2019 Chrysler Pacifica

On July 22, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened investigation PE22-008 regarding complaints alleging a loss of motive power condition potentially due to a transmission malfunction in Model Years 2019-2021 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV).  On January 17, 2023, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) issued safety recall (NHTSA Recall 23V-010) involving 2017-2023 Model Years (MY) Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) produced between August 12, 2016, through January 9, 2023. The recall states that the loss of motive power condition in these vehicles is caused by an internal transmission wiring connector that may short circuit, resulting in an unexpected engine shutdown.  An unexpected engine shutdown can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.  In discussions with FCA on Recall 23V-010, ODI confirmed the recall was related to investigation PE22-008.  The remedy for 23V-010 is to update the Power Inverter module (PIM) and/or Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) software to provide drivers a message stating “Stop Safely - Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon” followed by a chime and MIL, PRNDL blinking (on cluster and shifter knob), low SOC (State of Charge) warning and reduced power mode.  The recall remedy does not replace the defective hardware that was described in Recall 23V-010, and the wiring connector short still exists on these vehicles. To date, ODI has received 132 reports for the population of vehicles subject to recall 23V-010.  These reports allege a loss of motive power condition that reduces the vehicles speed, followed by dashboard warning lamps displaying messages associated with recall 23V-010.  The presence of these warning lamps and messages indicates the vehicle likely had the recall remedy applied. Follow up discussions with FCA confirm their remedy does not prevent a loss of motive power, but instead limits torque to the engine and after an unspecified number of miles or period of time, the engine will shut down.  When this occurs, FCA relies on the owner to transport the vehicle to a dealership after they experience a loss of motive power condition, at which time the defective hardware is replaced.  Furthermore, the dashboard messages introduced in the recall remedy may cause the driver to pull over in an unsafe location. Pulling over in an unsafe location may expose the occupants to undue harm. The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this Recall Query (RQ) to assess the adequacy, frequency, and safety consequence of the remedy for recall 23V-010.  To review the ODI reports cited in the opening resume ODI report identification number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

On July 22, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE22008 to investigate allegation of loss of motive power, potentially due to transmission malfunction, in certain Chrysler Pacifica vehicles. In a January 17, 2023 letter to NHTSA, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) submitted recall notice 23V-010 involving a transmission motor wiring defect in 67,118 model year (MY) 2017-2023 Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) manufactured from August 12, 2016 through January 9, 2023. FCA determined that an internal transmission connector short could result in an unexpected engine shutdown under certain conditions. Follow up correspondence with FCA confirmed this defect results in an electric motor position trouble code that was the basis for opening PE22008, therefore NHTSA is closing this investigation. The 23V-010 recall remedy is a software update to address the hardware failure associated with PE22008. When a hardware failure is detected, the vehicle limits motive power while instructing the driver to pull over to a safe location. NHTSA is concerned that drivers will pull over to an unsafe location when the warning message associated with the recall remedy displays on the dashboard. Due to the nature of the recall remedy and related reports, NHTSA has opened Recall Query RQ24004 to assess the recall remedy. The reports and failure report summary values included with this closing action are related to allegations of Recall 23V-010 remedy inadequacy. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

As I pulled up to stop, in electric mode, at a stop light, the display screen pulled up a message to pull over safely because the engine would stop soon, within about 10 seconds the screen showed the engine stopped. I was still at the light. I tried restarting the vehicle, moving the shifter from drive to park and back, pressing the park button several times with no success. With cars honking behind me, I got out of the car, told them my car had died and asked them to drive around me. I got back in the car, repeated the actions a few times and the car started in electric mode. I drove home (about 5 miles) without incident. Check engine light was on. I pulled 2 codes U0412 and U029a. I have had the U0412 code a few times before with only the check engine light coming on. It would go away in a day or two (no check engine light and no code). U029a is new.

NHTSA ID

11756324

Incident

Aug 11, 2026

While driving, the vehicle began to sputter and the check engine light illuminated. A scan at a franchised dealership showed a stored code for a cylinder 4 misfire. Further diagnosis found coolant intrusion into cylinder 4, indicating internal failure of the left cylinder head and/or head gasket, allowing coolant into the combustion chamber. Upon removing the left valve cover and camshafts, the technician found a broken head gasket and a warped left cylinder head. The dealership replaced the left cylinder head, head gasket, cylinder head cover gasket, and oxygen sensor, refilled coolant, and replaced the PCV valve as a maintenance item. After repair, the vehicle was test driven and no further misfire was detected. This failure occurred at approximately 72,000 miles, low mileage for a major internal engine component, shortly after the factory powertrain warranty expired, leaving the owner responsible for the full repair cost. A misfire caused by coolant entering a cylinder can cause sudden, unexpected loss of engine power and rough running while driving, a safety concern in traffic, on highways, or when merging and passing, since reduced power can make it hard to maintain speed or accelerate out of a hazardous situation. Continued driving with undiagnosed coolant intrusion can also cause secondary engine damage, including hydrolock. The failed cylinder head and gasket were not retained by the owner; the dealership performed the repair as part of the invoiced order. The manufacturer has not independently inspected the vehicle beyond the dealership's diagnosis, photographs, and repair documentation, available on request. This appears to be a recurring issue on this engine platform, as similar cylinder head/gasket coolant intrusion failures, with matching misfire codes, have been reported by other owners of similar model-year minivans with the same engine, typically presenting in the 60,000-85,000 mile range, shortly after the factory powertrain warranty expires.

