What 190 owners told NHTSA about the 2022 Chrysler Pacifica

Our hybrid vehicle has been recalled per the Chrysler Pacifica battery recall. The letter says this is a dangerous fire hazard, needs to be repaired immediately, and we must stop charging our battery until fixed. The dealership has told us it will take 3 days to repair, but is only providing a replacement vehicle for one day. Surely this is not appropriate.

NHTSA ODI 11748337

I am reporting an ongoing, catastrophic safety defect and corporate suppression regarding Chrysler Recall 03A (NHTSA Campaign 23V010) on my 2022 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The official recall remedy has repeatedly failed to prevent total electrical system depletion and unexpected motive power shutdown in the field, leaving my family in extreme danger. On March 3, 2023, at 6,000 miles, the vehicle suffered a complete, un-warned motive power shutdown while I was driving my two young children on a rural highway. The vehicle stalled dead on an incline in the middle of a lane. The brakes failed to engage automatically, so I couldn’t evacuate my children because I had to keep my foot on the brake. Cars had to swerve around our vehicle at 55 MPH, as it was on a blind corner. My children were deeply traumatized; my autistic child was completely inconsolable and now suffers from an ongoing, severe psychological fear surrounding this vehicle stopping unexpectedly. We were only saved from a crash because a passerby stopped to help after about 15 minutes. The dealership subsequently applied the Recall 03A software update and replaced the 12V battery. This recall remedy has utterly failed. The replacement 12V battery died again in May 2025 and died a third time in June 2026, proving a chronic electrical defect exists. The dealership refused to perform parasitic draw testing, refused diagnostics, and simply charged the battery, stating 'it's fine.' Chrysler corporate support subjected me to a cycle of unresponsive case managers. One manager promised a buyback review within 3 days, but instead, a subsequent manager closed my file. Corporate explicitly refused to escalate the vehicle to their STAR technical team and flatly refused to provide copies of my warranty and service records. I explained to both corporate and the dealership that I don’t feel safe driving this car without further diagnostics but corporate refused to authorize, stating they stood by the dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11748250

The contact owns a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V362000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the message "Battery Over Heated" was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure mileage was 61,000.

NHTSA ODI 11747990

Upon attempting to charge the vehicle with factory supplied Level 1 charger, a dashboard message appeared stating "Service Charging System" and the vehicle would not charge. Took the vehicle to a service station and scanned the vehicle. Listed error code is p0d27-00. The code could not be cleared and the vehicle was unable to be charged. Vehicle had to be taken to a Chrysler dealer for the code to be cleared in order to charging capability to be restored. This was considered a "software" issue and not covered under the vehicles warranty - despite it directly affecting the fuel/hybrid propulsion system. This defect and inability to clear the code means the vehicle cannot be charged, reducing its range and fuel economy, and increasing emissions. This is a critical issue and should not incur customer expense to have the code cleared.

NHTSA ODI 11746134

We got a notice that said to pull over because the vehicle will shut down. We did and the vehicle shut down and went into red turtle mode only a few seconds after the indicator light appeared. This was unsafe in our situation and would be very unsafe at highway speeds or in busy traffic. The dealer has not been able to reproduce the issue (although has confirmed the error code) but will also not confirm that the car is safe for us to drive. The car is still at the dealer. They will not fix the car unless the error code is replicated. We do not feel comfortable driving the car until it is fixed or they are willing to confirm it is safe to drive. It has been more than 2 months with no progress.

NHTSA ODI 11744786

This vehicle has experienced three separate powertrain failures stemming from the same transmission defect (DTC P0A43 — Drive Motor Position Sensor, eFlite transmission). Incident 1 — April 19, 2026: Complete sudden loss of motive power on the highway with family aboard. Vehicle towed to Castle Rock Chrysler CDJR. Failed Repair — May 8, 2026: Chrysler corporate mandated a software flash rather than a hardware repair. Vehicle failed identically within 10 miles of pickup in live highway traffic. Towed back same day. Incident 3 — June 6, 2026: A replacement transmission was installed. Within one week of pickup, a progressive transmission whine developed followed by visible smoke from the engine compartment while driving. Vehicle was immediately pulled over and towed to avoid a third highway failure. Chrysler's own STAR engineering team (TSB 21-014-26) has documented this as a known defect requiring transmission rebuild or replacement. Chrysler blocked a full transmission replacement for over 5 weeks citing backorder, then located one within hours when a repurchase review was requested. This defect causes sudden loss of motive power at highway speeds with no warning, creating an immediate safety hazard. I am requesting NHTSA investigate this defect pattern on 2022 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid vehicles and evaluate whether a safety recall is warranted.

