2020 Chrysler Pacifica Problems

Intermittent power steering loss, when I turn van off and back on and go in reverse it stops sometimes.

I purchased my 2020 Chrysler Pacifica in January 2020. By April 2021, I began experiencing ongoing issues that have never been fully resolved. In the six years I have owned this vehicle, I have gone through six batteries. The vehicle has stalled in the middle of the road and, at other times, has failed to start altogether. The vehicle also does some jolting randomly which can be very harsh to the passengers inside. I specifically purchased this vehicle because of its safety features, as I have young children. Unfortunately, these repeated failures have left me feeling unsafe and concerned about the reliability of the vehicle. Each time I have brought the Pacifica to the dealership, the battery has been replaced or recharged and I have been told the issue was fixed. However, within six months to a year, the same problem returns and the vehicle is back in the shop. The issue has occurred again, and I am at a loss as to what to do next. It is clear that there is an underlying problem that has not been properly diagnosed or repaired. After six years of recurring breakdowns and unsuccessful repair attempts, I have been unable to fully enjoy or rely on this vehicle. I am requesting that this matter be taken seriously and that a thorough investigation be conducted to permanently resolve this ongoing issue. Given the repeated repair history and the safety concerns involved, I believe this situation warrants immediate attention.

Head gasket is cracked causing cylinder 5 to misfire and burned up coolant in the engine causing the engine to overheat while driving and put safety of driver and passengers in danger while vehicle was traveling at high speeds.

car goes into park while driving

On October 7, 2024, my vehicle was serviced at Coastal Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram for a front-end rubbing/scrubbing noise that increased with speed. The dealer diagnosed both front hub assemblies as failed and replaced both front hub assemblies. I was charged a total of $2184.41 for the repairs, including parts and labor. In less than two years, I again experienced significant front-end noise and safety concerns. On May 19, 2026, because I urgently needed the vehicle and was unable to obtain a timely appointment with the dealership, I took the vehicle to a well-regarded independent repair facility, Koala Automotive Repair LLC. Their findings were extremely concerning. The mechanic documented that: The front wheel bearing was completely worn out. The axle had ripped due to contact with the strut assembly. Bolts on the hub bearing assembly were “very loose” and reportedly “finger loose” The vehicle owner stated that the hubs had recently been replaced by the dealership The independent mechanic further advised that the components replaced in October 2024 should still have been under dealer warranty, and that the second repair involved the same components and directly related failures. I am deeply concerned that: Components replaced by the dealer failed again prematurely; The loose hub bearing assembly bolts may indicate improper installation or insufficient torque procedures during the prior dealer repair; and The subsequent failure created additional damage to the CV axle and related front-end components. This situation caused: Significant unexpected repair expenses: I had to spend a total of $1,932.71 for the second repair. Loss of use of the vehicle. Safety concerns for myself and my passengers. Additiona

The start/stop system fails while car is running. Power not delivered appropriately resulting in check engine light coming on and entire car shaking. Only 62k miles. Started at 58k.

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at higher speeds and attempting to veer over to the left or right, the steering wheel failed to return to center. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Driving down a road, Power Steering warning light came on, and the power steering went completely out. My wife was driving, and is not strong enough to steer manually. She was able to partially get off the road to stop. Needed other drivers to help get it off the road. We had it towed to a repair shop, and they said the electronic components replaced and only the dealerships do it. Made an appointment and will have to pay to have it towed to the dealership

Backup camera goes in and out and then blue.

Back up camera works intermittently and freezes or shows incorrect image. Wife almost backed into another car/family because the camera froze showing a clear driveway when there actually was a car there. We have an appoint with the dealership next week to investigate. Has not been inspected by police or insurance. No warning lights or messages came.

When driving on highway, electrical system started beeping and showing various signals, could no longer keep speed or accelerate. Had to put on warning lights and coast to side of road with four small kids in car. Was able to pull off to side and slowly get to safe location by resting vehicle in between events. When fully charged, didn’t seem to have issue so was able to drive to dealer. Thought was related to engine switching from electric to gas power. Dealer checked and performed two software updates. On way home from dealer, same problem occurred on highway. Super dangerous to loose all acceleration or same speed on highway! I got a video of second event as I was a passenger and my husband was driving. But as can see in video the car has a charge so the incident is not related to the switch from electric to gas power. Now we are very concerned whether Chrysler has the means to fix this at all and or whether the dealership will be actually able to identify the issue given the car was literally being driven home from the dealer. Attaching photos but have a full video. First time happened on April 4, 2026. Second on April 16, 2026

