2023 Chrysler Pacifica Owner Complaints

The vehicle experienced a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power while driving in active traffic due to a severe hybrid powertrain malfunction. Immediately prior to the failure, the dashboard displayed a critical warning message: "Stop Safely – Vehicle will shut off soon." The vehicle then lost all propulsion, leaving it completely disabled and forcing an emergency maneuver to the shoulder. This dangerous stalling event occurred twice. The safety of my family was put at extreme risk as we were trapped in a dead vehicle in active traffic lanes, creating a severe rear-end collision hazard. The malfunctioning system involves the hybrid propulsion system, specifically the Hybrid Control Module (HCPM) or internal transaxle wiring. This issue began immediately after a dealership performed the mandatory 44D Emissions Recall software flash repair. The vehicle is currently with Dealership for more than a week for diagnosis. The problem has not yet been permanently repaired by the manufacturer, but diagnostic trouble codes should be stored in the vehicle's computer modules.

NHTSA ID

11755509

Incident

Jul 28, 2026

The back up camera complete blacks out eliminating visibility at the rear of the car.

NHTSA ID

11754774

Incident

Feb 2, 2026

The vehicle has experienced three separate incidents involving a sudden, unexpected loss of motive power at speed accompanied by a warning message ("Please pull off the road safely, vehicle will shut off soon") and a turtle icon ("Red Turtle of Death") on the instrument cluster. Two of these incidents occurred on major highways at speeds exceeding 60 mph. Incident History: February 2026 (Heavy Melting Snow, Boston, MA): Vehicle experienced complete loss of propulsion while driving on a city street. Dealership (McGovern Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram) held the vehicle for nearly a month under Diagnostic Trouble Code P167B ("Controlled System Shutdown"). Replaced occupant restraint module, which did not resolve the issue. Vehicle eventually resumed operating on its own. Recent Incident (Heavy Rain spray, Highway >60 MPH): Sudden loss of motive power on high-speed road. Instrument panel displayed turtle icon and forced an emergency pull-off. After cycling ignition, drive capability returned. OBD-II scanner returned code P0000 (generic placeholder concealing proprietary Chrysler hybrid/BPCM/PIM isolation fault codes). Two Days Later (Dry Conditions, Highway >60 MPH): Third sudden loss of motive power at 60+ mph, forcing an immediate pull-off into traffic shoulder. Check engine light remained on with code P0000. Safety Risk & Technical Context: Unexpected loss of motive power at highway speeds creates a critical safety hazard for vehicle occupants and surrounding traffic. These symptoms closely align with high-voltage isolation faults and internal short-circuiting documented in NHTSA Recall 23V-010 / PE22-008 (eFlite transmission internal connector wiring harness short). The vehicle presents a recurring hazard where moisture or intermittent electrical shorts trigger a high-voltage system shutoff, leaving the driver with limited or no propulsion without warning.

NHTSA ID

11754273

Incident

Aug 2, 2026

Center row seat back unexpectedly fell back and seat would slide back and forth. It is dangerous because the seatbelt is attached to the seat. I have a 2018 Ford Expedition expedition and you have a recall on the chrome trim on the center console. I think the seat problem is a lot more serious than that. If you search the Internet, there are a lot of people that have the same problem. Don’t understand why Chrysler doesn’t have a recall on it.

NHTSA ID

11754117

Incident

Jun 9, 2026

This is what I wrote to Stellantis. Dear Stellantis Customer Care, My vehicle has now stalled five separate times while I was making a left turn through an intersection. When this happens, the engine shuts off unexpectedly, the vehicle shifts into park and I must attempt to restart it while sitting in the roadway. During the most recent incident, the vehicle would not restart on the first attempt and required a second attempt before it would run again. This creates an extremely dangerous situation. Losing power in the middle of a left turn places me, my passengers and other motorist at risk of a serious accident. The vehicle has approximately 43,000 miles and has been taken to my Chrysler dealership for diagnosis. Unfortunately, I have repeatedly been told that they cannot duplicate the problem and therefore cannot repair it. Despite those visits, the dangerous condition continues to occur. I am requesting that Stellantis immediately: • Open a formal case regarding the safety issue. • Assign a regional field engineer, or star technical specialist to inspect and diagnose my vehicle. • Work directly with my dealership to determine the cause of this intermittent stalling condition. • Advise me whether the vehicle is safe to drive while this issue remains unresolved. I have been a responsible owner and have sought assistance through the dealership, but I cannot continue driving a vehicle that unexpectedly shuts off in the middle of an intersection. I am asking Stellantis to take this matter seriously, and provide a timely resolution before someone is seriously injured. Please contact me as soon as possible regarding the next steps. I would appreciate receiving a case number and the name of the representative assigned to assist with this matter. I intend to file a safety complaint with NHTSA regarding this matter. Thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent safety concern.

