What 162 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Awd

THE VEHICLE WILL HARD SHIFT RANDOMLY. THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON SOMETIMES AND THE ENGINE LOSSES SPEED AND POWER WHILE DRIVEING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. I CAN SOMETIMES CUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND MAKE IT HOME SAFELY OTHER TIMES IT WILL NOT LET ME DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT ALL. WE HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER AND THEY SAY THEY CANT DIAGNOSE IF LIGHT ISNT ON. MOST OF THE TIME WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON I CANT MAKE IT TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WILL NOT DRIVE. IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE SCANNER FROMA INDEPENDENT SERVICE CENTER.

NHTSA ODI 11658224

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the shock absorbers, radiator, and brake discs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. On another occasion, the vehicle seized to function as needed. The contact took the vehicle to the independent mechanic and the vehicle was diagnosed with timing chain failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 161,500.

NHTSA ODI 11653534

Both middle seats have failed. The cable that allows the seat to slide tilt forward has a Very strong spring and a very weak plastic housing. The replacement cable is unavailable because they’ve had so many issues with this happening. There are Years of complaints on Reddit regarding this problem. The seat won’t lock upright or lock in place. I built a workaround to make the seat usable again

NHTSA ODI 11652462

The Backup Camera is intermittent. One time it works and I can see what’s behind Me. The next time I go to backup, I get a blue screen. The next time I get fuzzy squiggly line. Once in a while I’ll see behind Me but it doesn’t move with Me, like the screen is stuck. There are several complaints of this on Reddit as well. I went to the dealership and they did a software update which did not change this issue. The dealership wants to charge a massive charge to ‘look at it and see if they can fix it’. They’re not even sure if they’ll be able to fix it.

NHTSA ODI 11652467

The entertainment system when super cold outside the screen goes black and does not work. The issue has made it difficult then to change heating and cooling settings and utilize the rear view camera and other safety features of the car. The dealership was able to update it to fix it once then the other two times it came back on before the appointment for the dealership. The auto/stop start malfunctioned while waiting at light.putting my whole car in park and locked up until I turned it off and back on. This occurred twice and put me at risk with being on busy roads in the day. Dealership was able to fix with a new battery. In the past and currently the car has shifted with a Jerk or lunge type movement making the driver worried and concerned about hitting cars around them due to this. The dealership replaced a transmission gasket but still does this and have not been able to find the issue on 3 other occasions. The car also is now not shifting properly creating a low humming grind type sound when driving on the highway and the brake pedal feeling weird. This has delayed speeding up and slowing down creating major safety concerns when driving on the highway. The dealership has not been able to replicate yet due to only driving on town roads and not the highway at this time.

NHTSA ODI 11652653

The auto engine start-stop stopped working approx 2 years ago. Last week (early March 2025) my wife called and was panicking that “the engine stopped and the steering locked” while driving and a warning light and message appeared in the dash display - something like “service power steering”. I said it sounds like an electrical issue and she needs to add power steering fluid so I purchased a jug and went to meet her. While driving toward her location she called and said she looked online and found that her Pacifica has electric power steering, not hydraulic type. When I arrived the vehicle was working as normal and the message and warning light had disappeared. The same problem has repeated nearly ever day since then except the vehicle engine has not stopped. She claimed that she could not physically turn the wheel during these episodes and I tried to tell he that it is only because her forward speed is low and when going faster I said that it would steer easier - so I though from having no power steering in a few pickups back in the 1970s. Then I was driving this vehicle with her on 3/7/2025 in the mountains and the power steering failed and we nearly crashed at 35 mph as I could barely navigate the oncoming sharp corner. The power steering remained in a failed state for another few miles then came back on for a few miles, then failed again. The force required to steer the vehicle when the power steering fails is extremely high and I hate to think how many deaths and injuries this issue may have already caused. I came to your website and was stunned to see an existing recall for this exact issue, but stunned it doesn’t include our vehicle and therefore we have not been contacted - THIS ISSUE IS BEYOND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND WILL LEAD TO DEATH AND INJURY FOR DRIVERS WHO LACK AVERAGE STRENGTH!!! Please immediately expand the reach of the existing recall to contact all cars that have these electric power steering systems - you currently do not have all of us!!!

NHTSA ODI 11647259

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the stop service message displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 108,800.

NHTSA ODI 11646190

2020 Pacifica keeps stalling. From a stop light or stop sign the vehicle will lurch forward without warning. Recently, from a strip mall I stopped before pulling out into traffic and the vehicle lunged forward peeling rubber and shot onto the main road and I had to slam on the brakes to get the vehicle under control. At the next stop light, it stalled and I couldn't get it started. I'm handicapped and I had to exit the vehicle with my canes and advised the driver behind me of the problem. I've made 5 trips to the dealer with this problem. The dealer replaced a crankshaft postion on one trip and the fuel pump on another visit. If you leave the vehicle set for about an hour everything goes back to normal until the next time it stall, which is the next time I use the vehicle. More recently I picked up my vehicle from the dealer on February 14th, put 24 miles on it. I didn't use the vehicle on [XXX]. I then drove six miles on [XXX] for a total of 30 miles and it stalled again. The dealer South Hills Chrysler Jeep keeps telling me they can't duplicate what I'm telling them are the problems with the vehicle. I don't know if it is a transmission or what. I called Chrysler customer service and spoke with a man named Sahil. I explained the issues with the vehicle and he contacted the dealer and parroted what the dealer said to me, they can't duplicate what I am saying is wrong with the vehicle. This was on February 28th. My van has been setting at the dealer since February 18th and I haven't boo from the dealer since. Sahil is to call me tomorrow the 5th of March , but I don't expect any information from him that will resolve the issue. I am [XXX] and [XXX], I need this van for hauling [XXX} for doctor's appointments and other issues that surface. This problem of stalling started back on the middle of November, 2024, again the middle of December, 2024 and again the middle of January, 2025. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11646248

