2022 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.

- The exterior side-view mirror spontaneously shattered while driving, causing glass to scratch the side window. Available for inspection upon request. -Flying glass created an injury hazard, and the sudden failure startled me and compromised side visibility, potentially endangering occupants and other motorists. - No. The failure has not been evaluated or reproduced by a service center. - No inspections have been conducted by the manufacturer, police, insurance, or other parties. - None. The mirror appeared normal and showed no warning signs before suddenly shattering while driving.

NHTSA ID

11776614

Incident

Nov 6, 2026

The rear passenger seatbelt catches in the recoil mechanism and is fraying. Chrysler said it is a wear and tear issue and that we are responsible for the entire cost of replacing. It is catching INSIDE of the housing. This is not wear and tear. we seldom use this seatbelt for this very reason

NHTSA ID

11774768

Incident

Aug 1, 2023

In XXX, I was coming down my driveway. It is a long, sloped driveway. As I came around the corner, the brakes went right to the floor; it wasn't just a loss of power; there were no brakes of any kind. The car almost went off the road on the other side. As soon as I turned the car off and back on, the brakes worked perfectly. A few months later, I was coming down another driveway off a dangerous, busy highway, and the brakes stopped working again. My [XXX] daughter was with me, and if we went out into the road, a fatal accident was a high possibility. I wrecked the car into the ditch and stopped on top of a log. My brother, son, and nephew had to come and rescue us. Again, as soon as I turned the car off and back on, the brakes worked perfectly. My Dad and brother are both mechanics. Nothing seemed fundamentally wrong with the brakes. The fact that they worked for months after that was also very concerning. We thought it was the start/stop system. I began turning the system off manually before each trip. The last incident, several weeks later, was also on my driveway, coming down the hill. The brakes went to the floor; my Mom and two daughters were in the car, everyone was screaming, and I had to run over my automatic gatepost and gate to stop it; the car almost rolled. As with the other times, I refuse to drive this car; it could kill someone. I live by a freeway with a mountain pass; I have gone down this pass several times. If I had an incident like this on this pass, it would without any doubt cause a fatal accident for myself or potentially others as well. I haven't had the car inspected because I cannot drive it anywhere. I drove the car almost every day between these incidents with no problem with the brakes whatsoever. There were no warnings or dash lights with any of these incidents. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11774735

Incident

Aug 21, 2026

The vehicle experienced a concurrent failure of the high-voltage traction battery pack and the High-Voltage Battery Coolant Heater (Diagnostic Trouble Code P0E15). The electric battery coolant heater is a critical component of the high-voltage battery thermal management loop and vehicle cabin heating/defrosting system. When this heater fails, the high-voltage battery cannot regulate cell temperatures in colder ambient conditions, which disables electric propulsion mode, triggers powertrain limp-mode/reduced propulsion warnings, and leaves the vehicle unable to clear or defrost the windshield in freezing temperatures. A sudden loss of propulsion power in traffic or loss of windshield visibility during cold weather presents severe safety hazards. The manufacturer approved the traction battery pack under warranty but denied statutory coverage for the concurrently failed high-voltage coolant heater, leaving the vehicle disassembled and inoperable.

NHTSA ID

11774188

Incident

Oct 14, 2026

The vehicle was left in parking on a Saturday afternoon in Costco. When we came back and we put everything in the trunk, the vehicle turn on automatically, not by remote start, on its own. When we saw the dashboard it said: "Put on in parking to prevent rolling", but the vehicle didn't take any gears and it was not able to be turn off. We try to turn it off several times but it came back on, on its own with the same message: "Put on in parking to prevent rolling", after towing we dropped in the dealer and the dealer couldn't find anything not even a computer code. This could have happened on a semaphore waiting for a light and maybe the car would have rolled on its own? that's something that it is concerning.

