2020 Chrysler Pacifica complaints

I was driving and all of a sudden I got a warning to stop that the engine was going to shut off. I got off to the side of the road and it shut down. I had it towed to the garage. The next day they ran tests. The batteries were both new and they tested fine. Alternator tested fine. Since then it’s happened two more times and the dealer is telling me that all the tests are fine. That Chrysler won’t help me because they can’t prove anything is wrong. Even with the pictures of all the codes and alerts. I don’t feel safe driving my kids in this van at all now. But nobody will help me.

During gradual turns, steering will experience a sticking sensation requiring extra effort when trying to return to straight line center while exiting the turn.

1) A/C in the dash has loud non-stop clicking noise. Was replaced and has started up again. 2) Auto start/stop sensor in the cam went out. 3) Power steering rack went out when driving. Bought the car used from a Ford/Chrysler dealership with 65,000 miles. We have had the car for 3 months and they have had it in the shop for about 2 months

The hybrid battery overheated and started burning the interior of the vehicle while it sat turned off charging in the garage. Smoke filled the house which had to be evacuated. Emergency services were called and the fire department brought the incident under control. An incident report was completed by the fire department and the vehicle is currently in the possession of insurance who is doing their own evaluation. There were no warning indicators or other problems prior to this happening.

Vehicle was plugged into an outlet inside the resident's garage when smoke began to come from the battery located in the center floor board. Fire crews responded and unplugged the vehicle and pushed it out of the garage and cooled the battery that registered 350 degrees using a thermal imaging camera. No flames were present. National Fire Reporting Incident Number: 25-2040031

The start/stop warning light came on randomly. Then shortly after when driving the van the power steering randomly goes out and then comes back on.

Cable system inside 2nd row seat broke so that it can no longer anchor in place. The back of the seat folds back/forth and unable to secure in place, the seat slides forward/backward freely on the track. Seems to be a known issue (multiple forums online).

The vehicle was purchased 8/5/2023. 8/23/2023 the vehicle stalled while at the bus stop with kids. Would not start again. 10/26/2025 the vehicle again stalled but at a red light during rush hour. During this event I attempted to use the hazards so the traffic approaching was aware it was not working. The hazard lights would not work. The vehicle was not even allowing the neutral position to allow it to be pushed out of the way. I was on the side of the road waving down card watching about 20 cars (fairly assuming with no lights indicating otherwise that it was moving) I was flagging traffic on my way home from a night shift at a hospital in town. I had it towed home was able to charge the battery enough for taking it to the dealership. The axillary and main batteries both were replaced more than 3 times. I had the vehicle for three years and this was an ongoing issue the dealership never disclosed there was a battery cable recall and turned me away from discussing they also did not disclose this year make and model had a class action lawsuit and recalls for the stop/start system failure. They refused to help or report my VIN number. In March of this year it did it again. To allow this vehicle to be on the road is dangerous. I voluntarily surrendered it with that being said and the lender (Flagship Credit Acceptance) Is attempting to sell the vehicle and also refused to acknowledge any calls out of many calls I made to report the vehicle is dangerous. Both businesses did not d

The head gasket failed. The check engine light came on and I took it to the dealer before the engine seized thankfully but it could have caused safety issues such as coolant leaks, engine breakdown potentially on the highway which could have caused an accident and risked people’s lives. If there was oil contamination, the engine could have locked up which def can cause an accident. Engine fire is even possible. The problem has been confirmed by an independent dealer. I know of many others who have experienced the same issue.

On multiple occasions while driving, we would get a fault/error message on the dash stating the Start/Stop system was malfunctioning and would be deactivated. We had the battery replaced at the dealer and had no issues for approximately 6 months. Not only does the car give a fault/error message when the fault occurs, but the car shuts off, while in motion (including at high speeds), causing us to have to coast through dangerous traffic to get to a safe place to put the car in park and then restart it. Once restarted, the car will run fine for an undetermined length of time before it shuts off again while driving for the same issue. Chrysler's only recommendation is to change the battery, which has been replaced and the current battery tested for proper operation.

On [XXX] in Alabama at [XXX] on Saturday [XXX], going highway speed with cruise control on, the engine shut off unexpectedly. The driver put on the flashers, pulled over, and turned off the vehicle for 30 seconds. Then the vehicle was turned back on and was functioning normally. Approximately 10 minutes later the engine light is on. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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!!

