NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
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.
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating with the accelerator pedal depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rocker arm, lifters, and the right intake camshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.
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.
The contact's sister-in-law owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. While the contact was stopped at a mailbox to retrieve mail, the contact opened the front, driver-side door. When the contact opened the door, the vehicle's parking brake engaged independently. As the contact attempted to drive forward, the vehicle's rear wheels had locked upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. Due to the failure, the vehicle was stopped in the middle of an intersection as the parking brake failed to disengage. The parking brake warning light appeared on the instrument panel. The contact made multiple attempts to restart the vehicle but to no avail. The contact then stated that a "Service Parking Brake" warning message appeared on the instrument. All occupants exited the vehicle and directed traffic to avoid hitting the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where they managed to restart the vehicle without incident. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
While driving home with my children in the vehicle. When coming to a turn, the vehicle completely turned off without warning while I was doing about 35 MPh.
My vehicle has no back up camera or blind spot warning. Took to dealer for recall and they said they were only responsible for a software update and not solving the recall problem. My vehicle still does not have either of these functions. I was told I would have to pay for the repairs for this recall.
Headrest on center row seats (both sides) stays folded down making seat difficult to use. Interfered with use of child car seat. Attempts to correct the problem all failed.
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.
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that the rearview camera was inoperable. The contact stated that the image appeared blank. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V436000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but was unable to confirm when parts would be available. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Hello, we recently had an oil change on our 3.6 liter chrysler minivan. The engine seized and failed shortly after. The oil cap on oil filter housing had a part come off and plug the oil channel, resulting in engine failure. The car is currently at a Chrysler dealer with noone accepting responsibility.
My Pacifica completely shut down. All the warning lights came on such as crash detected, ABS light, and the windshield wipers came on. The vehicle was towed to the dealership that I bought the vehicle from. They completed a hard reset of the vehicle, and I took it home. Two days later it did the same thing all the lights came on, but it allowed me to drive it to the dealership. Still waiting to see what they think the problem is this time.
Car warning flashed while driving on on highway ‘stop safely’ and car powered down and went to limp mode.
Hard shifting during de-deceleration and at lower speeds. Most likely between 25 to 45 miles per hour.
While driving the vehicle on a highway - a hard solid piece of the exterior literally separated from the vehicle and flew off. This incident gave rise to the risk of an accident or injury to those traveling behind or to others traveling on the highway. A flying projectile is an inherent safety risk. No external force or event caused this. Vehicle literally fell apart on its own. Some kind of defective attachment process or mechanism. Vehicle was purchased new.
On 12/20/2024 my wife was driving about 20mph on a road and with no warning lights or messages the vehicle completely shut down. Nothing would work on the vehicle. She could not even put my hazard lights on or put the vehicle in neutral to move out of the roadway. The vehicle blocked traffic for an hour. It was fortunate the car behind did not hit our vehicle and also that my children were not in the car with her. The police assisted in redirecting traffic around the vehicle but they also were unable to get anything working. A tow truck towed to the dealership to assess what's going on. There was absolutely no warnings or previous instances or issues which makes this extremely dangerous. At only 20mph the car still significantly jerked when it came to an abrupt halt.
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the contact attempted to back up and became aware that the rearview camera was inoperable. The contact stated the image from the rearview camera appeared blank. The contact stated that due to the failure with the rearview camera, the contact rear-ended an object which caused the rear-end of the vehicle to be fractured. The vehicle was able to restart. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V436000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the radio software failed which caused the rearview camera to fail. The contact was informed that a software update was needed. The dealer informed the contact that the update was not available, and the contact was also informed that the rear end of the vehicle needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 8,852. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The check engine light is on with and error code of P0E15 From what I am reading on the web a LOT of people are having/have had this problem. The error code came up during windshield repair and recalibration. The technician advised this has been an ongoing problem and this error keeps coming up even after being cleared.
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH and attempting to slow down to park in a parking spot, the steering wheel started shaking unexpectedly. There was a clunking sound coming from the steering wheel. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,432.