The hybrid propulsion system on my 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid has repeatedly failed, resulting in sudden and complete loss of power while driving at highway speeds. The vehicle enters full limp mode, displays a red turtle warning light, and the motor cuts out entirely, creating a serious collision risk. The failure occurs without warning and has happened on multiple occasions. The root cause has been traced through escalating component failures: first the Power Inverter Module (PIM) was found to have an internal failure disabling regenerative braking and causing the motor to cut out; subsequently the battery charging module was found to be failing, causing the high-voltage battery to drain to 0% and stall the vehicle. Both components were replaced by an authorized Stellantis dealership under warranty. Despite replacement of the PIM, the charging module, and ultimately the transmission, the defect has not been resolved. The vehicle has been confirmed defective by the authorized dealer on each visit and has been subject to a STAR (engineering escalation) case with Stellantis. Warning symptoms include the red turtle warning light, check engine light, and sudden power loss. The vehicle has been out of service for cumulative warranty repairs exceeding 130 days, including a continuous period exceeding 90 days. The vehicle remains unrepaired and in dealer custody as of the date of this filing. The dealer has confirmed the defect on each visit and has conducted multiple rounds of diagnostic testing and component replacement, none of which have restored safe and reliable operation. The component failures are available for inspection upon request.

Third row randomly closes on my kids who are buckled in them. I've reported this to the dealer shortly after getting my van in 2021. Brought it back to them twice where they found "no problem", then I made an additional report here last year after it closed on them an excessive amount of times and I felt helpless. I was forced to move the child who was sitting in the back to front seat after it closed on them multiple times in one ride. A head on collision occurred a few miles down the road with my child in front seat. He was injured more than he should have ever been, due to needing to be moved from the rear of the van. Furious Chrysler did not take my previous complaints more seriously.

Steering wheel gets stuck in place when making wide turns and especially curves on winding roads. You have to jerk steering wheel out of what feels like a locked/stuck position. Power steering light (lamp) comes on with noise but immediately turns off. Power steering light has been coming on and off inconsistently starting in 2023. I have many videos/pictures of light on. It has never stayed on for long enough time to get it to dealer still lit and I do not have money for the diagnostic testing that dealer says they require just to have said dealer look at it and tell me they can't replicate the problem therefore there is no problem. I've been terrified of it overcorrecting itself when coming out of the stuck position while at high speeds or on narrow high elevation roads resulting in a serious accident injuring or killing myself and my family or someone else on the roadways. Back seat (3rd row) driver side half folds itself down at random times without indication. It has trapped my kids several times, which makes me worry for their safety/suffication when we have to use that seat. It tends to happen more when the temperature is cold outside. This began before 65k miles. I took it to dealer for inspection and they called it a user error. This is not a user error and has happened more than 50 times in 4 years. Nothing is stored under the seat and no buttons were within access to children any of the times the seat malfunctioned and closed on my children. My 2020 Chrysler Pacifica is a true safety hazard. It is available for inspection at anytime.

On October 7, 2024, my vehicle was serviced at Coastal Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram for a front-end rubbing/scrubbing noise that increased with speed. The dealer diagnosed both front hub assemblies as failed and replaced both front hub assemblies. I was charged a total of $2184.41 for the repairs, including parts and labor. In less than two years, I again experienced significant front-end noise and safety concerns. On May 19, 2026, because I urgently needed the vehicle and was unable to obtain a timely appointment with the dealership, I took the vehicle to a well-regarded independent repair facility, Koala Automotive Repair LLC. Their findings were extremely concerning. The mechanic documented that: The front wheel bearing was completely worn out. The axle had ripped due to contact with the strut assembly. Bolts on the hub bearing assembly were “very loose” and reportedly “finger loose” The vehicle owner stated that the hubs had recently been replaced by the dealership The independent mechanic further advised that the components replaced in October 2024 should still have been under dealer warranty, and that the second repair involved the same components and directly related failures. I am deeply concerned that: Components replaced by the dealer failed again prematurely; The loose hub bearing assembly bolts may indicate improper installation or insufficient torque procedures during the prior dealer repair; and The subsequent failure created additional damage to the CV axle and related front-end components. This situation caused: Significant unexpected repair expenses: I had to spend a total of $1,932.71 for the second repair. Loss of use of the vehicle. Safety concerns for myself and my passengers. Additiona

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The vehicle stalled with the check engine light and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that there was an electrical failure in the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V010000 (Electrical System, Hybrid Propulsion System); and associated the failure with the recall. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

Back up camera works intermittently and freezes or shows incorrect image. Wife almost backed into another car/family because the camera froze showing a clear driveway when there actually was a car there. We have an appoint with the dealership next week to investigate. Has not been inspected by police or insurance. No warning lights or messages came.

