2021 Chrysler Pacifica Electrical Problems

The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V362000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle remained at the dealer for over 5 weeks, and the battery was disconnected. The manufacturer had not yet provided a battery for the replacement. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11755260

Incident

Aug 6, 2026

We took our 2021 Pacifica Hybrid to the dealership for Recall 52D. The first charge at home after the recall melted one of the charging "pins" in the car, and on our home Level 2 charger. Our dealership now says it's the fault of our charger, and we'll have to pay $2000+ for a repair. Our charger handle is still fine, no damage, only the "pin" is melted. For safety reasons, we can't charge the vehicle, and aren't driving it, as it's still at the dealership.

NHTSA ID

11754395

Incident

Jul 7, 2026

This 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has a severe and recurring history of catastrophic high-voltage hybrid powertrain and transmission failures that cause a sudden loss of motive power while driving, presenting an immediate safety hazard. The vehicle has already required two full automatic transmission (eFlite EVT) replacements under factory warranty due to internal failures. It has experienced multiple high-voltage component repairs, including software modules for the power inverter. The vehicle is currently experiencing a recurring failure and is displaying active diagnostic trouble code P0A78 (Drive Motor "A" Inverter Performance), indicating a critical fault in the high-voltage hybrid propulsion system. Prior to the current failure, the check engine light illuminated, and the vehicle experienced propulsion system degradation. This failure mode risks a sudden shutdown of the hybrid drive system at highway speeds, creating a severe risk of rear-end collisions or being stranded in active traffic. The recurring nature of these transmission and inverter failures indicates a systemic safety defect in the hybrid propulsion system. The issue and the active P0A78 code have been pulled, reproduced, and confirmed by an authorized dealership (Diehl Automotive of Robinson), where the vehicle is currently held and available for inspection. The manufacturer has been notified via an open corporate case (#97399722).

NHTSA ID

11753330

Incident

Jul 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V362000 (Electrical System); however, the part for the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The dealer stated that the manufacturer had approved the battery pack as a remedy, but the part had not arrived. The contact stated the dealer had the vehicle for a month due to not having the part available, even though the remedy stated that it would be available 2 - 3 days. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and redirected the contact to locate other dealers who might already have the high-voltage battery for repair in stock. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11752574

Incident

Jun 4, 2026

The High Voltage (HV) Battery System and associated safety isolation circuits failed. Specifically, the vehicle experienced faults with the High Voltage System Interlock Circuit (HVIL), the High Voltage Service Disconnect, and the Hybrid/EV Battery System Precharge circuit. The vehicle is currently located at a manufacturer dealership and is available for inspection. The failure of the high-voltage interlock and precharge circuits compromises the vehicle's electrical isolation safety mechanisms. This poses an immediate risk of a sudden loss of motive power. Additionally, because these faults are rooted in the high-voltage battery system—a system actively under federal scrutiny and manufacturer recalls for thermal runaway—the failure presents a severe risk of spontaneous vehicle fire, endangering occupants, bystanders, and nearby structures. Yes. The failure was initially recorded by an independent diagnostic scan tool, which pulled several confirmed high-voltage fault codes. The vehicle was then taken to a certified manufacturer dealership, where it has been held in the service department for a month. The dealership has confirmed the presence of a severe system failure and initiated repairs costing at least $1800 (with final costs still potentially increasing). Yes. The vehicle is currently in the possession of, and being inspected by, technicians at a certified manufacturer dealership. Yes, the vehicle's onboard diagnostic system detected severe faults and registered the following confirmed trouble codes: * P0B37 - High Voltage Service Disconnect Open * P0C77 - Hybrid/EV Battery System Precharge Time Too Short * P1AE2 - Battery Energy Control Module High Voltage System Interlock Circuit * P0A0A - High Voltage System Interlock Circuit