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V436000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Dear Sir, I am submitting this formal complaint regarding severe misconduct, fraud, and reckless endangerment committed by Hyundai Escondido, Hyundai Motor America, and Ally Financial in connection with the sale and financing of a dangerously defective 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Touring AWD (VIN: [XXX] ). 1. Background of the Case On [XXX] I purchased the above-referenced vehicle from Hyundai Escondido under the representation that it was a Hyundai Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicle that had passed rigorous manufacturer standards. The dealership provided me with a Carfax report showing no prior accidents or major repairs and falsely assured me that the car was in excellent condition. However, immediately after purchase, I discovered that the vehicle had severe hidden defects, including: •Extensive flood damage, which was concealed at the time of sale and significantly compromised the car’s electrical and safety systems. •Prior frame and structural damage from an accident that was never disclosed. •Critical electrical malfunctions causing the vehicle to swerve uncontrollably on its own, without any driver input. •Severe safety risks, which nearly resulted in an accident with another vehicle carrying a baby on board. •Substantial mechanical and structural issues requiring over $20,000 in repairs, making the car unsafe and unusable. Despite reporting these issues on the first day of ownership, Hyundai Escondido refused to acknowledge or rectify the matter. 2. Hyundai Escondido’s Role in Fraud and Misrepresentation •Knowingly sold a flood-damaged and structurally compromised vehicle without disclosure. •Misrepresented the vehicle as a Certified Pre owned. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My wife was driving driving the vehicle on October 21st, 2024. She was shifting from Park to Drive just after our children got out of the vehicle in the school parking lot when the whole vehicle froze up and the dashboard lite up with all error lights including the engine light. It was flashing "Service Hybrid Battery System", "Service Transmission", "Turn off parking brake" and the Vehicle began to power cycle on and off, then on with gas motor, then on with electric motor. The vehicle could not be powered off and it could not be shifted out of gear and the parking brake could not be disengaged. The tow truck had to drag our Pacifica onto the flatbed while it continued to turn on and off and cycle through the engine and hybrid system. This vehicle has 36,000 miles and just had the transmission replaced under the "Recall for hybrid transmission systems" This is the second time this has happened, it originally occurred at 7000 miles and after the dealer had it for a week we were told there was no problem. The dealer had to pull a bunch of fuses and the 12v battery to get the vehicle to stop turning off and on, the same thing happened this time when it was dragged off the flatbed at the dealer.
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V436000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Two things: my auto start/stop often shuts off, and the display reads: "Auto stop/start is disabled/hood open," though it's not. I also often get a "Service Stop/Start system" notification and the car will require a restart before it will allow me to shift it back into gear and turn off parking brake.
The cylinder 1 misfires and there are a lot of metal shavings in the oil. Engine needs replacing. Under 55k miles
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while reversing, the back-over prevention camera image was frozen. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who performed a software update as part of the manufacturer's Extended Warranty Coverage related to the failure. The contact stated that after the software update was performed, the failure occurred intermittently. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.
The Start/Stop function ceased to function and illuminated a dash light indicating a malfunction. It started on October 3, 2024, when warm starting the vehicle in a store parking lot. The dash light illuminates every time the vehicle is started. Possible No Start while vehicle is waiting in the turn lane of an intersection.
There is no safety feature on the automatic sliding doors that prevent them from fully closing on something or someone. Once they begin closing they will not reverse if they encounter an obstacle. Given the nature of the vehicle being primarily for family use with children as well as children being the passengers that would use this entry, not having a safety measure to prevent them from being crushed is unacceptable. My 3 year old had accidently hit the close button and the door kept pushing them forward toward the latch and even with considerable force pulling it the other way when I noticed and realized it also wasn't stopping or reversing to open, I was lucky to be there. Then again recently, my wife was in the car cleaning out some items where she had reached in and she accidently bumped the same button, however, the door kept closing on and pressing into her. I thankfully was on the other side and ran over and threw all my weight backwards for it to stop, again, not reversing. It was something we noticed early on, but figured with the electronic failure they continue failing to resolve it was related and would be either solved or the fault become a recall. However, after it happening again recently and without any safety recall, I'm now reporting.