The windshield fogging up is insanely unsafe. Had to pull over multiple times in rain no matter what the setting are. Recirc, hi low hot cold. Nothing makes it better. I’ve read several complaints online with the same issue

My problem started about a year ago with the auto start/stop light coming on- said it needed serviced. They replaced my auxiliary battery. Mind you, my van was only about 2.5 years old at this point (bought it brand new). So then about a month ago, same warnings. Stop/start isn’t working. I get it inspected at the dealership, they say everything is fine. Well yesterday, my van stopped emergently in the middle of an intersection. The brake engaged, couldn’t use any pedals, steering or switch gears. I had to shut my vehicle off and restart. In the middle of a busy intersection at 4pm. The auto start/stop light keeps coming on. Take it to the dealership today and they said it’s a sensor issue with my hood switch. My hood thinks it’s open so my van freaks out and stops driving. It’s a $540 fix. This is a huge safety concern. From what I read, this van has had numerous start/stop issues and sensor problems. It’s a 2020 with 62k miles. I’m glad I wasn’t on the interstate or somewhere more dangerous.

Our car was fixed for a recall 5 months ago for engine failure on the highway because of an electrical issue. On Saturday morning driving on the highway, the car's dashboard gave a warning when we driving on the highway, 70 mph, and then immediately started breaking. This caused us to be slowing in the middle lane to 45 mph and cars swerving around us. We were very lucky to be able to maneuver around traffic and safely make it to the shoulder to catch our breath. This could of been a really bad accident involving 3-8 cars. We had the car towed to a dealership and after a diagnosis, the car needed a whole new transmission. The recall was an electrical update to control wiring in the transmission but then the transmission only after 32k miles completely shut down and needs to be replaced. We are hoping this gets looked into. After reading on forums, this issue has happened multiple times. We did have the recall fixed but it seems like the recall is 100% effective. Since this is a major issue and can cause fatality or serious body injury, FCA should have a more effective update to fix this issue with the transmisson.

Driver side air bags did NOT deploy resulting in injury

Driver side airbags failed to deploy during total loss head on collision.

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the shock absorbers, radiator, and brake discs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. On another occasion, the vehicle seized to function as needed. The contact took the vehicle to the independent mechanic and the vehicle was diagnosed with timing chain failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 161,500.

FIRST COMPONENT FAILURES - Passenger sliding door: a) WHILE DRIVING, the passenger sliding door mechanism engages and attempts to open the door - the driver then sees a notification "to operate the sliding door, put the vehicle in park"; b) when parked, if the door is open and we want to close it, we can engage the closing mechanism with button or fob, but then it will not stop and re-open even if there is an obstruction; it has closed on my wife's arm and almost hurt one of the kids. One can even try to stop the door from closing with their full body weight, or the use of the door handle, and the mechanism simply continues to closure. c) when parked, if the doors are unlocked, the door will sometimes start opening and then go into a cycle of back-and-forth opening and closing for several minutes; the only way to stop it is use the button on the ceiling to turn off the automatic sliding feature. SECOND COMPONENT FAILURE: Electrical. When we return home after driving the car, and turn it off, and go inside, the dashboard lights stay activated and the message on the dash says to depress the brake pedal and push the start button. This even happens when the keys are not present and doors are locked. We put both keyfobs on the other side of the house as a test, and the vehicle appeared ready to be started. The battery dies daily. THIRD COMPONENT PROBLEM: Suspension. This is a new vehicle we had converted into a wheelchair accessible vehicle by FREEDOM MOTORS in Battle Creek, Michigan, with a rear-entry ramp. For a wheelchair passenger in the back, the ride is extremely rough and unstable (a lot of swaying on curves). The car passed Maryland State Inspection after it was delivered to us, but we doubt validity of any safety self-certification Freedom did post-conversion. See these two videos: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TUozETmOy8rN2HN9-b0AR4Vu9Y5a1CW2/view?usp=drivesdk https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dNcspXzWJyRAbBp_5s2lXli_FPLe67ss/view?usp=drivesdk

