Home · 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Awd · Complaints

What 137 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Awd

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (137)Crash / fire / injury (3)Engine (45)Electrical system (39)Transmission & drivetrain (36)Airbags (33)Fuel system (14)Steering (9)Brakes (7)Speed control (6)Lane Departure (4)Backup camera & sensors (3)

Newest first · 137 complaints · page 1 of 6

Jul 10, 2026Transmission & drivetrain

Returning from Austin Tx to Houston area Wed. July 8, 2026, traveling at ~75 mph on Hwy 71, 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 July 10, 2026, 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.

NHTSA ODI 11749572

Jul 1, 2026Body & structure

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 ODI 11747793

Jun 23, 2026Airbags

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 ODI 11745970

Jun 23, 2026Airbags

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 ODI 11745905

Jun 22, 2026Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

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 ODI 11745819

Jun 18, 2026Electrical system

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 ODI 11745018

Jun 12, 2026Electrical system

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 ODI 11743675

Jun 12, 2026Crash

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 ODI 11743677

Jun 10, 2026Seats

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 ODI 11743293

Jun 8, 2026Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemBrakes

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 ODI 11742833

May 30, 2026Electrical systemEngine

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 ODI 11741015

May 28, 2026Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

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 ODI 11740603

May 27, 2026Airbags

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 ODI 11740365

May 26, 2026Transmission & drivetrainFuel system

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 ODI 11740045

May 22, 2026Electrical system

While driving at 75 mph, my vehicle displayed warning to pull over because engine/vehicle would shut off. I was on the outside lane and had to pull over all the way to the right immediately. I had recently had my car inspected and no warning lights were on at the time of the incident, which put all 4 passengers in the vehicle at risk. This is the second Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid to display the same transmission failure. We took the van in for service and the issue was coded: POA43-00

NHTSA ODI 11739626

May 21, 2026Airbags

The contact owns a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V189000 (Air Bags) however the parts were unavailable. The dealer was contacted, the contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced any failure regarding the unrepaired recall.

NHTSA ODI 11739335

May 19, 2026Electrical system

Driving home on our road at about 25 miles an hour. My foot was on the gas but it stopped providing acceleration. I hit the brake and the vehicle stopped. Being closed to home, I put the car in neutral and being on an incline was able to coast home. Once home, I put the car in drive and the power had returned. In checking the internet, I read that this car has had issues with the engine shutting down while in motion. I see that a software update will at least inform you ahead of the engine shutting down. I did not have that warning. I do not know if my vehicle had that software update(recall 03A). The car has 34,000 miles. Please keep me informed on any information on this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11738693

May 16, 2026SteeringTransmission & drivetrainFuel system

I was slowing down to turn left and felt a stutter, like when antilock brakes activate. Then a red triangle appeared on the display on the dash that said something like "pull over safely vehicle will turn off soon." I came to a stop to wait for oncoming traffic. When I hit the gas again it had barely any power and the power steering had disengaged. I was able to get through the left turn at about 3-5 mph. Shortly after I was out of the intersection (maybe 100 feet) the accelerator stopped giving any power. The vehicle was still able to turn on and I could use things like power windows, radio, and gear shifter (to go into neutral to push it to a better place to wait for a tow) but no thrust since. The mechanic said it seemed to be a problem with the hybrid battery and we towed it to the dealership since that was still under warranty. The dealership says it's the transmission and is in the process of figuring out which version of repairing it works for the warranty coverage.

NHTSA ODI 11738257

May 4, 2026Backup camera & sensors

Back up camera none functioning. When put in reverse it goes black, or goes blue and says “system not available “ at times the camera freezes and does not show correctly.

NHTSA ODI 11735500

Apr 28, 2026Transmission & drivetrainEngine

Vehicle randomly shuts off in EV or ICE mode usually when driving on highway at 60-70 mph; warning comes of “vehicle will shut off soon” check engine light and limp mode; eventually power goes off and steering also stiffens ; this happed multiple times, but the check engine like didn’t stay on long enough for the dealership to be able to read it! So I was give the vehicle back then the same thing happed over again! Very unsafe to drive, not feeling comfortable to drive!