Car start/stop system not operating properly; batteries are not able to keep charge after replacing several times; car unexpectedly stops and unexpectedly jerks. Back up camera and screen freezes unexpectedly . These are all ongoing and continue to be unresolved by local Chrysler dealership

NHTSA ODI 11642862

Unknown When driving on expressway the vehicle will intermittently shut off and not allow acceleration. After waiting 5-20 mins the vehicle can be started and driving can continue but there is no warning when malfunction will happen. It happens 7/10 times only when driving on expressway.

NHTSA ODI 11641289

Power steering failure with a code. This will disabled the car.

NHTSA ODI 11641450

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the gear shifter independently shifted from drive to park. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission solenoid shift sensor failure. The contact was informed that the transmission solenoid shift sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11639301

Electrical system issues. Had to replace both batteries in the pacifica. The van jerks or grinds while trying to shift. Now the oil pan is warping which can cause the coolant to mix with the oil causing a safety hazard.

NHTSA ODI 11638079

I came to a stop at a stop sign yet again & the emergency brake engaged & put the car in park & shut itself off. I’ve lost count of how many of these forms I’ve filled out & how many times it’s happened and NOTHING IS GETTING SOLVED!!

NHTSA ODI 11631143

The car was running great, but then I had the check engine light on. When I checked the vehicle with an OBDD2, I got P0303 (misfired cylinder 3). A mechanic expert and I checked the vehicle for a possible blown head gasket, low compression, and defective spark plugs, and all was good. The car is a 2020 Chrysler pacifica and should have problems of this kind

NHTSA ODI 11629799

Our Chrysler Pacifica caught fire in the passenger cabin, appearing to start near the 2nd row drivers side passenger seat. The fire department said it was an electrical fire.

NHTSA ODI 11628722

While driving down the highway car makes a pop sounds and shuts completely down. Would not start again for 4+ minutes. Upon a quick google search learned this happens a lot with this vehicle and was apparently recalled and fixed in the past and seeing how this vehicle has no open recalls that was supposedly fixed. However this is the 2nd time it has done it with us alone

NHTSA ODI 11626495

Van randomly shut off at stop light.

NHTSA ODI 11625645

Came to a stop at a stop light & the emergency brake engage, the van went in park & shut off. It has done it twice in a week now.

NHTSA ODI 11625644

When the car is stopped at a light, traffic or a stop sign the start/stop will throw the car into park, shut off the vehicle and put on the parking brake on. I have to start the vehicle back up and take the parking brake off to move forward. A light comes on saying the stop/start is not working. We have replaced the car battery and auxiliary battery for the start/stop feature which were purchased at the dealership. This has become a hazard to me while driving. This has happened numerous times and when I start the car, I will turn off the stop/start feature. This alleviates the problem but is not a solution.

NHTSA ODI 11623478

My van once again gave the stop safely, vehicle will shut off soon & stopped right in the middle of the intersection. I’ve lost count on how many times this has happened!!

NHTSA ODI 11621435

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11621548

Car started to rock and the engine light came on with a cylinder 3 misfire code (P0303). We replaced the spark plug and coil on cylinder 3 and the issue resolved temporarily. About 48 hours later the rocking and engine light came back on with the same error code. We swapped the spark plug and coil on cylinder 3 for those on cylinder 1. The check engine light turned off but we would still get the rocking intermittently. We also noticed the coolant level was low and there are water vapor coming from the exhaust in the morning when starting the engine. The engine temperature never got hot that we noticed. We refilled the coolant level but it would slowly drop, and we felt there may be a leak or, with the cylinder 3 misfire, there may be a blown head gasket. We tried a K-seal coolant leak repair. This stopped the coolant leak and rocking for a few weeks, but the leak and engine rocking started to return. We took it to an auto-body shop and, after flushing the line, they checked the engine head gasket which had a leak on cylinder 3 (and apparently cylinder 1 was also starting to go bad). This had to be replaced along with a bad radiator fan assembly. After looking online, there have been very similar issues with other Pacifica engine head gaskets, so we decided to file a report.

NHTSA ODI 11620420

The battery doors have both broke causing the batteries not to stay in the headsets. The headsets work but since the battery doors are broke you can't keep the batteries in the headsets.

NHTSA ODI 11618856

I’m experiencing persistent issues with my 2020 Chrysler engine. While driving, the engine frequently shuts down unexpectedly, often resembling a start-stop feature. When I come to a stop, the engine and lights go out, and the vehicle won’t restart, which is particularly concerning while in traffic. Additionally, when accelerating, I notice a jolt in the engine followed by a loud knocking sound. These problems significantly affect the vehicle's performance and pose a serious safety risk. I would appreciate any guidance on diagnosing and resolving these issues.

NHTSA ODI 11618454