NHTSA ID

11754028

Incident

Jul 31, 2026

Steering binds when turning right exiting to a highway off ramp

NHTSA ID

11752815

Incident

Jul 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that upon putting the transmission into reverse in order to back up the vehicle, the center console display for the reverse back up camera will not function and a black screen was displayed, no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was inspected however the vehicle was not diagnosed as the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was not notified of failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.

NHTSA ID

11752732

Incident

Oct 1, 2025

Mileage

55,000 mi

When negotiating a curve the steering will lock to the right and must be manually adjusted by turning the wheel. A firm grip must be kept on the wheel so as not to over compensate for this issue. This has been happening for several months.

NHTSA ID

11751962

Incident

Jan 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, shuddered, and then stalled. The message to "Stop - Pull Over Safely" was displayed on the instrument panel. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was an intermittent drive motor position sensor failure inside the transmission, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11751925

Incident

Jun 21, 2026

Mileage

70,000 mi

I have been experiencing random engine shutdowns since April 6, 2026. I’ve taken it to be serviced for this on four occasions since this time and it has not been appropriately fixed. There is a warning light that flashed before it happens that says “your car is about to shutdown, please pull over” but it does not allow ample time to pull over safely before randomly shutting down. The dealership replaced the PCM in may 2026 but I had the car back less than 24 hours and it happened again. The car has shutdown a total of 5 times since April 6, 2026.

NHTSA ID

11751566

Incident

Apr 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V189000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and stated that parts are limited and that there were 20 other vehicles awaiting parts availability. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11751486

Incident

Mar 26, 2026

Returning from [XXX] to [XXX] area Wed. XXX, traveling at ~75 mph on [XXX], I experienced a loss of power on a mild incline and an associated “Stop Safely - Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon” instrument cluster message. I had to move hazardously in traffic while coasting to a stop on the right shoulder. This occurred with ~24,810 total miles on the vehicle since I purchased it new. I turned off the vehicle, waited a few minutes and then restarted it. I continued the drive with the vehicle acting normally until it happened again at 24,897 odometer miles, same message with same behavior. Traveling ~75 mph, I again had to move hazardously in traffic to coast to the right shoulder. Except now I notice the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is illuminated. I again turned the vehicle off, waited a few minutes and then restarted it. I was able to drive normally to the Chrysler dealership (Autonation in Katy Tx) where I spoke to a Service representative. He recorded my VIN and took some notes as I explained what happened, but would not plug in a code reader as I requested. Instead he said I would need to leave the vehicle there for at least 24 hours or bring it back later. Since I was still ~55 miles from home, had my wife and cargo still in the vehicle and wanted to know what malfunction code(s) were present, we elected to drive the vehicle home. On the way home, I stopped at both an Advance Auto and an Autozone where both read the only code present as P0A43, see attachment. I also noted that the Emission Ready status was showing "NO". I then drove the vehicle less than a mile to our home where it has remained in my driveway. Mileage is now 24972 on the odometer. I plugged in and charged the vehicle to 100% high voltage battery state. Two days later on XXX, I started the vehicle and the MIL is no longer illuminated, still at 24972 odometer. The dealer promised me that the code would remain and could be read later, but it did not and nobody erased it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C

NHTSA ID

11749572

Incident

Jul 8, 2026

The driver’s side sun visor broke off and was hanging by the electrical wires in front of my face while I was driving. It hampered my ability to see the road ahead. The dealer observed the situation and ordered a new sun visor which I had to pay for. The part has been on back order for several months now. In the meantime, I have to drive without a sun visor. The initial occurrence was hazardous since I was not able to see where I was going for the first few seconds.

