2021 Chrysler Pacifica Fuel system Problems

Driving on the interstate at high speed, when check engine light comes on, warning message - Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off - and red turtle warning indicator (limp mode). After a short time, vehicle will no longer accelerate. I pulled over to the shoulder, stopped and shut off engine. Restarted after a few minutes and everything appeared to work fine, with check engine light on. About 15 minutes later, it happened again. The dealership serviced the vehicle. Found error code P0A78 for driver moteo "A" inverter performance. Used Stellantis Technical Service Bulletin 08-253-24 to diagnose (both modules were out of date) and complete the indicated updates. This is a known issue that has affected many vehicles (per internet forums and that Stellantis has created a TSB. It is an extremely dangerous situation causing the vehicle to enter "limp mode" and requiring the driver to stop in a matter of minutes. Stellantis should recall all potentially affected vehicles to update the modules proactively.

NHTSA ID

11753704

Incident

Jul 19, 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

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

While driving the vehicle, the accelerator will become inactive and result in the vehicle slowing to a stop. I will shut off the ignition and let vehicle rest for 10-20 mins before restarting. This does not resolve the issue and I end up towing the vehicle into the manufacturer’s service department. This often results in 100s of dollars in “diagnostic” fees. The service dept claims it’s bad battery, changes and issue arises again. Next they say it needed a software update, and a few days later it fails again. Next they said it was PCM module and replaced it, and finally they replaced the transmission. The 4th visit, change of transmission, lasted a little over a year and then the issue arose once again! After paying $259 in diagnostic fees, they said I used a bad “charger”

NHTSA ID

11741712

Incident

Mar 15, 2025

I encountered two incidents of the same type. One was on Friday, March 27, 2026, the same day I picked up the vehicle from a local Chrysler dealership, where software updates and issues related to recalls were supposedly completed. The vehicle was at 38% battery level at the time of pick up from the dealership parking lot. After driving it for about 14 miles, the battery level depleted to <1% and that's when the "Stop Safety. Vehicle will shut off soon" displayed on the dashboard. I slowly drove for less than a minute and parked the vehicle and turned it off. Then restarted and drove for less than two minutes, but again the same warning ("Stop Safety. Vehicle will shut off soon") displayed; I turned it off again. After taking a few minutes break, I restarted it and it was showing 1% battery; it gave me a little distance to travel until unfortunately the same warning displays. Fortunately, this time I was close to a place where I can charge the battery. The battery got charged to 100%, partly on the night of March 27th and the remaining in the morning on March 28th. The second incident was on March 29, 2026, on Sunday afternoon. As soon as the battery level reached <1%, the exact the same warning ("Stop Safety. Vehicle will shut off soon") was displayed. I slowly drove the vehicle to the side of the road and called my insurance company; I reported the issue and requested them to tow the vehicle to a nearby Chrysler dealership. As of now, the vehicle is at the dealership parking waiting for diagnosis. Based on my initial conversation with the customer service person, they don't know if this is considered part of any recall or not. Not only was I stranded on the road because of the above incidents, not having the vehicle at the moment is straining me a lot - trying to handle personal and work schedules.

NHTSA ID

11728146

Incident

Mar 29, 2026

While driving at normal road speed, the vehicle suddenly lost propulsion and entered limp mode. A turtle warning icon appeared along with multiple system fault messages. The vehicle began slowing down on it's own and was unable to accelerate. I pulled to the side of the road. The vehicle displayed an error "Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon". After sitting for a period of time, the vehicle restarted and was able to be driven again, but the failure occurred without warning and created a dangerous situation in traffic. Diagnostic trouble codes were present related to the hybrid system and high-voltage battery, including P1D43, P1A21, U029A, and U0412. These codes indicate faults in the hybrid control system and battery communication. A Chrysler service department inspected the vehicle, confirmed the trouble codes, and returned it to me without repair because the issue was not immediately reproducible at the dealership. The vehicle has a history of similar intermittent issues, including prior loss-of-power events and repeated service visits for hybrid system faults. The condition is not consistently reproducible, but when it occurs it results in a sudden loss of motive power while driving. This creates a significant safety risk due to unexpected loss of propulsion in active traffic.