NHTSA ID

11749857

Incident

May 15, 2026

My 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has a recurring hybrid/electrical defect that causes the accelerator to lose all power while driving, leaving the vehicle unable to accelerate or respond to throttle input. The vehicle remains “on,” but it cannot move under its own power and must be coasted or pulled over immediately. This has happened in traffic, including with children in the vehicle. The dealer confirmed fault code P1A21‑00 and documented that the high‑voltage system can lose its loop connection, which results in a no‑propulsion condition. They also found the HVIL high‑voltage connector loose and damaged. The vehicle was in the shop for 18 days for this issue. I picked it up on June 18, 2026, and within 24 hours the same loss‑of‑propulsion failure happened again. The vehicle is now back at the dealer. The dealer performed recall 52D and updated the BPCM software, but the failure still occurred immediately after pickup. This defect has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealership multiple times and remains unresolved. This is a serious safety hazard because the vehicle loses propulsion without warning and cannot accelerate in traffic.

NHTSA ID

11745325

Incident

Jun 19, 2026

Had two different electric coolant heaters fail in just over 2 years. One at 36,000 miles and one at 72,000 miles. Each time it has failed it results in a loss of cabin heat which prevents me from being able to use the defrost capability and heat my minivan that I bought to drive my 4 young children around.

NHTSA ID

11728011

Incident

Feb 27, 2026

This is an intermittent issue that has been happening for a while now and the car was sent to the dealership twice but the issue still persists. The engine would shuts down or partially loses torque all of a sudden and the steering becomes very stiff. At the same time you would see all kinds of alarms, error messages, and check lights on the dashboard. I would then have to pull over to the side of the road, turn off the car, then try to start it back up. Usually after several attempts (one time that took nearly 30 minutes), the car works properly again with no error messages but sometimes I'd still have some persistent check lights on the dashboard. Error messages and check lights that I see include the following: -Service Electronic Stability Control -Autopark Engaged -Shifter Autocorrect Active -Park Brake Temporarily Unavailable -AWD System Temporarily Unavailable -Automatic Emergency Braking off check light -Forward Collision Warning off check light -Check Engine light The dealership has been unable to properly diagnose and fix this issue so far. On the first visit, they replaced the main battery, auxiliary battery, some wire harnesses that I was told had some corrosion, and the adaptive cruise control module. On the second visit, they replaced the CAN Bus star connector. The same issue still persists after replacing all above components.

NHTSA ID

11727813

Incident

Feb 27, 2026

The Electric Coolant Heater (ECH) failed (Error Code P0E15), which is a critical component of the High Voltage Battery Thermal Management System. This failure disabled the vehicle's hybrid propulsion system and prevented the vehicle from operating in electric mode. This is a documented systemic issue (Ref: TSB S2208000203) that affects the driveability and safety of the vehicle's hybrid powertrain.

NHTSA ID

11719236

Incident

Jan 28, 2026

Went to start vehicle and it was possessed. Would not turn over. Wipers lights everything was going off. Could not get it out of a/c mode. When hooked to a computer at mechanics it can only read two modules. ECM is malfunctioning.

NHTSA ID

11715665

Incident

Jan 20, 2026

I am reporting a safety defect involving my 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The vehicle experiences repeated hybrid system failures, including “system charging” errors, rapid battery depletion from full to zero within minutes, and vehicle stalling. These failures have occurred multiple times, even after dealership repair attempts. The vehicle has stalled and been towed more than once, most recently on September 26, 2025. Now, today, January 20, 2026, the vehicle has once again stalled and will have to be towed for the third time since purchasing in August 2024. This has left us stranded once again. This is a serious safety concern, especially given the risk of stalling while driving. I transport elderly family members and depend on this vehicle for medical appointments. I am requesting NHTSA document this issue and review whether this represents a broader safety defect.

NHTSA ID

11711996

Incident

Jan 20, 2026

Reversing onto roadway and shifted from reverse to drive via rotary dial and vehicle went into park and would not move causing me to block the roadway. In addition and even more concerning was that the vehicle could not be turned off and any and all actions to do so just left the car "on" and the hybrid system running. Eventually we pulled the battery cable on the main 12v in the trunk and the reset allowed us to move the vehicle again. I sat across a busy section for twenty minutes with no way to move, turn off, or overide the system with three kids with me in a busy traffic area. The vehicle has not reproduced the issue as of yet. The dash had multiple warnings for park system and service various items needed. this occurred 12/17/2025 with 70,000 miles.

