and not being able to charge and use it is very costly.

NHTSA ID

11478095

Incident

Feb 14, 2022

Recall was issued February 18, 2022. Have not been able to park in garage or plug in charger since recall. Numerous calls and letters and emails have resulted in nothing but sympathy. This recall is definitely not being handled in a timely manner! This idiocy needs to get more attention….quickly!

NHTSA ID

11477414

Incident

Feb 18, 2022

Fire recall is over 6 months old. No word on a fix from Chrysler. I can't charge or park near house due to possible fire from battery. Fix it or buy the car back! The vehicle is a plug in hybrid. Before the recall we would charge every day and fill up the tank every 2-3 months. Now we fill every week. Help.

NHTSA ID

11476975

Incident

Feb 11, 2022

My car simply did not start One day in my driveway. It was towed to the dealership in early May 2022 and continues to be there. Here is the recall information. Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Summary A vehicle may experience a fire potentially originating in the center of the vehicle underbody with the ignition in the "OFF" mode. Safety Risk A vehicle fire can result in increased risk of occupant injury and/or injury to persons outside the vehicle, as well as property damage. Remedy FCA US will conduct a voluntary safety recall on all affected vehicles. Remedy is under development. Until further notice, the Company is advising owners of these hybrid vehicles to refrain from recharging them, and to park them away from structures and other vehicles

NHTSA ID

11475903

Incident

May 6, 2022

My vehicle has had an open recall since February for a fire risk with the battery. It is now late July, and there is still no remedy available. The only recommendation is to park the vehicle outside and refrain from recharging it. That recommendation is understandable over the short term, but the recall has now been open for too long, and there has been no communication, update, or most importantly a repair from the manufacturer, which is why I would like to register a complaint to NHTSA.

NHTSA ID

11475663

Incident

Feb 15, 2022

Manufacturer has failed to remedy Mfg Recall Z11, NHTSA Recall 22V-077 in a timely manner. Recall letters were issued February 11, 2022 and no remedy is as yet available. This recall prohibits customers from charging the vehicle at the risk of fire, which in turn results in extremely poor mileage during a time when gasoline prices have been soaring. If there has been any time during which the ownership and use of a hybrid vehicle is needed, now is the time given the high prices of fuel. When will a remedy be made available? If one is not forthcoming, then customers should be reimbursed their losses incurred by the low mph results and high fuel prices.

NHTSA ID

11474823

Incident

Feb 11, 2022

The recall for the vehicle catching fire was issued 22 weeks ago and there is still no remedy. The only option Chrysler is offering is for us to pay over 3 grand a month for a rental and to submit for possible reimbursement each month. I cannot pay over $3,000 a month for a rental vehicle in the hopes of receiving reimbursement which still would not solve that our vehicle is parked right outside one of our bedrooms and it possibly catching fire and burning the house down with it, worries me!! I have four children, I can't just go buy a 3-seated car. They really need to come up with a remedy as of yesterday. How long do they have to provide a remedy for such a dangerous recall? Any help would be much appreciated. There was no accident.. it keeps asking me for that information..

NHTSA ID

11474127

Incident

Jul 15, 2022

Recall has no solution after months of waiting. I have warnings on dash to service charging system. This is not a fix for the problem. I do not feel safe driving this without the repair. The car has under 18,000 miles on it. I need this bought back by Chrysler so I can get a car that works.

NHTSA ID

11470544

Incident

Mar 1, 2022

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated that while turning either left or right, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V348000 (Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V077000 (Hybrid Propulsion System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 approximately 62,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11469522

Incident

Jun 6, 2022

Mileage

62,000 mi

still no response from any of my local chrysler dealers on the recall and when the fix will be be available. now the service charging unit warning light comes on dashboard

NHTSA ID

11467118

Incident

Jun 2, 2022

There have been multiple recalls on this vehicle where issues can be fires. MOPAR/Chrysler, in each incident, has advised not to charge our vehicle or even park inside. The latest recall occurred at the beginning of 2022 and there still isn't a remedy. I will be on orders for the US Gov't and now I can't take my car overseas because of this open recall with no remedy. Its unacceptable for us to not charge a plug-in hybrid car when that is the only reason we purchased this car. And to not park in our own garage is ridiculous. Additional costs of gas (since we shouldn't charge) as well as costs for cleanings (parking outdoors) has occurred. And now the inconvenience of figuring what I should do with this car before being deployed overseas has been a real nightmare.