NHTSA ID

11755670

Incident

Jul 23, 2026

Dash warning came on saying safely slown and pull over, car will shut off soon. Didn't have a safe place to pull over and eventually the whole car shut down and all electronics went out no steering, no gear shifting, No way to put in park. I was lucky to be on a somewhat sife road to pull over to side do safely get the car off the road so it would not get rear ended from other cars. The warning to shut down was like 1-2 minutes. Tried turning car back on but no power anywhere. Was able to jump car with portable battery power supply, but when trying to shift the into drive to move to a safe spot, even if just into nurtal and push, all the gears (R, N, D, L) were blinking and when you turned to any position it immediately went back to park. Wait waited 10 minutes, retried and was able to get into drive. There was now a check engine light on and a P! Light. Immediately drive to closest dealership (20 miles away) with no issues and they said there were like 120 codes and they couldn't assess them as their electrician was not working and there was no other dealer or shop around to do this. I drove back to my residence and there were no errors and the check engine light and P! Light went off. This pull over and stop warning has come on periodically over the past 2onths but the car never stopped. I was always able to pull over, stop the car and restart and the warnings went away and I would not have any issues for more than a week. All batteries (main and aux are both brand new).

NHTSA ID

11755616

Incident

Aug 8, 2026

The vehicle’s braking system is not working properly. The brake pedal pumps and does not always respond correctly when pressure is applied. When backing up, the brakes pump and do not stop the vehicle as expected. While driving forward, the vehicle may continue moving even after the brake pedal is pressed. Because of this, I have to begin braking much earlier than normal and stop farther back from stoplights and other vehicles to allow enough distance for the van to finally come to a complete stop. This issue puts the driver, passengers, and others on the road at risk because the vehicle may not stop when expected. It has been extremely scary, we stopped driving the van. The exact cause is UNKNOWN but the BREAKS for sure.

NHTSA ID

11755193

Incident

Aug 3, 2026

When trying making a sudden stop at a red light the or to stop the van it will not stop it keeps going

NHTSA ID

11754161

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

Rear back up camera intermittent with blank screen and occasional message on screen “camera not available” when in reverse. Automatic backup anti colision braking not functioning when camera not showing rear picture When signaling to change lanes, audio and mirror lighted warning signal not warning adjacent vehicle in danger zone NTSB web site list July 2026 recall for 16 vehicles in model years including mine. My VIN showed no open safety recalls and Chrysler dealer does not have recall authorization to address issue

NHTSA ID

11752527

Incident

Jul 16, 2026

For a few weeks prior our windshield wipers would start and were unable to be switched off. Then would just randomly stop. Then we got completely stopped on a major road during rush-hour with my whole family in the car. The car moved itself to park at a stop light. When we were stopped, everything in the car was going haywire. FCW unavail, ABS unavail, check engine light, wipers going, couldn't use turn signals or hazard lights. I turned the car on/off multiple times to get it to work. We were stuck in the middle of a busy road above a highway with cars exiting during rush hour. Cars moving fast around me with my whole family in the car. Could have caused major accident. Chrysler dealer could not help right away. Took to own mechanic. Recreated issue, replaced Aux Battery (which should NOT have all safety features tied to it), and re-flashed 3 modules that were ruined from this. Thought this was fixed but next time out, same things started happening, but now says to service airbags as well. I will not have my family in the car with an airbag malfunction. Now saying 2-4 thousand to fix, more modules fried and ONLY the beginning. Car has only been inspected by dealer to pull codes, then mechanic. Like I said the windshield wipers were going and couldn't be controlled but no other warning lights. This did not indicate a battery failure and EVERY safety feature to be turned off. This is not designed/wired correctly and I need Chrysler to take action on this situation. My whole family could have been seriously injured and any other Chrysler with this design needs to be fixed or taken off the road.

NHTSA ID

11750195

Incident

Jun 23, 2026

The vehicle intermittently displays a "Stop Safely – Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon" warning message accompanied by a turtle icon while driving, most often at highway speeds above approximately 50 mph. There is no consistent pattern or condition that triggers the warning. When the warning appears, I must immediately attempt to pull off the roadway because the vehicle indicates it will shut down. This creates a significant safety hazard, especially on interstate highways or roads without a safe shoulder. If the vehicle is turned off and restarted, the warning message disappears, but the check engine light remains illuminated. After the next ignition cycle, the check engine light also disappears, leaving no visible indication of the problem. The issue began occurring approximately once per year but has become progressively more frequent. It now occurs almost daily. During a recent 300-mile trip, the warning appeared four separate times. It also commonly occurs twice during a 60-mile drive. The increasing frequency has made the vehicle unreliable and unsafe to operate on highways. The vehicle has been taken to an authorized Chrysler dealership. However, the dealer stated they cannot diagnose or repair the problem unless the warning is actively displayed when the vehicle arrives. Because the warning clears after restarting the vehicle, the dealer has been unable or unwilling to identify the cause or perform a repair. I also contacted Chrysler customer service. I was informed that because there is no recall related to this issue, they could only refer me back to the dealership for diagnosis under any applicable warranty coverage. This defect poses a serious safety risk because the vehicle may lose propulsion while traveling at highway speeds, requiring an emergency maneuver to reach the shoulder while surrounded by fast-moving traffic. I am concerned that this could result in a rear-end collision or other serious crash if the warning occurs where there is no safe place

NHTSA ID

11749513

Incident

Jul 3, 2026

Passive Entry O/S Dr Handle Prior to replacing an inoperative passive entry door handle, perform Star Online S2623000040.

HOSE AND TUBE - EGR COOLANT

Backup Camera Poor Image Quality Inspection

Calibration Requirements For The Power Sliding Door Module (PSDM).

Power Liftgate Intermittently Inoperative. Will Not Open/ Close. Liftgate/Hatch Ajar Message Displayed. Rev A

HEATER - ELECTRIC COOLANT