What 223 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Phev

On Sunday, November 5, 2023, our 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid caught fire in our garage. Please refer to the attached PDF which details the incident. I have pictures and videos of the incident as well as a report from the fire department is being prepared. We have placed home and auto claims with our insurance provider, and we are also working with a disaster recovery company who is compiling a report on the damages and losses. - What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? My educated guess from what I witnessed and discussions with the firefighters is it was the car’s electric battery. - How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Refer to PDF; further would this have happened at night and as discussed with the fire department, the toxic smoke, heat, and fire/explosion would very likely have caused the situation to have a much more catastrophic outcome. - Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? I do not know specifically; however, please note PDF related to NHTSA Recall # 20V-334 we had completed in September 2023. - Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Refer to PDF; after the fire was extinguished and at the directive of the fire department, the car was taken to a local salvage yard for safety/risk of reigniting. - Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Refer to PDF; no, there were no warning signs other than the smell that morning and the service charging system notification after I unplugged the vehicle. We had driven the van the previous day with no issues, and when my wife left the house around 930 that morning through the garage, she did not notice a smell or anything unusual.

NHTSA ODI 11555014

Pacifica Hybrid Limited found completely dead in our driveway and unresponsive to the remote. I manually unlocked the driver door, no usual dash indications, opened the hood and found the 12v battery system at 2.9v. It would not start & no responses or indications. There had been no warnings or indications of any problems prior to this. The car prevented my 6 A charger from charging the battery while it was connected to the car. I jump started the car with a known good battery, removed the jump, and allowed the engine to charge the car battery some. I decided to take no chances and replace the 12v battery. I turned the car to the OFF state via the dash push button. The car was never moved out of P park. I left it to go purchase a new 12v battery. I returned 2 hours later with a new battery to find the car in the street and having knocked over my neighbors 700-800 lb brick mail box. A police report was filed, pictures taken, and I jump started the car with the new battery. It started normally and I backed it up under its own power into my driveway where I replaced the 12v battery without incident. The car has operated normally with no warnings or indications of a problem before and since the incident. The car on its own and while OFF, unlocked the transmission park pawl allowing the car to roll 80 feet down a very mild slope and across the street to crash into my neighbor’s mail box when the 12v battery failed. There was no occupant, and no key fob was present. My quick search has found at least 3 other incidents with this same model, where the 12v battery failed and the car, on its own, unlocked the transmission allowing it to roll away. Of the 4 incidents I am aware of, 3 resulted in collisions and property damage. NHTSA 11173732 Pacifica Forum post: 597914, member: 76986 Pacifica Forum post: 543399, member: 66469 It’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed by this defect. Chrysler is aware. The car and battery are available for inspect

NHTSA ODI 11503642

I was driving on the highway when the check engine light came on and it started running rough. I pulled off the highway and into a parking lot. When I slowed down, I heard a clanging that sounded like metal on metal. After parking, smoke started pouring out from under the hood and it erupted in flames. The vehicle was destroyed.

NHTSA ODI 11494293

AS OF 1/14/20 CHRYSLER AND KEVIN PIKE FROM NEDERVELD ARE STILL INVESTIGATING. ON 9/20 AROUND 5AM WE WERE AWOKE TO AN EXPLOSION SOUND. IT WAS OUR GARAGE DOOR BEING BLOWN TO THE STREET AND THE INTERIOR GARAGE DOOR BEING BLOWN INWARDS. THIS WAS DUE TO A FIRE THAT STARTED IN OUR GARAGE CONFIRMED TO HAVE STARTED WHERE THE PACIFICA WAS PARKED. THE PACIFICA HAD BEEN PLUGGED IN TO A JUICEBOX CHARGER PROFESSIONALLY WIRED WITH A DEDICATED 220V OUTLET SINCE AROUND 7PM THE PREVIOUS EVENING. I BELIEVE SOMETHING MALFUNCTIONED WITH THE CAR'S ELECTRIC BATTERY CAUSING IT TO START A FIRE THAT BUILT UP IN THE GARAGE AND EVENTUALLY CAUSED A TOTAL LOSS OF OUR HOME AND EVERYTHING INSIDE IT. WE DID NOT HAVE ANY OTHER FLAMMABLE OR EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCES IN THE GARAGE BESIDES A 1 GALLON GAS CONTAINER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GARAGE CONFIRMED TO NOT BE NEAR THE START OF THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN COMPLETELY DRAINED OF BATTERY THE PREVIOUS DAY, PLUGGED IN AND WAS CHARGING OVERNIGHT. THIS DESCRIPTION ALSO MATCHES THE SAME DESCRIPTION 2 OTHER FAMILIES HAVE POSTED ONLINE OF THEIR PACIFICA CATCHING FIRE BUT THEIR VEHICLES WERE PARKED OUTSIDE SO DID NOT BURN DOWN THEIR HOMES AND NO INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED.*DT*JB*DT *DT*JB*DT*JB*DT THE CONSUMER PROVIDED PHOTOS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11299263