NHTSA ID

11465042

Incident

Feb 11, 2022

The contact owned a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contacted stated the vehicle was parked in the garage when the battery caught on fire. The fire expanded all throughout the contacts home. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire report was not filed. The wife suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation since the fire reached her bedroom as she was sleeping. The wife was taken to the hospital for medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed as it was consumed by the fire. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.

NHTSA ID

11455096

Incident

Feb 24, 2022

Our Pacifica plug-in hybrid intermittently wouldn't start beginning in October, 2021, each time displaying a "Service Charging System" message and Check Engine light. In one case, it was on and would not shift into Park, and we got stuck ~30 miles from home, with kids, and had to arrange for pick up and transportation. After many attempts, we were able to start it and drove it to a dealership in Plymouth, MI on November 15th. It has been there since; the dealership wanted to replace the high voltage (hybrid) battery under warranty. Chrysler would not authorize this part to be ordered and directed the dealership to replace the Onboard Charging Module. That did not resolve the issue and they eventually (on December 27) ordered a new HV battery (which still has yet to arrive).

NHTSA ID

11447482

Incident

Nov 15, 2021

REPEATED, VIDEO DOCUMENTED OCCURENCES OF VEHICLE STALLING, LOSING POWER STEERING, AND LOSING ALL DRIVER-ASSIST FEATURES, TO INCLUDE TRACTION CONTROL, BLIND SPOT MONITORING, POWER STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE, ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, AIRBAGS, AND OTHER SYSTEMS. THE PROBLEM HAS REPEATEDLY OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION; HAS OCCURRED ON A HIGHWAY AS WELL AS IN PARKING LOTS. THE VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY EXHIBIT 'HAYWIRE' BEHAVIOR, WHICH INCLUDES FUEL AND POWER GAUGES RANDOMLY FLUCTUATING UP AND DOWN, AND ALL ABOVE SAFETY SYSTEM WARNINGS INTERMITTEDLY INDICATING THEY ARE OFFLINE. IN EXTREME SCENARIOS, POWER STEERING WILL BE LOST. ADDITIONALLY, IN ONCE SCENARIO, THE 'HAYWIRE' BEHAVIOR PRECLUDED THE ABILITY TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF WITHOUT RESORTING TO DISCONNECTING HARD-WIRE BATTERY CONNECTIONS. MULTIPLE VIDEOS HAVE BEEN MADE DOCUMENTING THE BEHAVIOR. PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO RESOLVE WITH MANUFACTURER RESORTED IN NO CORRECTIVE ACTION DUE TO 'FAILURE TO DUPLICATE' THE ISSUE, DESPITE HAVING VIDEO SHOWING THE OCCURRENCE. ORIGINALLY BROUGHT TO DEALER AND NHTSA ATTENTION IN 2020 (NHTSA COMPLAINT #11292415). DEALER HAS DONE NOTHING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE AND IN THE PAST WEEK THE ISSUE HAS RECURRED, NOW MORE CONSISTENTLY THAN THE INCIDENT PREVIOUSLY REPORTED. WITHIN THE PAST WEEK, THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED TWICE, RESULTING IN COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE "HAYWIRE" BEHAVIOR CONTINUES, WITH PERSISTENT WARNINGS AND LOSS OF ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS, AND THE "HAYWIRE" BEHAVIOR INCREASES DISTRACTIONS BY IMPOSING FALSE BLINDSPOT WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS AND INTERMITTENTLY CHANGING BRIGHTNESS OF THE ENTIRE ELECTRONIC DISPLAYS AT RANDOM, AS WELL AS PERSISTENT AND INTERMITTENT LOSS OF FUNCTIONALITY OF ESSENTIAL SAFETY SYSTEMS, INCLUDING AIRBAGS AND OTHER DRIVER SAFETY FEATURES. VIDEOS OF THE BIZARRE, "HAYWIRE BEHAVIOR" ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