NHTSA ODI 11742633

Rearback up camera intermittently unavailable even after recall with software update. Sometimes is distorted and delayed, sometimes blue or black screen and says camera unavailable. Have to repeatedly reboot camera system.

NHTSA ODI 11740296

1. Most emergency lights come on while the vehicle's brake engages automatically. The brake then pumps up and down on its own if any pressure is applied. Shortly after, the vehicle goes into "limp mode". The vehicle is currently at a Chrysler Dealership service department and available for inspection. 2. This has occurred 8 times since the vehicle was purchased in October 2024. All but one time, it has happened while driving. Once it happened while on a major highway. I had to quickly veer into a turn lane so our vehicle was not rearended by another car. Another time, I was driving my children to school and it happened about 10 seconds before crossing the worst intersection in our city. That could have resulted in a major crash based on the history of that intersection. A third time, I was traveling at about 40 miles an hour when warnings came on and the brake started to engage. Luckily, I had just gotten off a major highway and I was able to get to the side of the road. 3. The problem has been confirmed by a dealer, since it happened while I was in their service parking lot. However, they have been unable to recreate, find the source of, or fix the issue after 7 times of servicing it. 4. I am unsure whether the manufacturer has sent anyone outside of the dealer's service department to inspect the vehicle. We have been in contact with the manufacturer directly since December 26, 2025 in relation to this issue. Our extended warranty company may have had an inspector out on the first visit to the dealership for the issue, but no one since that I am aware of. 5. Emergency messages have included: Service Electronic Stability Control, Service Charging System, Service Hybrid Electronic Vehicle System, Auto Emergency Braking Unavailable Service Required. Multiple emergency lights come on including: Check Engine, Electronic Throttle Control, Electronic Stability Control Active, Service Forward Collision Warning. The first incident was January 22, 2025.

NHTSA ODI 11740092

My 2022 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has developed a dangerous rear brake system malfunction. During a dealer inspection on 4/27/26, the certified technician confirmed that the rear brake pads are only contacting approximately 50% of the rotor surface, leaving the remaining half completely unused and heavily corroded. This is not normal corrosion or wear. It is a mechanical failure in which the pads are not engaging the rotor correctly. The technician also stated that the pads were sticking in the caliper slides, which prevented full engagement. This is a functional defect in the brake hardware, not environmental corrosion. Corrosion does not selectively prevent half of a brake pad from engaging the rotor unless the caliper mechanism is not operating properly. This defect results in: Reduced rear braking force Increased stopping distance Excessive load on the front brakes Potential loss of stability during emergency braking Possible degradation of the parking brake The vehicle was serviced on 9/23/25 (tire rotation + NYS inspection) and 12/10/24 (four new tires + NYS inspection). No rear brake issues were identified at either visit. If this were normal corrosion, it would have been visible during those inspections. The sudden onset of severe partial engagement by 4/27/26 indicates a latent mechanical defect, not gradual wear. Chrysler/Stellantis has refused to classify this as a defect and instead labels it “corrosion,” despite the technician’s findings of pad binding in the slides and improper brake engagement. The manufacturer’s internal system blocks any warranty or engineering review because it incorrectly categorizes the failure as routine maintenance. This is a premature and unsafe brake system failure at only 33,000 miles. The braking system is not operating as designed, and the defect could lead to reduced braking performance or loss of control. I am requesting NHTSA’s review of this issue as a potential safety defect affecting the rear brake system

NHTSA ODI 11739359

Driving down a highway at 70 mph and a notification popped up saying to pull over and turn off the vehicle because the engine would shut down soon. I lost the ability to accelerate and impeded traffic. Had to pull over on the side of the road with minimal shoulder. This has happened dozens of times; all at high rates of speed and often in heavy traffic.

NHTSA ODI 11738961

My 2022 Pacifica Hybrid has experienced a total loss of motor propulsion THREE times in the last 8 days at highway (or near-highway) speeds. The car issued a warning to "Stop Safely Vehicle will Shut Off Soon" and had a turtle light appear along with a check engine light and I experienced no power going to the wheels on the highway. This included TWO incidents after a recall repair that was completed to supposedly fix this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11738771

My 2022 Chrysler Pacifica PHEV has experienced three separate complete losses of motive power at highway speed, each preceded only by a brief dashboard warning to pull over safely. First occurrence: April 18, 2026. Second: May 7, 2026 — vehicle towed to Spitzer Motor City (Cleveland, OH), an authorized Stellantis dealer. Dealer replaced the Power Inverter Module hardware under warranty (R.O. 42463CY). Third occurrence: May 17, 2026 — just five days after the repair. Notably, the battery was at 40% on the third occurrence, meaning the engine had not cycled on, distinguishing this failure from the prior two. The root cause is the internal transmission wiring harness connector short identified in NHTSA Recall 03A (23V-010). Per NHTSA's own ODI investigation (RQ24-004), the software recall remedy does not prevent loss of motive power. TSB 21-008-23 / Warranty Extension XE1 identifies full transmission replacement as the correct fix. The dealer did not perform a transmission replacement. The safety risk is severe — complete, sudden loss of drive power at interstate speeds with minimal warning creates immediate rear-end collision risk. The defect has been confirmed by the authorized dealer. The transmission assembly is available for inspection. No police or insurance involvement. This VIN currently shows zero open recalls, suggesting the incomplete repair was logged as satisfying Recall 03A.