NHTSA ID

11747793

Incident

Feb 1, 2026

My Chrysler Pacifica is currently held at Glenn Chevrolet in Eminence, KY, for a mandatory side-curtain airbag safety recall. The repair will take at least 4 days or more, and the dealer has zero loaner vehicles. Chrysler corporate refuses to authorize a rental vehicle that safely and legally fits my family of six, capping reimbursement at $50/day. This amount only covers a 5-passenger economy car. Chrysler is creating an unreasonable barrier to a safety recall remedy by forcing me to choose between driving a defective, dangerous vehicle or illegally driving a rental car without enough seatbelts for my children. Frontline call center staff have repeatedly disconnected my calls when I have tried to resolve this size restriction.

NHTSA ID

11745970

Incident

Jun 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V189000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11745905

Incident

Mar 31, 2026

On June 14, 2026, one day after purchase, while driving through the Mojave Desert on I-15 in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the check engine light illuminated and remained on through Southern California. The vehicle required a jump start after being parked in a covered multi-level parking structure for 5 days in Long Beach California after which the check engine light cleared. On June 19, 2026, six days after purchase, during the return trip the high voltage hybrid traction battery failed completely without warning in active Las Vegas highway traffic. The vehicle lost all motive power and coasted to the roadside. Three minor passengers were aboard, the youngest age 13. The occupants were stranded in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees for approximately two hours awaiting a tow truck. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Chrysler dealership where the high voltage traction battery was confirmed failed and replaced under warranty. A valley pan oil leak was also discovered and hybrid software update were also performed. An outstanding curtain airbag safety recall had never been remedied prior to the breakdown. The towing company reported they had been towing multiple Pacifica hybrids with similar failures during the same Las Vegas heat wave, suggesting a systemic issue with the high voltage battery thermal management system in extreme heat. The vehicle had been purchased six days prior with fewer than 1,000 miles of ownership at time of failure.

NHTSA ID

11745819

Incident

Jun 19, 2026

The car keeps stating service shifter and jumps a gear. The time on the dashboard goes up an hour every time this occurs. The car was placed in park and the emergency park brake was applied and then popped into drive. This has occurred multiple times with the latest occurrence on today.

NHTSA ID

11745018

Incident

Jun 18, 2026

Vehicle Year/Make/Model: 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In HybridVIN Number: [XXX] Current Mileage: 51,607 miles Incident Summary: While attempting to bring the vehicle to a complete stop in front of a Subway restaurant in Old Town, the vehicle failed to decelerate upon braking. Instead, it lunged forward unexpectedly without driver input and collided with the building structure. The check engine light did not illuminate until after the collision occurred. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11743677

Incident

Jun 11, 2026

Was having issues with the Van starting got an alert on the dashboard to service shifter after reading what the issue may be it states that the BUS can connector is a manufacturer default we replaced the battery in the key fob, replaced the main battery and the auxillary battery and still having the same issue, Van is hesitating when starting and now nothing on the dashboard where the speedometer is will come on.

NHTSA ID

11743675

Incident

Jun 1, 2026

Seat back falls to complete recline position and base slides forward and back. I googled it and found this has been happening since 2017 it is a safety issue. My Granddaughter was riding in the seat and it collapsed backwards. I don’t think there are a lot of these seats out there because it only on limited cars.

NHTSA ID

11743293

Incident

Jun 9, 2026

While stopped at a traffic light on a downhill slope, my 2023 Chrysler Pacifica suddenly applied the brakes by itself and shifted into Park as I began to accelerate through the intersection. I did not touch the shifter. The vehicle locked up abruptly in the middle of the intersection. There were no warning lights, alerts, or messages before or after the incident. I had no idea as to what was happening. I was scared the car behind me was going to run into me.I was fortunate that she didn't This behavior is extremely dangerous and could have caused a collision. I have since learned that the 2023 Pacifica has numerous electrical‑system Technical Service Bulletins, and this appears to be an unintended Auto‑Park activation caused by an electrical or sensor fault. Vehicle details: 2023 Chrysler Pacifica, VIN [XXX]. I am submitting this complaint so this issue can be investigated as a potential safety defect affecting other vehicles as well. This incident scared me badly, and I no longer feel confident that the vehicle will behave predictably in traffic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11742833