PHEV VAN WAS CHARGING OVERNIGHT WHILE PLUGGED INTO HOUSE OUTLET (110V) USING MANUFACTURER SUPPLIED CHARGING CABLE. AT AROUND 7 AM WE HEARD AN EXPLOSION AND FOUND THE VAN BURNING IN OUR DRIVEWAY. VEHICLE WAS QUICKLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. FIRE TRUCK PUT IT OUT AFTER ARRIVING (~5-6 MINUTES, I THINK). NO ONE WAS INJURED, IN OR NEAR THE CAR WHEN IT HAPPENED. A NEST CAMERA ACROSS THE STREET SHOWED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SMOKING PRIOR TO THE EXPLOSION. *BF*JB *DT *DT*DT INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*JB *TR

NHTSA ODI 11220341

TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE, IT STARTED HAVING NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL ISSUES. FINALLY ON A FRIDAY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CALLED TH DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN THE NEXT WEEK. WENT TO WORK. (BATTERY HAS BEEN FULLY CHARGED) CAME OUT OF WORK AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THEN IT STARTED GOING CRAZY. WIPERS GOING. LIGHTS FLASHING. DOES WOULDN'T OPEN. ALL WITHOUT CAR BEING TURNED ON. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY GAVE ME A LOANER AND TOWED THE CAR TO THEIR LOT. THE NEXT MORNING I RECEIVED A CALL THAT THE VEHICLE HAD ROLLED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE OVERNIGHT AND CRASHED. ON ITS OWN. WITH NO KEYS IN IT DEALERAHIP IS LEWIS CHRYSLER IN FAYETTEVILLE AR AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM THEIR SECURITY CAMERAS. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO RETRACT MY CONTRACT FOR PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE AND BUY ANOTHER ONE. AND LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT. THESE VEHICLES ARE NOT SAFE AND NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED. A WEEK BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY STREET GOING 45MPH AND THE CAR SHUT OFF. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO A PARKING LOT AND RESTART IT BUT IT COULD'VE BEEN MUCH WORSE. IF YOU GO ON PACIFICAFORUMS.COM THERE ARE SO MANY STORIES OF SIMILAR ISSUES. SOME MUCH SCARIER.

NHTSA ODI 11173732

CAR STALLED AND BEGAN SMOKING PROFUSELY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE AFTER BEING STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. CAR WAS REPAIRED AS PER RECALL (WHICH WAS KNOWN ABOUT AT THE TIME BUT WE WERE TOLD IT SHOULD NOT HAVE AFFECTED OUR CAR). CAR CONTINUED TO SMELL OF SMOKE AFTER TRANSITION FROM ELECTRIC TO GAS MODE. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PINPOINT WHY.*DT*JB *DT*JB

NHTSA ODI 11172281

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHRYSLER PACIFICA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE EMITTED A BURNING ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO LIA CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM NORTHAMPTON (263 KING STREET, NORTHAMPTON, MA 01060, (855) 315-8182) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE BURNING ODOR. THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE BATTERY WAS DISCHARGED. THE BATTERY WAS RECHARGED, BUT NOT REPLACED. THE ODOR RECURRED WHILE DRIVING HOME AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BAYSIDE CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE (212 NORTHERN BLVD, BAYSIDE, NY 11361, (718) 229-8700) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS CLOGGED AND WAS NOT PERFORMING NORMALLY. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V740000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

NHTSA ODI 11162163

ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING

NHTSA ODI 11160705

WHILE DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY ON THE HIGHWAY AT AROUND 70MPH, WE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. I COASTED TO THE SHOULDER, ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC, WITH CARS PASSING AT 60+ MPH ON BOTH SIDES. ONCE STOPPED, WE NOTICED THE SMELL OF FIRE AND EVACUATED THE VECHICLE. CAR IS AT DEALERSHIP AWAITING REPAIR, TECHNICIAN STATED VECHICLE STILL SMELLED LIKE FIRE WHEN THEY PULLED IT INTO THE SHOP THE MORNING AFTER THE INCIDENT. TECHNICIAN ALSO STATED THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE RELATED TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER.