NHTSA ODI 11738423

Traveling on an interstate at 75 mph (posted speed limit) and a warning popped up telling us to pull over bc the engine will shut off. We lost acceleration and could not continue with the flow of traffic. Had to cross through multiple lanes of traffic without the ability to accelerate. This has happened several times in this vehicle. I feel unsafe driving.

NHTSA ODI 11732971

I was traveling on the freeway at approximately 65 miles per hour. I slowed to approximately 50 miles per hour to pass a disabled vehicle and began accelerating again when the dash displayed a message that said "Stop Safely- Vehicle will Shut off soon" the check engine light, a red turtle light also lit up. I had to make a quick maneuver to the far right lane putting myself and other vehicles at risk to avoid the car shutting down in the middle of the freeway. I wanted to get closer to an exit so I continued driving slowly on the shoulder. The wouldn’t accelerate, so whatever speed I let it get down to was the fastest it would go. At the exit I was concerned I wouldn’t have enough power to make it up the hill so I shut off the car. I let it sit for a couple of minutes and then turned it back on. It turned on with the check engine light still on . I then drove it straight to the dealership using surface streets and keeping my speed around 40-45 miles per hour. This was the second time this vehicle has experience this kind of loss of power. The first time happened in July 2024 and resulted in a full transmission replacement. This incident constitutes a dangerous loss of motive power at highway speeds. The failure mode appears identical to the issues described in NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-010 (Chrysler Recall 03A), yet this vehicle has already had a full transmission replacement for this exact issue in the past.

NHTSA ODI 11732606

The contact owns a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud sound coming from the engine with the message "Service Hybrid System" displayed. The sound was noticeable while accelerating and decelerating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but no DTC was retrieved; however, the contact was informed that the transmission control module needed to be reprogrammed. The TCM was reprogrammed; however, the issue persisted with a high-pitched whining sound. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000.

NHTSA ODI 11731506

While driving on the highway, the vehicle unexpectedly entered “limp mode”. Approximately 10 seconds before the vehicle reduced power, a warning message appeared indicating the vehicle was about to shut down. This created a dangerous situation because we were traveling in the middle lane of a highway with vehicles moving at significantly higher speeds on both sides. We were able to carefully move to the side of the road and eventually exit the highway; however, the vehicle was limited to approximately 15–20 mph and could not safely travel at normal speeds due to limp mode. There is an existing recall related to this issue. The vehicle had already received the software update that provides advance warning before shutdown. While the warning is helpful, it does not address the underlying safety issue, which appears to be related to a hardware problem involving faulty transmission wiring rather than software alone.

NHTSA ODI 11729241

At Random, the dashboard will light up with a red brake light, the check engine light, front end collision warning, and the ABS warning light. IT gives me several messages as well. Service electronic stability control, Auto emergency Braking Active Braking off, Auto emergency Braking unavailable Service Required. When this happens the brake pedal is impossible to push and it takes every ounce of power to get the vehicle to stop. This is no warning that this is coming and it happens most often when you are driving. This puts myself and my family at risk as well as everyone that is driving near me when this happens. It has been repaired 6 times by 2 different dealerships, and it still isn't fixed.

NHTSA ODI 11729139

The vehicle completely stopped and shut off while driving on the roadway. Luckily no one was behind me. The check engine light did come on right before but it wasn’t on long enough for me to get somewhere to stop and check it out. There had not been any issues prior to this. The vehicle is still being serviced but they said it was the 12v battery and electric coolant heater that needs replacing so far.

NHTSA ODI 11728701

My vehicle has been saying engine will shut off soon, and loses power . Transmission is the issue as I have had it diagnosed 3 times with the code P0a43. Mazda dealership which I purchased the vehicle verified by running a diagnostic.engine light comes on after the vehicle shuts off. Me and my children’s safety is at risk due to it stopping multiple times on freeway also stopping at a stoplight that was around a curve with blind spot . Has stopped on a two lane road with no emergency lane. Stopped at another light and had to wave traffic around.