NHTSA ODI 11734451

Apr 23, 2026Electrical systemAirbags

I received the recall notification for Campaign 25V-302 regarding the Curtain Airbag (CAB) defect, which per the manufacturer's notice may fail to retain sufficient pressure during deployment, increasing the risk of occupant ejection through a side window during a crash. The notification informed us that no parts were available at that time. Many months later we received another notification that parts were now available. Upon contacting the dealer, I was informed that parts were not available. I have been waiting for parts to become available for an extended period. Most recently, the dealer scheduled a repair appointment for Tuesday of this week. Approximately 30 minutes before the scheduled appointment, the dealer called to cancel, stating that the parts were still not available. A new appointment was scheduled for the following week. As of today, the dealer has confirmed parts are still not available. Throughout this period, I have been required to continue operating the vehicle, including with my family as passengers, with a known, unremedied ejection-mitigation defect. The manufacturer has not offered a loaner vehicle or any alternative transportation, and no firm parts availability date has been provided. Concurrent stranding failure: Separately, today (23rd April), the vehicle failed to start in my driveway. Symptoms included: interior electronics (infotainment, lights) powered on, but the start button produced no response, the brake pedal would not depress (electronic brake booster inoperative), and the steering wheel remained locked. No error message was displayed. The vehicle was ultimately determined to have a dead 12V battery, the second battery failure on this vehicle, with the previous battery having been replaced under warranty by the dealer in August 2025 (only 8 months prior to this failure). The dealer has declined to investigate whether a parasitic electrical draw or other underlying defect is causing repeat battery failures.

NHTSA ODI 11733424

Apr 22, 2026Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlFuel system

I purchased this car new on December 31, 2024. I have owned it for less than 16 months, and in that time, we have had an issue occur at least 5 times where we get an alert on the screen that says, "Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon". Less than 20 seconds later, the car completely dies. On each of the 5 instances, we were lucky to be going relatively slow and were in a safe place with a shoulder to pull over on. The vehicle was able to be turned back on within a few minutes. The check engine light came on momentarily, but would shut off before we were able to get the codes read. We brought this to the attention of Herb Chambers Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM FIAT of Danvers (not where we bought the car, but the closest Chrysler dealership for maintenance) and they were unable to provide any help. They said they have never seen this, and since they couldn't get any codes, they didn't know what was going on. My research informs me that this is a known issue, so I'm disappointed that they didn't know about this. I am also terrified to drive my young children in this car, in fear that this will happen again when we aren't able to safety stop. I will provide details for the most recent time that this occurred, but I haven't previously reported the other occurrences.

NHTSA ODI 11733073

Apr 19, 2026Transmission & drivetrainEngine

Lost power. System said to pull over immediately. Error code P0A43.

NHTSA ODI 11732213

Apr 14, 2026BrakesCrash

The contact owns a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving approximately 7 MPH and slowing to park his vehicle, the contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle kept moving forward. The contact stated he crashed into the front end of a vehicle parked in front of his vehicle. The contact stated that there was damage to his hood and grill. The contact stated that the police arrived and wrote a report. The contact stated that his vehicle was towed to a collision repair shop. The contact stated that no one was injured. The contact was not sure of any warning lights. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that several days ago, the vehicle again did not brake or slow as he was making a left-hand turn onto a side street. The contact stated that he drove the vehicle back to his residence and had not driven since. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11731206

Apr 6, 2026

Four separate incidents but related incidents. Primary concern: vehicle turns off and puts itself in park without notice and cannot be restarted. Two incidents were in traffic at a stop light, and the vehicle could not be started for 12-15 minutes. Two times it occurred while the vehicle had been parked for a short period of time but could not be restarted. March 4, 2026 driver was stopped at a light, after about 20 seconds, driver received a dash message “Press brake and push button to start” indicating the vehicle was off, and the vehicle was in park. Driver depressed the brake and the vehicle started. March 7, 2026 driver pulled into a store and when they excited the vehicle, they notice their carplay was still attached to their phone/music. Driver disconnected their phone but notice a dash message “auxiliary connected.” Driver attempted to start the vehicle, but it would not start, however all of the lights, carplay, messages were cycling as if the vehicle was on. When driver attempted to start the vehicle there was no give to the brake and the vehicle would not start. Driver was able to start the vehicle 15 minutes later. March 27, 2026: Driver was stopped at a light and the vehicle turned off and put itself in park. Driver had to contact police t0 block traffic to prevent vehicle from being hit. Vehicle started after 15 minutes. Driver immediately took the vehicle to the dealership. April 2, 2026: Dealership service technician called and said they could not recreate the problem, that all codes were checking out, however they did see a intermittent short in the crank sensor and it was replaced. April 3, Owner pick up the vehicle at 5:30, drove five miles away. Put the car in park to get fuel and the vehicle would not start. Again – “press brake and push button to start” was indicated on the dash but the vehicle could not be started. There is no warning to when this happens. No sputtering, engine noise, just unusual turns off and goes into park.

NHTSA ODI 11729525

Older →

Working with the data? Download all 137 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Awd verdict →