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

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.

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

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.

Van randomly shut off at stop light.

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.

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!!

See attached document for complaint.

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.

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.

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.

I have a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid that has had transmission issues since 2022. I have taken it to the dealer 8 times for repair for the same transmission issue. In August 2022, the vehicle shut down on the interstate while driving. It was determined that it needed a new transmission after just two years. The vehicle was with the dealer for over 30 days awaiting a new transmission. Once the transmission was replaced, there was a battery issue in February 2023. In January 2024, the vehicle went into limp mode again, for the first time after the transmission was replaced. Repairs were attempted at the dealer. I have continued to have issues throughout 2024. In July 2024, the transmission wiring harness was replaced. The vehicle has gone into limp mode three more times since then. On 14 September, the most recent time the vehicle went into limp mode on the interstate, I took it into the dealer, and it was determined a second transmission replacement was needed. Chrysler has now issued a lifetime warranty on the transmission. It's only a matter of time before significant injury or loss of life occurs because of the transmission issues, especially because they normally occur only at higher speeds on the highway. Clearly, installing a third (or fourth or fifth) transmission will not fix the issues in this faulty vehicle. When I contacted Chrysler Cares yesterday I was told that because the transmission will be replaced for only the second time, I do not qualify for a buyback. H

Vehicle sudden loss of power 3x in 3 months. Van has known recall for loss of power/possible transmission problem. Traveling 30-50mph for 20 minutes, start of morning temps 70 degrees, recall warranty (update was software to warn driver of power loss on screen) done and 1 month later began power loss. Screen reads "Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon", engine light on, red turtle light on. Loss of power would not warn drivers to rear of slow down since brakes are not pressed promoting rear end collision, highway speeds slow down causes traffic and collision with limited place to exit safely, loss of power would not allow driver to exit traffic thus causing danger , obstacle for other drivers to avoid. Vehicle at dealer for software update: May 2024 , 3x power losses after, 9/2024 returned to dealer, currently in service at dealer Data Source: Recall 23V010, Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened investigation PE22-008 regarding complaints alleging a loss of motive power condition potentially due to a transmission malfunction in Model Years 2019-2021 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle experienced a rough start-up. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant had intruded into cylinder #3 and recommended that the engine be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 88,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the STOP/START system warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact believed that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V348000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where the relay sense circuit was replaced. The contact stated that one year after the repair, the failure returned with the check engine warning light illuminated. While driving to the dealer, the vehicle stalled; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the electrical wiring harness was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V010000 (Electrical System, Hybrid Propulsion System). The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000.

See attached document for complaint.

While driving our van last Saturday afternoon, an error notification made a ding sound and the error message "STOP SAFELY. VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF SOON" appeared on our dashboard. Thankfully we were driving through a small town at the time and were able to safely pull into a parking lot, turn the vehicle off and wait a few minutes, and start it up to find the error message gone, and we could resume driving. Upon researching this issue, I learned that there is an Open Investigation, NHTSA Action #RQ24004, as of 2-27-24, that correlates exactly with our issue and explains my exact concern - should this error message come on again at a time when I cannot pull into a safe area, or at night time in the dark, with my children along, this could be extremely unsafe. I now worry to take our vehicle on longer trips, as I fear that this will happen and leave us in need of help. This leaves drivers with an extremely uneasy feeling to drive with their family, unsure of if or when this will happen again and if the vehicle will start up again after stopping or if it would need to be towed. I feel this safety issue needs to be resolved before it leaves Chrysler's vehicle occupants in what could be a very unsafe situation.

July 21, 2024 On June 1, 2024, while driving at normal speed under normal conditions, 2020 Chrysler Pacifica (with 14,600 miles) engine seized up, serpentine belt tore, power steering lost, and all lights went on within seconds. I immediately pulled to side of busy 495 Beltway. Dealership concludes that mounting bolts holding alternator in place simply sheared off, broke off causing alternator to drop into engine, tearing belt, breaking AC hose and chain of other breakages. As it turns out, this exact incident has been reported by others on the Chrysler Pacifica Forum online with pictures. Without obvious explanation, vehicle engine shuts down resulting in a very dangerous situation with loss of all control of the vehicle, including steering. One possible explanation is that the bolts are made from a mixed alloy and are very weak or that the bolts holding alternator as well as other engine components are over-torqued resulting in sudden snap breaking of multiple bolts. It is a very dangerous as well as helpless situation. Our vehicle has been at the dealership for over 6 weeks as they negotiate with Stellantis. The warranty expired in March 2024. Estimated cost of replacing alternator (the screws sheared off in such a clean manner that they cannot be extracted from the alternator), AC hose, serpentine belt, battery and more is at $6500 now. The mini-van has 14,600 miles and is used primarily for my 100% disabled veteran husband and his medical appointments. In summary, I am a