I own a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica (VIN: [XXX] ) with approximately 60,000 miles. In October 2024, corrosion began appearing on the sliding doors. Despite proper care (garage kept, washed and waxed monthly), the bubbling and corrosion worsened significantly over 11 months. Photos are timestamped and show clear progression. Two independent body shops confirmed this is premature aluminum corrosion and suggested I request goodwill coverage. On September 8, 2025, I brought the vehicle to Preston Jeep of Newark, DE, only 19 days after my factory warranty expired. Chrysler offered 58% coverage, but this defect appeared long before warranty expiration and is now more widespread than a single door. I am filing this complaint because I believe this represents a broader defect affecting Chrysler Pacifica vehicles. NHTSA has issued service alerts on aluminum corrosion for Chrysler body panels, which supports that this is not an isolated incident. This corrosion threatens the durability of the doors and could compromise safety if left untreated. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Rear passenger sliding door power lock failed. The door does not lock, leaving the door accessible even with the vehicle alarm armed.

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while stopped at a stop light, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power; however, the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact also stated that later, while driving at 40 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly hesitated and jerked before returning to normal operation. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired, and the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission control module and performed a software update as per Technical Service Bulletin: 21-043-20. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle began to forcefully jerk. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing to complete TBS: 21-043-20 (flash update transmission controller). The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience a failure. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

The vehicle is unsafe to operate and presents an immediate highway safety risk. Shortly after purchase, the vehicle experienced multiple safety-related failures. Headlights were inoperable from the time of delivery, requiring use of high beams at night to see the roadway. This created visibility and traffic safety issues from day one. Within the first month of ownership, the vehicle required towing. The vehicle is a hybrid and could not be shifted into neutral, yet it was dragged with the wheels locked during towing rather than transported on a flatbed. This caused damage to multiple systems. Following the tow, all four tires developed visible bulges consistent with being dragged while immobilized, creating a significant risk of tire blowout at highway speeds. Steering and alignment became unstable, with grinding noises and loss of predictable control. The hybrid underbody shielding was also damaged, leaving components exposed. These conditions have persisted despite repeated notice to the seller and service administrator. A repair facility has confirmed the vehicle is not safe for long-distance or highway travel. The vehicle must regularly be driven at interstate speeds, and continued operation poses a serious risk of crash or injury. The vehicle remains in service only due to lack of alternatives, despite known safety defects affecting steering, lighting, and tires.

My tire size is 245/50 R 20. At 39,106 miles I had a bulge in the side of my front passenger tire. I had the tire replaced at the dealership. The cost was covered by my extended warranty with road hazard. A month later at 40,468, I had a bulge in the rear passenger tire. I went immediately to the dealership. They did not have the Falken tires in stock or available from their suppliers. My remaining 2 tires were showing some normal wear for 40,000 miles. I made the decision to go with a different brand which would be available sooner. My warranty covered the cost of my second bulging tire. I of course had to pay for the 2 tires that were beginning to show some wear. I also chose to replace the front passenger Falken tire as well. The one that was replaced at 39,106 for a bulge in in the sidewall. I did this for 2 reasons. It is always best to have 4 tires of the same brand on a vehicle. Most importantly, I had already had 2 Falken tires develop a bulge in the sidewall. That is a failure rate of 50%. I did not feel comfortable with using Falken tires. In all my years driving, I have never had a bulge in a tire. I understand that it is usually caused by hitting potholes, driving over curbs, etc. but my driving habits are the same as before. I paid over a $1000.00 for 3 tires. Perhaps, this is not a safety issue with Falken tires that I should be reporting but I prefer erring on the side of caution. My feelings will not be hurt if you tell me I am wasting your time.

MY WIFE WAS STATIONARY AT A RED LIGHT WITH MY DAUGHTER IN THE SECOND ROW. A CAR APPROACHED THE LIGHT AND SLAMMED INTO THE BACK OF HER CAR II DON'T THINK THEY WERE SLOWING DOWN). SHE THEN HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEATBELT DID NOT FULLY ENGAGE. AS A RESULT, SHE HIT THE STEERING WHEEL CAUSING FRACTURES, A CONCUSSION AND A MINOR BRAIN BLEED.*DT*DT*DT*JB*JB *TR*TR