11406365

Incident

Mar 26, 2021

Mileage

33,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST POWER/STALLED. POWER STEERING LOST, ALL ACCELERATION AND POWER ASSISTED BRAKING. INDICATOR LIGHTS FOR VARIETY OF SYSTEMS LIGHT UP. PULL OVER TO SIDE AND RESTART VEHICLE. VEHICLE EXHIBITS "HAYWIRE" BEHAVIOR, WITH INDICATORS FOR ALL SYSTEMS, INCLUDING TRACTION CONTROL TIRE PRESSURE, BATTERY, HYBRID ELECTRIC SYSTEM, PARKING BRAKE, ETC.GOING OFF. A SHORT VIDEO WAS TAKEN OF THIS BEHAVIOR WHEN RESTART WAS ATTEMPTED AFTER THE STALL. VEHICILE FAILS TO RESTART. AFTER ADDITIONAL TRY, VEHICLE STARTS, AND TRACTION CONTROL AND SOME OTHER SYSTEMS REMAIN NON FUNCTIONAL. VEHICLE IS RETURNED HOME, THEN RETURNED TO DEALER, WHO ADVISES THAT VEHICLE FIRMWARE IS UP TO DATE, AND THAT THE ISSUE "CANNOT BE DUPLICATED." VEHICLE WAS UP TO DATE ON PREVIOUS RECALLS RELATING TO STALLS. THE STALL WAS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS, AND DEALER DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM IS. WE HAVE BEEN SENT AWAY, BEING TOLD TO RETURN THE VEHICLE IF PROBLEM SHOWS UP AGAIN. WE DO NOT FEEL THAT VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE, AND DEALER HAS DONE NOTHING TO ADDRESS OR DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. THE ISSUE CAME AFTER SOME OTHER ISSUES WITH VEHICLE SOMETIMES INDICATING THAT AIRBAGS NEED SERVICE, OR NOT RECOGNIZING THAT SEATBELTS WERE BUCKLED. I BELIEVE THE ISSUE TO BE RELATED TO PROBLEMS WITH COMPUTER FIRMWARE GOVERNING THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11292415

Incident

Dec 28, 2019

Mileage

16,240 mi

WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR DISABLED RADIO AND NAVIGATION TO PUT UP AN ALERT TO SCHEDULE A SOFTWARE UPDATE. ATTEMPTING TO DISMISS THIS ALERT BY SELECTING A TIME RESULTED IN THE ALERT COMING BACK. WHEN I HIT 'CANCEL' TO BLOCK THE UPDATE, THE VEHICLE DECIDED TO PERFORM A SOFTWARE UPDATE WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE CREATED AN REOCCURRING DRIVER DISTRACTION, AND THEN UNSAFELY PERFORMED A SOFTWARE UPDATE WHILE DRIVING, DURING WHICH IT DISABLED EMERGENCY SERVICES.

NHTSA ID

11267559

Incident

Oct 9, 2019

Mileage

11,500 mi

ON THREE SEPERATE OCCASIONS OVER THE PAST FIVE MONTHS, I HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME ISSUE. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 75-80MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WITH 32-44% LIFE ON THE HYBRID BATTERY, THE VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. A MESSAGE COMES UP ON THE CLUSTER THAT I MUST PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK TO DRIVE. THE ACCELERATOR DOES NOTHING AND POWER STEERING IS LOST. I MUST COAST OFF THE HIGHWAY. ONCE PARKED, THE VEHICLE IS IN A STATE THAT CANNOT BE TURNED ON/OFF. THE VEHICLE START BUTTON SHOWS THAT THE VEHICLE IS ON, BUT THE ENGINE IS STILL OFF. ALL OTHER ELECTRONICS IN CAR LIKE STEREO AND BLUETOOTH WORK AS THE CENTER TOUCHSCREEN REMAINS ACTIVE. TOUCHING THE START BUTTON MAKES THIS FLICKER TO OFF, BUT IT IMMEDIATELY RETURNS TO THIS STATE. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE CHRYSLER DEALER TWICE ALREADY AND CURRENTLY IS THERE FOR A THIRD TIME TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, BUT THEY HAVE NO SOLUTION. THIS IS DEADLY!

NHTSA ID

11235056

Incident

Jul 21, 2019

Mileage

30,689 mi

ON FRIDAY, 7/12, WHILE MY WIFE, [XXX] ALONG WITH MY 5 CHILDREN, WERE SITTING AT A STOPLIGHT IN OLATHE, KS NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF 119TH AND BLACKBOB , SHE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AS THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND SHE ACCELERATED FORWARD, TURNING WEST ONTO 119TH ST. WITHIN SECONDS OF THE LIGHT TURNING GREEN, FLAMES WERE NOTICED COMING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SECTION OF THE CAR. MY WIFE QUICKLY PULLED TO THE SIDE OF 119TH ST, ABOUT 50 YARDS TO THE WEST OF THE INTERSECTION WITH BLACKBOB. SHE PROCEEDED TO HELP ALL 5 KIDS FROM THE VEHICLE AND AS THEY WERE RUNNING AWAY, THE VEHICLE EXPLODED INTO A FIREBALL. THE TOTAL TIME FROM HER SEEING SMOKE TO THE FIREBALL WAS LESS ABOUT 4 MINUTES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

11233211

Incident

Jul 12, 2019

Mileage

44,500 mi