My problem started about a year ago with the auto start/stop light coming on- said it needed serviced. They replaced my auxiliary battery. Mind you, my van was only about 2.5 years old at this point (bought it brand new). So then about a month ago, same warnings. Stop/start isn’t working. I get it inspected at the dealership, they say everything is fine. Well yesterday, my van stopped emergently in the middle of an intersection. The brake engaged, couldn’t use any pedals, steering or switch gears. I had to shut my vehicle off and restart. In the middle of a busy intersection at 4pm. The auto start/stop light keeps coming on. Take it to the dealership today and they said it’s a sensor issue with my hood switch. My hood thinks it’s open so my van freaks out and stops driving. It’s a $540 fix. This is a huge safety concern. From what I read, this van has had numerous start/stop issues and sensor problems. It’s a 2020 with 62k miles. I’m glad I wasn’t on the interstate or somewhere more dangerous.

The stop start system on my 2020 Chrysler. Pacifica has been malfunctioning since 2021, I’ve taken this car into the dealer multiple times, and replaced the batteries that should’ve been covered by Warranty but weren’t and my car recently died completely, and had to be jumped only have to replace the battery changed again. I have complained about noises in the dashboard that sounds like ticking, and dealer says that’s not covered by warranty even though my car only has 50,000 miles on it, and at 13,000 miles, when I told them about it, they didn’t do anything about it. The electrical system will completely shut off, lights and warnings will turn on, and after pulling fuses, the system will start The vintage seats on the driver side have not worked for three years, I have informed the dealer about that and was at 15,000 miles and they still did not fix it after complaining every time I went in they finally said “it wasn’t covered under warranty anymore” even though I had complained about it and all the above when we were covered by the warranty. We even purchased an extended warranty when purchasing the car and it’s like jumping through hoops for them to actually look up what is actually covered and every a fight every time for them to not charge me what we already paid for!

While driving, received "service power steering" warning, followed by intermittent outage of the power steering. The power steering cuts in and out at uncertain times, so I will be taking a corner using a lot of force on the steering wheel because the power steering isn't working, when it will suddenly start working again, and cause me to oversteer. So far this hasn't caused an accident, but it most definitely could.

Power steering has failed on 2 occasions while driving. Fault code was set and dealer confirmed fault codes using scan tool. Power steering returned after a few seconds of driving. This vehicle has an electric power steering pump. Fault code listed a communication failure between the power steering controller and body ecu. Dealer service department could not duplicate the problem and returned the vehicle to us saying there was nothing further they could accomplish. It is a dangerous situation losing power steering while driving. Warning icon did appear on our on screen driver display.

The windshield fogs up when it is raining. I will drive for about 30 minutes before it fogs up. Usually the cabin air is blowing through the vents and when the windshield begins to fog I turn on the defroster. It will only work if the heat is turned way up, and the blower is set at the highest setting. When I stop at a traffic light the defroster sounds like it is still blowing but the windows fog up until I cannot see out. I have used my hand to clear a spot in front of my face and I have had to pull over to the side of the road and wait for the windshield to clear. yesterday all of the windows fogged up front and the sides. also. I took it to the dealership yesterday and after a quick look was told that I just had to turn the heat up. That is not a solution in the Summer. I have read about other Pacifica's having this same problem. It is terrifying and I don't want to drive when there is a chance of rain anymore. I did have this happen in the Winter when it was snowing a few years ago once or twice.

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while making a sharp left turn at slow speeds, the vehicle shuddered. There was no warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle jerked forward upon releasing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact called JT’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM of Lexington (4838 Sunset Blvd, Lexington, SC 29072) and JT’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Columbia (190 Greystone Blvd, Columbia, SC 29210) and was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN for the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.