There are clearly many design flaws on my 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. One issue I am having with this car is the Daytime Running Lights. These are expensive LED lights that should function for the life of the vehicle. Unfortunately, I believe there is a problem with the control module on the LED lights, and part of the driver's side light does not function. This is a clear safety issue, and seems to be very common problem people are having with the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. I notified Chrysler about the issue, and because the car was just over 36 months old, they would not repair the issue. They told me I would have to pay for a complete replacement of the headlight which would cost over $1000. Just today, I noticed Ford posted a recall for the same issue they are having with their Daytime Running Lights. I believe it is only fair for Chrylser to provide a voluntary recall on this same issue because of the clear safety hazard it can creates. What is the purpose of Daytime Running Lights if they don't function properly. This is a minivan I rely on to safely transport my family, and I do not want to risk a hazardous collision because Chrysler refuses to repair a faulty part in their vehicle.
Similar to the Ford recall, the LED Daytime Running Light Module is defective. This LED went out in under 3 years and Chrysler won’t fix it. This is a problem that many people are experiencing, and they want $2,000 to replace the entire head lamp system.
Manufacturer Recall Number: 66B NHTSA Recall Number: 24V-436 The above recall has been active without remedy since 13-June-2024. The manufacturer has failed to release a fix in a timely manner and this is negatively affecting my business as my vehicle cannot be used for my business purposes with open recalls. I have tested the rearview camera on my vehicle several times and have taken it to the dealer to validate the fact that there is no need to fix.
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V436000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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.
I was driving in the highway with both of my kids in the car. We were driving from Ohio to Alabama. While on the highway, the vehicle shut down into a disabled mode and displayed the message “stop safely, vehicle will shut off soon”. It did this a total of 5 times on our trip down to Alabama.
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.
We noticed our van having issues getting stuck in gear and then jerking to get out of the gear. After doing further research it seems to be a common issue in 2021 Pacifica vans. The next issue is electrical. Our van rear door opens if we are too close to it with the keys and now the sliding door will not open. They just fixed a recall regarding the entertainment system and back up camera. The entertainment system is still having issues. When we start the car up the system will reboot itself.
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.
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that the back-over prevention camera only operated as needed approximately 80 percent of the time. The screen image was blank or was occasionally jiggling. The contact stated that the camera image displayed would be a past image. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V436000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 failure mileage was approximately 63,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
See attached document for complaint.
The battery coolant is leaking from the rear of the vehicle
This is a follow up to an earlier submission (NHTSA Tracking Number 11591550). After the initial incident, the dealership replaced the hybrid battery on the vehicle. A month later, yesterday, while driving the vehicle on the interstate, I again received the dreaded, "Stop Safely, Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon" warning indicator and the car lost all power about 30 seconds later. Thankfully, I was on an offramp and was able to stop safely. Had I been traveling at full speed in the carpool lane, it could have been very dangerous. The van is now at the dealership for repair, and I hope they fix it for real this time. This is an extremely dangerous situation, with vehicles dying while going full speed.
The rearview camera system on the vehicle has malfunctioned, causing the rearview image not to display when the driver attempts to use it while backing up. This poses a significant safety risk, as the absence of the rearview image could lead to backing up without confirming the area is clear, increasing the risk of injury to people/kids outside the vehicle. Although the recall was issued on June 13, dealers have been unable to provide any information on when a remedy will be available. The vehicle was purchased on July 28, and as of September, there has been no further information or resolution. The affected component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. There are no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms outside of the discovery of this malfunction.
For the most recent recall, the rear view camera has not been working since August 2024. I’ve been to the dealership 3 times, once in August and twice in November and they cannot resolve the issue. They told me that they’ve sent information to Chrysler and they would contact me in a few days and I have not heard back. This is a huge safety issue as my rear view display is not visible, it’s either a blue screen or grey screen. I need help please
The backup camera and rear collision warning randomly stops working. I put the car in reverse and there are just blank lines on the screen. Somethimes the screen resumes a normal display when I shift out of reverse, and sometimes the screen just stops working.