NHTSA ID

11772742

Incident

Oct 17, 2026

We purchased 2022 hybrid Chrysler Pacifica from Mountain View CDJR in June 2026 and around July 4th the car went into critical red turtle limp mode on the highway slowing from 65 to under 15 mph with all our children in the car. Thankfully my husband was driving and able to get us to the local CDJR who helped inspect the vehicle and discovered contaminated coolant issue and showed us the different colors that shouldn’t be there from a car purchased from a CDJR dealership. The issue was brought to Mountain View who initially attempted to charge us over $3,000 for an issue stemming from their own negligence. After agreeing to pay around $600 for new radiator and more back and forth I believed the car would be returned to us well serviced. There was a recall they were supposed to handle and also they had the vehicle during a prescheduled oil change and then failed to perform the oil change. After then vehicle had been returned to us the hybrid capabilities have failed, we cannot charge the vehicle, and gas mileage has continued decline. When brought to service manager, he asked me “well is it still going into limp mode?” As if the car not stalling in the highway was successfully servicing the vehicle. Car went into limp mode several times before Mountain View’s service, car has since continued to decline in gas mileage and does not charge at all, and though it has not gone into red turtle or limp mode I feel there are still underlying safety issues as coolant flush was never performed. Mountain View has lied and been very combative.

NHTSA ID

11772526

Incident

Jul 5, 2026

Rear passenger side center section captains chair had an uncommanded back of seat drop downward followed by the entire seat rolling forward as I was slowing down the vehicle to make sure the passenger was not injured. The chair flops back and forth. Approximately 12500 miles on the 2022 vehicle. The drivers side of this seat ALSO failed but nobody was sitting in it at the time! The passenger was not injured but could have been severely injured if I had reacted with harsher breaking, if it occurred during a situation that the vehicle could not have been stopped or if the individual was unhealthy! The seat was basically freewheeling on the skids with the entire back of the seat flat! Sliding forward with breaking, sliding backwards with an increase in speed, seatbelt NO LONGER RESTRAINED individuals upper body!

NHTSA ID

11771199

Incident

Sep 12, 2026

This vehicle is experiencing a severe, recurring premature failure of the power sliding door lock actuators on both sides. When I took it to the dealer for inspection I didn’t know the clicking sound was a problem. But was told it needed to be replaced because it was a “safety issue.” • September 5, 2024: The Right-Side sliding door lock actuator failed prematurely at approximately 15,000 miles and had to be replaced. The dealership replaced under warranty. • Earlier This Year (2026), I don’t know exactly when, both door lock actuators are showing signs of failure by making that same clicking noise while closing. This marks the second premature failure of the right-side actuator and the initial failure of the left-side actuator. I declined to have the vehicle inspected by a dealer for this new failure because there would be a $225 diagnostic charge when I already know what the problem is. It manifest as a rapid clicking noise during the final latching phase of the sliding door shutting.The right side door regularly sticks closed and won’t open. This is a critical safety defect that puts passengers at risk. I’m concerned that as these actuators fail, the power sliding doors will not lock securely while the vehicle is in motion, creating a severe risk of the doors opening inadvertently on the highway—a major hazard for children in the rear seats. Conversely, the mechanism can stick or jam shut, potentially trapping rear occupants inside the vehicle during an emergency evacuation or crash scenario. The fact that a replacement factory part (Mopar 68185976AD) failed for a second time within a short window proves that this is not standard wear-and-tear. It is a fundamental engineering defect in the internal gears of the actuator that Chrysler has failed to permanently resolve for the 2017–2023 platform. The manufacturer needs to investigate these recurring component failures and issue a permanent remedy.

NHTSA ID

11770841

Incident

Jan 22, 2026

Note: Document released 10/2/2026. Multiple Warning Indicators On In The IPC. ESM - PRNDL Flashing. And The Vehicle Will Not Shift Into Gear. The Wipers May Be On, With An Electric Parking Brake Unavailable.

COMPRESSOR - AIR CONDITIONING

COMPRESSOR - AIR CONDITIONING

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

EVAPORATOR - AIR CONDITIONING

EVAPORATOR - AIR CONDITIONING