NHTSA ID

11725453

Incident

Mar 3, 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

High pressure fuel leak with large fan spray pattern in fuel line part number 68492134AA where it sits and rubs against a sharp corner of another component, (appears to be ignition coil) above the rear passenger side of the engine. Searched online and found another owner had posted an image of the exact same leak! https://www.reddit.com/r/ChryslerPacifica/comments/1amcdp9/2021_pacifica_hybrid_fuel_leak/Their photo and mine are identical and in comments on their thread, Two other owners that responded to that thread also said they've also had exactly the same leak. The cause appears to be how this line is routed by the factory. it is resting against the coil and not secured in a way to prevent chafing. Result is extremely dangerous with fuel spraying down towards the exhaust. The part is available for inspection. Safety of my family was put at risk by fuel spraying towards hot exhaust while my wife was driving. She was unaware of problem until fuel smell just prior to arriving at home. Problem is easily reproduced. I spoke with Olympia Chrysler Jeep and the service advisor Corey, said he had seen this issue before as well. He also said because car is not under warranty and I don't have roadside assistance, towing would be at my expense. I have ordered replacement part and will install and secure it to prevent chafing. I will keep part to be availalbe for examination. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the fuel smell.

NHTSA ID

11694762

Incident

Oct 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

While driving my children home from an evening activity, there was a strong odor of gas inside the cabin. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership the next morning for diagnostics and repairs. The dealership 's technician was able to reproduce the issue and upon further inspection discovered a small leak in the fuel line. It was determined that the fuel line had been rubbing against the coil pack, which created a small hole. The fuel was leaking onto the coil pack. This puts both the driver and the passengers at risk because the coil pack is in close proximity to the spark plugs. When there is a spark and gasoline, fires and/or explosions tend to be the result. The technician stated that there had been no tampering with the components and that the gap between the fuel line and the coil pack is very small. I believe that the gap is too small because normal operation of a vehicle should never cause a hole to be rubbed into a fuel line due to it's proximity to the coil pack. Prior to the smell of fuel, there were no other warnings. I have included pictures of the faulty part.

NHTSA ID

11642288

Incident

Jan 27, 2025

I received the "Red Wrench" warning light several times, but it would clear. One day while travelling in a 45mph zone the car suddenly stopped and I came to a skidding stop, luckily I was coming to my turn and was only going about 10mph. I did fear I was going to get rear ended, luckily it did not occur. I was stuck in the road and traffic built up. I couldn't push the car off the road because every time I put it in Neutral and opened the drivers door it would go into Park. My daughter lived nearby, so they came to assist with diverting traffic around me and to put safety cones out. I called the County Sheriff because I felt I was a safety hazard. When a Deputy arrived he and my Son In Law were able to push the car off the road while I steered. I was blocking traffic for about 30 minutes. I called a flat bed who towed the vehicle to the dealer. The issue was troubleshot to the Power Inverter Module (PIM) internally shorted causing the Main Battery Disconnect fuse to blow. The dealer replaced the PIM and the Main Battery Disconnect. This occurred on or about June 27, 2023. The dealer invoice is Aug 21, 2023. It took several weeks to get the part and repair. This issue has not re-occurred. At the time mileage was 29564, currently it is 48171.

NHTSA ID

11634921

Incident

Jun 27, 2023

Van had a smell of gasoline inside the cabin and out. Upon inspection, the fuel line going from the hard line to the nylon line in the engine bay was leaking. The nylon line between the fuel pressure sensor and the hard line had rubbed against a coil pack and was leaking fuel. Any fuel leak, especially in the engine bay, poses a safety risk as it can combust and cause a fire inside the engine bay. Other owners have posted about this exact problem on forums, hence why I knew where to look for the issue. I have ordered the new fuel line through the dealership, however, if the fuel line has the same bend in it as the original, the same thing will happen in the future.

NHTSA ID

11614829

Incident

Sep 14, 2024

WHEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT SPEEDS OF 75 MPH. WE RECEIVED A MESSAGE TELLING US TO "SAFELY STOP VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF SOON". AT THAT POINT OUR VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DRAMATICALLY AS WE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT LANES TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE THEN HAD TO SIT ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE, UNABLE TO MOVE, WITH THREE CHILDREN IN THE CAR FOR ALMOST AN HOUR BEFORE THE VEHICLE ALLOWED US TO MOVE IT AT A SNAILS PACE THROUGH THE DITCH AND TO A ROAD TRAVELLING PARALLEL TO THE INTERSTATE. ONCE, PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THIS LESS DANGEROUS ROAD WE SAT FOR ANOTHER 3 HOURS FOR A TOW TRUCK, MANAGED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER WHICH IS INDICATING THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND ARE REPLACING THE HYBRID BATTERY IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIX IT. WE'VE SEEN MANY GROUP MESSAGES ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THE COMMON THREAD IS THAT CHRYSLER DOES NOT HAVE A FIX OR KNOW WHAT TO FIX AND THAT THIS ISSUE WILL GENERALLY OCCUR AGAIN. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A REPAIR INVOICE JUST YET AS OUR VAN IS STILL IN THE SHOP BUT WILL DO WHAT I CAN TO UPDATE THIS REPORT IF POSSIBLE.