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V436000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
On [XXX], I was driving the vehicle on a busy highway with a posted speed limit of 70mph. While operating the vehicle at ~70mph, the front display showed a message that the vehicle was going to stop and to pull off safely. Unknown at what point the vehicle will stop, in a panic, I pulled off on the highway and immediately called road assistance for a tow. After calling the dealership, they told me to start the vehicle again, which I did and it showed the check engine light illuminated on the dash. He advised that the vehicle should be able to be driven to the dealership rather than needing a tow, so I cancelled the roadside assistance. On May 12, 2023, the dealership informed me that they did not find anything wrong and said I could pick the vehicle back up since they couldn't replicate the issue. On my drive home, the exact same issue happened and in a panic I pulled off on the same highway with posted speeds of 70mph. The car was at the dealership from May 12 2023 - June 26 2023. The dealership replaced the valve body and transmission. On [XXX], while driving with two young children [XXX] and [XXX] ) on the same highway with posted speeds of 70mph, I received the same dash message. The highway was very busy that day and the concern was escalated with my young children in the vehicle. I was able to pull off. I turned off my vehicle, turned it back on, which put it in limp mode so I could putter to a safer spot than the middle of an off-ramp. I turned it off once more and restarted it, and it allowed me to drive with the check engine light. The next day (XXX), I took it to the dealership and they just confirmed today (7/23/24) it once again needs a new transmission. So I have been put in an extremely unsafe condition 3 times in just over a year with no new resolution beyond just trying to replace the transmission once again. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V436000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
After having the car serviced to fix the recall, my car stopped running while on the freeway at 60mph. This is now the 3rd time in less than 10 days that this has happened. I had the transmission replaced previously to fix this issue but it has returned.
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.
Vehicle stopped running on the interstate [XXX] [XXX]. Barely ran with electric motor about 7 miles an hour. Took it to Dick Hanna Chrysler July 9, 2020 in Vancouver Washington and they did a software update recall 03A? On [XXX] The car stopped running again on the interstate. Took it to the same dealer and now they tell me the power inverter module Needs to be replaced. The part is not available. It is dangerous for a vehicle to stop running, especially on a high speed interstate. No timeframe as to when problem will be solved. Car still at the dealer as of today, July 23 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I am having a problem with my under-warranty (32,000 miles) 2021 Chrysler Pacifica which the service department at my dealership appears unable to help. I was driving on an interstate in stop-and-go traffic for a couple of hours. It was a very hot day, temperatures well above 90 degrees. Six times over 15 minutes the following occurred: While coasting/braking, so at low RPM the engine turned itself off I braked to stop the vehicle The vehicle put itself into Park A message on the dash said to place my foot on the brake pedal and press the button to start the engine I did so, and the engine cranked for an unusually long time, becoming longer each of the 6 times, before eventually starting By the last time we were doubtful it would start at all After the 6th time I cut my long-distance trip short, turned around, and came home in normal (not stop-and-go) highway traffic conditions, with no more engine failure. The check engine light did not turn on, and no service codes were generated which could have been related to these power failures My local dealer's service department (Pohanka in Salisbury, MD) tested the alternator, starter, and battery and found nothing wrong. They did charge the battery up a bit, saying it took only 20 minutes. They have been unable to re-create the problem, which is not surprising, due to the unique conditions under which it happened. They say there is nothing they can do about my problem under warranty because there is no code and they can't reproduce the problem, so they want to give me back a vehicle that we know behaved unsafely six times under dangerous conditions. Engines failing without warning on interstates are likely to result in being rear-ended. I see online that the hybrid model of the same model year has a recall for exactly this same issue, so it is not a new issue for Chrysler, although maybe new-ish for my non-hybrid model of the same vehicle.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026