NHTSA ODI 11143318

WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREET VEHICLE LOST ALL PROPULSION WITH WARNING LIGHTS ON. PUSHED CAR TO SAFE AREA AND NOTICED BURNING SMELL WHICH WAS GETTING WORSE. EVACUATED VEHICLE AND NOTICED BURNING SMELL INTENSIFYING. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, WHERE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS PERFORMED AS WELL AS BOTH CATALYTIC CONVERTERS REPLACED WITH ASSOCIATED EXHAUST PIPING DUE TO SEVERE HEAT DAMAGE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE RECENT OVER THE AIR UPDATE CAUSED THE FUEL MIX TO BE RICH AND THE EXHAUST TEMPERATURE TO EXCEED SAFE LIMITS. ENTIRE VEHICLE COULD HAVE BURNED WHICH WOULD HAVE IGNITED THE LITHIUM BATTERIES CAUSING AN EXPLOSION.

NHTSA ODI 11141974

WE PURCHASED A NEW 2018 CHRYSLER PACIFICA HYBRID ON SEPTEMBER 3RD. YESTERDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD, WE LEFT TO GO ON A VACATION. LESS THAN 30 MINUTES INTO OUR TRIP (WITH 3 MILES REMAINING ELECTRIC RANGE) WE HEARD A CLUNK AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AS THE ELECTRIC RANGE WENT OUT WE LOST ALL PROPULSION, AND MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO STEER IT ONTO AN EXIT RAMP AS BLACK SMOKE BEGAN BILLOWING FROM BENEATH THE HOOD. WE AND OUR TWO CHILDREN AND MY UNCLE ALL EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE HOOD WAS POPPED AND A HERO UNIT ARRIVED, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS IN FLAMES. WE WERE ASKED TO GET AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AS ANOTHER FIRE TRUCK ARRIVED. KNOWING THE AMOUNT OF LITHIUM ION BATTERIES ON BOARD, A FIRE, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT STARTED INEXPLICABLY, WAS TERRIFYING. WE HAVE NOT HAD A RESPONSE FROM OUR CHRYSLER DEALER, AT THIS TIME. ... *BF...*BF. UPDATED 10/29/18*JB UPDATED 10/31/18*JB

NHTSA ODI 11130931

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHRYSLER PACIFICA HYBRID. WHILE THE CONTACT'S WIFE WAS DRIVING 70 MPH, AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND THE HOOD WAS LIFTED, THE CONTACT NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE ENGINE IN FRONT OF THE FIREWALL. THE FIRE MARSHALL EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND THE POLICE FILED REPORT NUMBER: 2018-2716. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS UNKNOWN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN UNKNOWN CHRYSLER DEALER, BUT HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. IT WAS UNKNOWN IF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,900. CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE STATUS IS IN LIMBO. CHRYSLER STATED "WE ARE UNABLE TO DISCUSS THE CASE DUE TO AN OPEN ONGOING INVESTIGATION." AS OF THIS NEXT SATURDAY, 6 OCTOBER, IT WILL BE 3 WEEKS THAT THE VEHICLE WILL BE SITTING ON THE DEALERSHIP LOT. UPDATED 10/18/18*JB ...*BF *BF. UPDATED 10/31/18*JB

NHTSA ODI 11130465

TWO WEEKS INTO OWNERSHIP AND WITH ONLY 750 MILES DRIVEN, THE ENGINE STARTED SMOKING AND CAUGHT FIRE WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY FAMILY TO LUNCH. I WAS HEADING EASTBOUND ON HIGHWAY 18 IN WASHINGTON STATE, TOWARD I-90. *BF *BF *DSY UPDATED 10/31/18*JB

NHTSA ODI 11129517

FRONT COLLISION WARNING AND BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE WHEN THIS SAFETY MECHANISM HAS BEEN FUNCTIONING IN THE PAST. WE WERE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN TRAFFIC WHEN THE TRUCK AHEAD OF US BRAKED SUDDENLY. OUR PACIFICA REAR-ENDED THIS VEHICLE AT ABOUT 25-30MPH. NO AUDIBLE OR VISUAL FRONT COLLISION WARNING OCCURRED AND THE AUTOMATED EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT ENGAGE.

NHTSA ODI 11118038