NHTSA ID

11613923

Incident

Sep 6, 2024

I went to start my van and out of nowhere I got an error message saying to “service hybrid electric system” and a check engine light came on. I am not sure if there are any safety hazards related to this, but am no longer able to charge the vehicle. When I plug it in the charging lights flash and the “service charging system” error pops up.

NHTSA ID

11613620

Incident

Sep 2, 2024

The battery coolant is leaking from the rear of the vehicle

NHTSA ID

11611497

Incident

Aug 15, 2024

Van has 70K miles. After a long road trip. last stop noticed a gas smell from the front of van. When opening the hood noticed gas had been leaking over top of the motor by spraying fuel. Moving the fuel line running over the top of the motor, showed it was rubbing against top of the coil pack on engine. The rubbing over time caused a small cut in the fuel line allowing for fuel leak. The fuel line seam to be malformed or is unsported causing the rubbing.

NHTSA ID

11600791

Incident

Jul 9, 2024

Traveling down [XXX] in Escondido at approximately 73mph. In the fast lane and moving left into the car pool lane the vehicle lost all motive power and the error "Service Charging System" came up on the dash then flashing back to "SHIFT TO P TO START". We were able to make it to a very small emergency lane on the left side of the interstate. Had to power vehicle off and restart twice before be regained motive power. There was a very good chance that we would have been stranded in the middle of the interstate with wife and 2 kids in the care on an 85 degree day. We were able to make it off freeway with "Check engine light showing" but no other errors on the dash. We were able to drive home 7 miles and will tow the Pacifica to the dealer tomorrow. This is the second time this has happened and could have had a horrible outcome. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11594647

Incident

Jun 16, 2024

Vehicle has suddenly went into low power mode while driving three times. Was towed to shop each time to find no issues besides codes. Codes were cleared and vehicle was returned. Now vehicle is in the shop at chrysler due to a service charging system code for the hybrid system, causing the vehicle to not start or shift out of park gear. Vehicle has 58,000 miles and is not covered under the battery warranty with only 2 thousand miles remaining on the factory power train warranty.

NHTSA ID

11589540

Incident

May 17, 2024

High pressure fuel line leaking due to tube rubbing against hard plastic clip. Smelled gasoline fumes from outside the vehicle. Narrowed it down to the passenger side of the engine compartment but couldn't isolate it. Read some forums from similar cases and identified a high pressure fuel line that could wear a hole due to a design flaw. Sure enough I wigged it just slightly and upon starting the vehicle it started spraying gasoline all over the engine at an alarming rate. I drove my children to daycare the previous day, this could have started a fire or caused the engine area to explode. Crazy unsafe and glad I caught it quickly.

NHTSA ID

11588627

Incident

May 13, 2024

My fuel line was rubbing against a part of the engine and leaked. My mechanic said the fuel line was unsupported causing the rubbing and didn’t have shielding/padding to protect it.

NHTSA ID

11585721

Incident

Mar 28, 2024

I had purchased the vehicle three days beforehand. It was a lemon law buyback car. I had driven around 120 miles or so that day. The high that day was at least 90 degrees or so. It was past the halfway mark of driving that day, when I tested the Level 2 EVSE I had bought. It didn't work because the plug wasn't energized, but I did notice that the time to charge was reading 3 hours instead of the expected 2 hours. Once I got back to town, I plugged in to a Chargepoint charger, which was only charging at a Level 1 rate. I contacted the dealer to report the problem, and then went to my storage locker. On the way, the AC stopped working. When I tried to leave, the vehicle would not start. Suspecting an overheating problem, I left the hood open for a half hour or so, and after that, the vehicle started up. On my way home, the vehicle suffered a complete loss of motive power, displaying a message saying "Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon", leaving me stranded in a parking lot. This was followed by a message saying "Service Charging System". After another hour or so of sitting with the hood up, the vehicle worked again. This has happened multiple times since then. I have traced the problem to the battery pack reaching a temperature of 55 C, at which point the vehicle invariably shuts down. One time it did this, I was on stuck on the side of a road with no shoulder, after dark. The dealers I have taken it to could not reproduce the problem, as it takes hours of driving to trigger, and they are not willing to drive it enough to reproduce the problem. A case was raised with the manufacturer, but their protocols were insufficient to reproduce the problem. I have recently learned that the problem is apparently the same problem that the original owner had, and that the vehicle was bought back for originally. I have collected extensive CSV logs documenting the defect. The vehicle is obviously still unfixed, as they will not fix it until they duplicate the problem.