Incident

Jun 8, 2026

Purchased vehicle through Carvana with approx. 21,504 miles on 4/1/2026. On 5/5/2026, with only 22,269 miles, the dashboard lights came on and informed us that vehicle will shut off soon and to stop safely. We were traveling 75 mph down the highway. We had it towed to a Chrysler dealer. They couldn’t find a problem after a week. The second time we experienced the same issue was on 5/19/2026 at 21,493 miles. Again, we had it towed to the Chrysler dealer. They told us the same thing and even implied it was the way we were driving that was the issue. The third time we experienced this problem was on 5/30/2026 with 22,636 miles on the odometer. We will be towing it back to a Chrysler dealer.

NHTSA ID

11741015

Incident

May 5, 2026

High voltage battery pack, Power Inverter Module (PIM), and HV charging system. PIM replaced twice (p/n 68381781AD, 8/4/25 and 8/18/25) after being found melted with arcing damage at HV connections. Battery pack has active BPCM fault codes and a recorded cell voltage excursion. Vehicle available for inspection. Vehicle lost all motive power without warning at highway speed on multiple occasions, requiring the driver to pull over. This occurred on a platform subject to recall 24V-536 (HV battery fire risk). A melted inverter and arcing at HV connections were found on a vehicle still being driven daily. BPCM data shows Cell 79 recorded a voltage excursion to 1,526 mV — less than half minimum safe operating voltage — stored in permanent memory. Yes. Lawless Inc. (Woburn, MA), authorized Chrysler dealer, confirmed fault codes PA121-00 and P0A43-00 on 8/4/25 and replaced the PIM. Vehicle returned 8/18/25 with same failure — dealer confirmed arcing damage and melted inverter. Three visits total; defect unresolved after two repair attempts on the same component. All three visits performed by authorized Chrysler dealer under 10-year/100,000-mile HV battery warranty. Stellantis warranty claim opened each visit. No police or insurance involvement. Red warning "Will Lose All Power" appeared on instrument cluster before each shutdown. Battery range has displayed erratically since 2/28/25 (~17,788 miles), when nonlinear discharge was first reported and dismissed. Active BPCM Level 2 safety fault (L2/L1 CELL MAX V CMP_FLT) remains present today.

NHTSA ID

11740603

Incident

Aug 25, 2025

Side curtain airbags (CAB) for both sides are under recall dated Mar 2026, Recall 06D (NHTSA 25V189) and prior to that Recall 06C (NHTSA 25V302) dated May 2025, Dealer says that parts are on back order and I am on a "list" - It has been two months for 06D and over 6 months for 06D and I am still waiting. I have called FCA Recall Assistance, Chrysler Cares and the Dealer every 3 weeks and still no word on when parts will be available. Dealer is not able to "schedule" the repair nor estimate approximate date the parts will be available for my repair. Due to safety concerns of this Urgent Safety Recall, I do not feel comfortable using the vehicle to transport myself or my family and the manufacturer has sent me notices regarding the recall and "claims" the parts are available on their recall information website - I beg to differ since I have not been able to get anyone give me a time frame for repair of this safety recall... Action (lack of) from the manufacturer is not acceptable. I have notified my Family Attorney of all the contact notes (dealer, manufacturer, NTHSA) and mailings from the manufacturer, regarding this recall in the event something occurs related to the CAB's before the repair can be completed.

NHTSA ID

11740365

Incident

May 23, 2025

While driving on the highway, the dashboard alerted that the engine would lose power, then the engine cut off and I had to coast the van to the shoulder of the highway. I was able to avoid hitting other cars, but there was no power steering or engine during this time. The vehicle has since been towed to our driveway, but it does not run. There was no warning lamp or messaging more than a few seconds before the engine quit.

NHTSA ID

11740045

Incident

May 22, 2026