NHTSA ID

11705779

Incident

Dec 17, 2025

While driving down the highway at 70 miles per hour ater driving 2.5 hours our 2021 Pacifica hybrid minivan flashed a warning on the vehicles display saying approximately "Warning Engine Shutting Down". The engine immediately shut down in the middle of the highway and we were forced to coast off the highway to the shoulder. The engine warning light came on. We turned the car off for a few minutes and proceeded to start the engine. The engine warning light was still on, but the other message was gone. We attempted to drive towards our destination and approximately 30 minutes later the same thing happened again. We tried one more time since we were several hours from home and within 30 minutes the vehicle had the same issue. At that point we decided to try to get home. We drove the vehicle 15-20 mins at a time and then exited the highway over and over giving the vehicle time turned off. After returning home with no additional events the engine warning light went off the next warning. This was on a Sunday so we were unable to get it to a dealer. The next day we dropped off the vehicle at Nappletom Chrysler dealership. The called us the next day and told us they could not cause the event to happen again. They could see a set of error codes showing the problem occurred, but told us there was nothing they could do and it was up to us to cause the problem and then return the vehicle. Now I have a minivan with 70k miles on it that my wife primarily uses my with to get my daughter from place to place and I have no idea when this vehicle will shut the engine down at any time potentially causing a dangerous accident. I believe Chrysler has the responsibility to determine what the issue is. Researching on the internet show this is a common problem for my vehicle and typically requires a new transmission or and engine wiring short.

NHTSA ID

11700402

Incident

Nov 16, 2025

The ESS battery fails constantly and manufacturer will not find problem and just replaces battery. When the ESS battery fails it drains the main battery which then leaves the driver and its occupants at risk of being stranded. The transmission is an electronic transmission and if the battery fails while driving that could compromise the occupants also. We have had to have the battery replace twice and a third time tomorrow 9/21 if the dealership will "fit" us in. The ESS system will tell you it is unavailable but only after the battery has failed.

NHTSA ID

11688761

Incident

Jul 7, 2024

While driving my vehicle soon after purchase I notice an engine light on along with a huge fan noise from under the hood. Addressed the issue with dealer they diagnosed the car and so called fixed the issue. about a month ago I’m driving the car on a residential street and noticed the car jerking loud fan noise and the whole dashboard light up saying service hybrid service engine and transmission.. Suddenly the engine stops in moving traffic. The vehicle windshield wipers cut on by themselves and the car stayed in park.. tow the vehicle to the dealer using only a dolly tow truck due to vehicle unable to be placed in neutral. Dealer calls to give update and noted no codes were stored and there is currently no issue with vehicle..He suggested to keep the vehicle longer to see if the problem returns. I’m afraid the electrical issue that is going on with this hybrid will cost me and my children life one day. this vehicle is not safe to drive and I am stuck in a purchase contract.