NHTSA ID

11585544

Incident

Jun 20, 2023

I was traveling at highway speed. The hybrid was utilizing mostly the battery. I needed to accelerate to the speed of those around me. The van switched from just battery to utilizing battery and gas power. About a minute after it switched, the engine completely shut off. A warning flashed up on the dash display to “Stop safely Vehicle will shut off soon”. The engine shut off. I could no longer use the gas, the only thing I could do was coast to a stop. This was very terrifying because I was traveling at such a high speed on the interstate. I immediately put on my hazards and coasted to a stop. This was harmful to others on the interstate because they had to slow down behind me or get around me. Eventually when I was slow enough, I managed to coast onto the shoulder and come to a complete stop. I was able to reproduce the problem upon restarting the vehicle. I have taken the van to a dealership but they have not been able to look into it yet. The engine light is now on in the vehicle. This happens consistently at high speeds

NHTSA ID

11575158

Incident

Feb 27, 2024

Vehicle shut down unexpectedly multiple times even AFTER recall update was applied. Allows for minimal time to pull to safe location. Potential for serious incident if safe shoulder is not immediately available such as on a bridge.

NHTSA ID

11568923

Incident

Jan 30, 2024

While driving early in morning on local highway (70mph speed limit), car flashed "Service Charging System" shut off the engine and power to the vehicle including acceleration, and check engline light illuminated. Thankfully early hours made it possible to drift to side of road to put car in park. Engine light illuminated dash and dash flashed "shift to P to start." Car would not shut off after pressing the start button nor depressing the break either (hazards were engaged at this point). Hazards had to be shut off in order to completely shut off the vehicle to restart it. Dangerous on major highway with no lights or hazards on side of road. 25 degrees outside. This is the Second time this has occurred to this vehicle. The last time occurred on 1/20/2023 the exact same way shutting off power and engine of the car on the same local highway with similar cold temperature (always issues with this car in the cold, hybrid battery system fails in cold below 40 or temperatures higher than 90). Last time a grounding issue was found in the transmission and was replaced. I will be contacting the dealership for repair today will update if it is still grounding issues or something new causing same problem. As i made in my last nhtsa report in january on this vehicle, the fact this car shuts down while in motion and you have no control over the car is dangerous and can cost people their lives. As a hybrid system, the van should automatically switch to gas only and bypass the hybrid charging system to continue functioning as any car would. By shutting down the engine and everything you are jeopardizing the lives of everyone on the roads. Both incidents of mine occurred on a highway at high speeds. I am just thankful I was not on a bridge at the time it failed as it would have caused an accident. I heard nothing about or from my last nhtsa report. Please for the safety of everyone look into these hybrids. Look into this car history and you'll see the constant repairs it has had.

NHTSA ID

11561038

Incident

Dec 13, 2023

Was driving at 72-74mph on Dallas North Tollway on Oct 6th. Vehicle is a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid 2021 model - Limited Plug in Hybrid trim. Battery charge was 2% (less than 1 mile range) Fuel was 95% showing 395 miles of range left After the battery depletes, the vehicle is supposed to switch over into ICE mode (Gas engine kicks on) Car was running only on Electric power and when the battery hit 0%, the car stalled on the highway and showed multiple warning lights Service Hybrid Electric System Charge system not available EBD2 Engine Malfuction Transmission Temperature Automatic Transmission Fluid overheating Check Engine light Car still had power (power steering and brakes working) but lost all propulsion suddenly Luckily i was able to safely pull over on the shoulder Turned car off and on and still had same warning lights and car's engine would not start Finally waited 15 minutes, disconnected battery (12v) and tried it and now engine started Came home and charged battery to 100% (showed 32 miles of range) but now car will never run on Electric motors - Only via Gas engine This is a serious safety issue - I had the same exact problem on my 2018 Pacifica Plugin Hybrid which was diagnosed as a HCM (Hybrid Control Module) issue. It was the subject of a recall. This is the 2021 model with less than 25,000 miles and its still a major safety concern. Chrysler should immediately address the problem and issue a safety recall Car is currently at Frisco Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram for the last 7 days waiting to be diagnosed

NHTSA ID

11549574

Incident

Oct 6, 2023