NHTSA ODI 11728166

I would like to submit a formal complaint regarding the inadequate rental reimbursement being provided while a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica is undergoing recall repairs (Recall No. 226 – Ejection Mitigation). I took my vehicle to the dealership for recall repairs on March 12, 2026. The dealership does not provide loaner or rental vehicles. Chrysler Customer Care representatives advised that rental reimbursement would be limited to 60 per day. However, the actual cost of obtaining transportation exceeds this amount. Even a significantly smaller compact vehicle currently costs approximately 69 per day to rent. A comparable vehicle to the Chrysler Pacifica, such as a minivan or similar family-sized vehicle, is substantially more expensive than the reimbursement amount being offered. As a result, a compact vehicle that is significantly smaller and not comparable to the Chrysler Pacifica had to be rented. This vehicle does not meet the same functional needs, comfort level, or standard of transportation normally relied upon. Additionally, the difference between the rental cost and the reimbursement limit must be paid out-of-pocket. This situation creates an unfair financial burden resulting solely from a manufacturer recall that is outside of the consumer’s control. Customer Care has been contacted multiple times regarding this matter; however, no resolution or adjustment to the reimbursement limit has been offered. The current policy places additional financial strain on the consumer during the recall repair process. Assistance in reviewing this matter and encouraging a fair resolution would be greatly appreciated.

NHTSA ODI 11723869

The headrest failed. The headrest pivots on the steel supports, and there's a ratchet inside, that is actuated by a plastic piece, which is then connected to cabling. The plastic piece internally broke it's actually unbelievably small for the application, the engineers should be ashamed of themselves. I'm going to guess 1/8" diameter, maximum, snapped right at the ratchet mechanism. If the weak plastic does happen to let loose in an accident, that headrest is going to flop forward and will not provide the head support that it's supposedly designed to provide. The way the headrest angles forward I worry about decapitation or severe neck injury causing quadriplegia in the event of an accident. This piece should work and be dependable not a tiny piece of plastic that often breaks with minimal use. We should know we have dependable headrest function in the event of an automobile crash.

NHTSA ODI 11720619

The car randomly gives a warning on the dashboard in red, with red turtle symbol, to pull over and stop safely. A lot of the time we will be on the highway and can't pull over safely. It happens at any speed. 25, 80, 65, etc. It's been happening since we got the vehicle in 2023 and no dealership understands what the issue is even though there are clearly recall repairs for other same make and model of other years surrounding this 2022 model. They keep saying its Keysense but its not locked for speed and that doesnt make sense because it doesnt happen at a high speed only, it happens randomly even in town going slow. They've done the "software update" a fee times, but it's clearly the same problem as the others with the wiring harness. That part needs to be replaced because the patch software fix isn't a solution and its definitely not a safe solution at that.

NHTSA ODI 11720731

I was driving on the highway when an alarm sounded and warning message displayed: "Stop Safely, Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon" At the same time, a turtle icon came on, along with the check engine light. I lost all power in the gas pedal. I pulled over, and after shutting my van down for a few minutes, I was able to turn it back on and get to my destination. However, the same exact issue happened on my way home. That time, I had to pull over -- still on the highway -- during rush hour and I did not feel safe as other cars zoomed by me. I often travel with my show dogs, which was my main reason for purchasing a new van. Naturally, I am concerned about their safety and well-being too. After this happened, I took my van -- which has less than 36,000 miles on it -- to my local dealership. They performed a software update and sent me home. I took my van on a "test ride" and the same alarm sounded and warning message displayed. I brought it back to the dealership and they investigated the problem further. I now have to replace the transmission -- a $7,000 repair -- on a van that is less than five years old with very low milage. I had NO prior issues, odd noises, or warnings indicated by my van.

NHTSA ODI 11719773

Driving on the freeway vehicle suddenly enters limp mode with stop safely vehicle will shut off soon displayed. Transmission was replaced once already for this issue, a year later and I am experiencing the same thing. Very dangerous to lose all power while going 80mph in the third lane of a three row freeway and have to attempt to get all the way across lanes of traffic to safely stop while losing all power. Family vehicle loaded with kids. Has entered turtle mode 3x on the freeway after transmission was already replaced once. If I drive under 65mph it goes fine, but who wants to drive behind semis all the time on the freeway? Untrustworthy vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11719558

The contact owns a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving into California through a storm with the temperature at 39 degrees, in heavy rain and wind, the defrost button was pressed, and the windows immediately fogged up. The contact cleared the windshield with a cloth while attempting to navigate through traffic. The contact became aware that the defogger had caused the failure. The local dealer was contacted, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but the contact was unable to speak with a representative. The failure mileage was 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11719439