NHTSA ID

11683692

Incident

Aug 21, 2025

Since week 1 of owning my brand new 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, I have had issues of loss of motive power. I have done all of the recall remedies yet my car with a 35day old 12v battery not only died on me, but drained every battery in my vehicle so that I couldnt open my doors. The vehicle was unable to be jumped so that it could be driven, so I ended up paying o or $1000 in towing to get the vehicle to my dealership to be diagnosed,AGAIN. That happened on July 12th, I finally had it towed on July 14th to my dealership & it has been there since. Although the PIM & BATTERY are under WARRANTY, Chrysler is refusing to reimburse me any of the tow fees & only 20 days of a rental I have now had for a month. The dealership installed the PIM which cleared a couple of codes, but not all. They installed ANOTHER new 12v battery, which was immediately drained. They have ordered another coolant something or other for the battery & here we are. I attempted in 2022 to retain a lemon law lawyer but he gave up very easily once Chrysler just stopped answering him.he said because I had my car updated under the class action lawsuit Moran is Chrysler FCA et Al, I was not able to continue under Lemon Law. I have not been able to find a lawyer, even one from the Class Action Lawsuit, to assist me in fighting Chrysler to do something to make me whole. My vehicle needs to be inspected in less than 40 days but at this point my 5 yr old vehicle can NOT pass the Pa inspection, so what am I supposed to do? I live in the mountains, have an 8 yrold grandchild that im raising & certainly cant afford to rent cars forever. I still haven't gotten my pension from the Coty of Philadelphia after 3 years of retiring after getting hurt on the job. I just read an article about the Office of Drfective products investigating Chrysler in 2022 for EXACTLY the problems I continue to have!!

NHTSA ID

11679622

Incident

Jul 12, 2025

When driving our van from Nashville to Memphis, we were 2 hours from home when we received an on screen alert stating “Stop Safely - vehicle will shut off soon”. This was in a construction area with little to no shoulders to pull the vehicle over as power loss began to occur. We contacted Chrysler for help but the nearest dealership told us the earliest they could see the vehicle was 3 weeks from Tuesday. I had 3 children in the car ages [XXX}. A web search for this shows how prevalent this issue is with several blogs and Reddit forums indicating a problem. The NHTSA even has an open investigation into this specific issue. Apparently the only fix is a full transmission replacement, but we have no assurance from Chrysler that will happen and now our van is left 3 hours away in Memphis as we had no choice but to leave there. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) https://www.outmotorsports.com/2024/12/chrysler-pacifica-hybrid-stop-safely/

NHTSA ID

11678015

Incident

Jul 29, 2025

On [XXX], I was driving uphill on the interstate at around 70 mph on gas power (hybrid battery was discharged) and warning came up "Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Down Soon" and lost power (Limp mode). I was able to move safely to the shoulder, but with 5 passengers (3 young kids) and a dog and a full load of camping gear it was a bit nervewracking. Could not get the car started again (stayed in limp mode) and used an OBDII scanner I had which popped up error code (P0A43 - "intermittent issue with the drive motor "A" position sensor"). The vehicle was towed to the dealer ( 4 hours from home) and after a few days they said the vehicle was fixed and I pushed for them to test drive it on the interstate. Was returned with this comment: " FOUND CODES FOR DRIVE MOTOR "A" POSITION SENSOR CIRCUIT INTERMITTENT AND HYBRID BATTERY PACK STATE OF CHARGE LOW. CHECKED TRANS PLUG AND WIRING VERIFIED OPERATING CORRECTLY. FOUND THAT RESOLVER NEEDS TO HAVE RELEARN PREFORMED. PREFORMED RELEARN ON RESOLVER AND CHARGED HYBRID BATTERY. TEST DROVE VEHICLE ON INTERSTATE AND VERIFIED THAT ISSUE DID NOT RETURN. VEHICLE OPERATING AS DESIGNED." I received a notice of an unlimited mile/year warranty on the transmission for this car, and from what I read on the internet, this is a recurrent issue with a known cause. We were able to get off the road safely in this case, but it is nerve-wracking to drive, especially with my family, in the current state. This is related to an open NHTSA investigation: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11672470

Incident

Jul 3, 2025

The side back doors do not work all of a sudden when you push the button on the vehicle frame inside of the van. This is on both sides of the van. They will only shut by pushing buttons on the outside door handles. Also, the windshield wipers will only work on high. There is no intermittent, low, or medium speed working.

NHTSA ID

11671236

Incident

Jun 26, 2025

1. This vehicle was recalled for a software update due to the rear camera failing to operate at times. The software was updated by the dealer. However, this did not completely fix the problem. While the camera fails less frequently, it still does not energize at times. I took the vehicle back to the dealer. I was then informed that there is water intrusion into the rear lift gate, which causes the electrical to short out. I was told that I would have to replace the wiring harness which energizes the camera as well as the rear vehicle lights. I have not noticed any problem with the lighting as of yet. However, I have been told that this is a problem with the Pacifica in general, as well as the Durango. I was told that replacing the harness would not guarantee that the problem would be solved as there would still be water intrusion, which could cause the problem again, even with replacing the harness. This is obviously a safety issue, as the camera fails to operate at times, and there is a potential of losing lighting on the back of the vehicle. This is also a known defect by Chrysler. 2. When using the Adaptive Cruise Control on streets and highways with multiple lanes traveling the same direction, the vehicle will brake suddenly and hard when the vehicle in front of me changes lanes. This occurs after the vehicle in front of me has completely changed lanes and is not impeding my forward progress whatsoever. My vehicle speeds up to the set speed and then violently brakes as if it is about to crash into the vehicle ahead of me, even thought the lane is completely clear. The vehicle has been inspected for this scenario. I was told that it didn't perform as described above when the technician drove it. This is a safety issue as the vehicle suddenly and violently brakes at highway speeds, with traffic behind me.

NHTSA ID

11669648

Incident

May 20, 2025

While driving 70MPH on the expressway the dash randomly sent a message saying “Pull over vehicle shutting off” and then it put itself into limp mode. Thankfully we were able to coast to the small shoulder and put on our hazards. This happened at 2am with 4 kids in the car. Nothing in the car would work, it wouldn’t turn on, shift, nothing. We had to sit on the side of the expressway for hours waiting for a tow. While waiting it had the check engine light on, limp mode light, and messages to service hybrid system & plug in battery for reconditioning. It is waiting to be serviced, but there is a very limited amount of techs that will service it due to being a hybrid.

NHTSA ID

11665527

Incident

May 30, 2025

The emergency brake came on while I was driving

NHTSA ID

11660312

Incident

May 11, 2025

On three separate days, 2021 Pacifica lost power at 70 mph. After second incident transmission was replaced. The third loss of power occurred after the new transmission was installed. All of these incidents occurred on freeways with heavy semi-truck traffic.

NHTSA ID

11659894

Incident

May 7, 2025

My car has the 03A recall, and had the software update in March 2024. In Summer 2024, I got the red turtle, "Stop, pull over. your car is going to stop" warning, my car stopped moving, etc. I was able to get it restarted and CEL came on and has been on ever since. I took it in for the open recalls (66B), and state inspection, as well as the liftgate recall that was performed by the dealership but the liftgate has never worked since then. They stated that all the recalls except 66B were completed and when I asked why I had gotten the STOP NOW message after the software "fix" was done, they had no answer. I provided them with research stating that Chrysler had issued an unlimited lifetime warranty for these transmissions, since that is where the short is located that is causing the cars to stop. They have insisted since then that the transmission isn't the problem; that my hybrid battery is the problem. I have had no issues that would indicate the battery is the problem, but plenty to indicate the transmission is the problem. My car's been in the shop since March 17, and it is April 27. The new battery was supposed to be in on April 10, but there is still no ETA. I have a STAR case and a case open with Customer Cares, who has been absolutely no help in getting this problem actually fixed. Despite my providing the dealership and Customer Cares the necessary information stating that the new transmission is the only repair that will stop the car from stopping randomly, endangering myself and my family and other people on the roads, they continue to encourage me to "trust the engineers" and let them replace the battery. They are REFUSING to fix the issue, and I will not drive that car until it's properly fixed. This transmission issue is creating death traps and there is a known fix that even Chrysler has acknowledged by issuing lifetime warranties on the transmissions affected by this recall, yet the dealership and Chrysler Cares refuses to perform the fix for it.

NHTSA ID

11657097

Incident

Jun 13, 2024

Driving on freeway at 70 mph clear conditions 65degree weather. Warning light said to stop safely engine would shut down soon. Pulled over safely, waited, restarted. Drove another 10 miles, same error message, car lost power.

NHTSA ID

11655461

Incident

Apr 18, 2025