Power Train Problems of Chrysler Pacifica - part 1

While driving several warning lights came on and the transmission shutdown. I coasted to the side of the road. The engine kept running but the van would not move. I shut the engine off and after a few minutes (5 to 10) I restarted the van and the warning lights were on on. I drove the van 2 or 3 miles and it happened again. Once again after a few minutes all the warning lights were off except the check engine light. I returned to my motel and called a local Chrysler dealer. I then was able to drive to the dealer with no problem. When they diagnosed the problem they said it had several codes. The following is what the service department did. “digit-verified cel stored codes p0973 in tim and in pcm, abs bcm u0418 u0402, u422, alll are stored erased codes, no updates, removed air box to access ground and tim connector, inspected harness from tcm to transmission, removed and cleaned ground on trans, reassembled and test drove could not duplicate concern. After more test drives still unable to duplicate concern. ” after this I was able to drive home 1500 miles without any problems. Not sure if the problem is fixed or not. I just wanted to report this just in case others are having the same problem and to build a case for a recall if needed.

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The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the steering wheel seized. The message “no letter d” or “p for park”, was displayed and flashing on the instrument panel. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. After several minutes, the contact was able to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the nhsta hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

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The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed low speeds, the electric power steering stopped functioning properly after the contact heard an abnormal crunching sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly jerked and jolted during acceleration as if the transmission was slamming into gear. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for regular maintenance service, and the contact was informed that the motor mounts needed to be replaced. The vehicle failures were not diagnosed during regular maintenance service. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,000.

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After safety recall 73b was performed on my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid on 08/25/2025, the vehicle's check engine light illuminated on 09/09/2025. I was inundated with multiple failure lights including; check engine, service electronic throttle control, service hybrid electric vehicle system, blind spot alert, and I felt like I lost power steering. I was unsure if the van was safe to drive, but was able to get it to the dealership. They were able to pull multiple codes. Including the one for the check engine light. They decided that the problem was related to the abs control module. They replaced it and the van has been fine so far. It seems these error codes are widespread after performing recall 73b. Many other customers are complaining of the same thing. I believe these errors are from the testing to the high voltage battery, and their 'software fix'. It's not safe to lose your power steering while driving. It's not safe to have multiple error codes continuously going off while operating the car. It's not safe to have a family car that we have been told twice to not park in the garage, charge, or park near a structure. This is their second attempt at 73b, and overall the second fire recall. My van and high voltage battery are definitely available for inspection.

Transmission intermittently stuck in 4th gear down shifting 64,000 miles. No code for mechanic to diagnose until 72,000 miles and stuck in 4th gear. Transmission control module and transmission required replacement. Code p072f. 2017-2023 hybrid models recalled transmission as well and class action lawsuit.

Internal failure of the electronic shifter assembly. Essentially the shifter would lock into place in undesired gear-for example-attempt to move into d, would move to r and lock up so the only way we could get it to stop moving/into desired gear was to immediately power off (even though not in p) and try again on restart (which is very scary thinking your car may reverse or move foward w/no ability to stop it). This occurred on multiple occasions prior to bring to dealer, when children present in the car, and did not consistently occur every ignition. Currently vehicle is at cornerstone Ford/Chrysler/GMC in elk river and they have ordered the part (nationwide backorder), estimated stock date w/in 7d but suspect seeing nationwide shortage-is this shortage due to many vehicles needing replacement-that alone would make me suspect need for safety recall! the vehicle hasn't been inspected by anyone but the dealer, no warning lights/messages/other symptoms that we noted.

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While driving in the carpool lane on the freeway, the vehicle displayed “stop safely. Vehicle will shut off soon” and lost all power. I am pregnant and had four children (ages [xxx] , [xxx] , [xxx] , and [xxx] ) in the vehicle. The outside temperature was over 100°f, and we were two hours from home. The car was completely disabled in heavy traffic, creating an extreme safety risk for my family. After waiting about 15–20 minutes, the vehicle restarted and we were able to continue. A code scan showed p0a78 – drive motor “a” inverter performance. This is a serious safety concern, and I am requesting immediate inspection and repair under warranty. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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Vehicle loses power and goes into limp mode. This has happened three times same fault code. The last two times we were going 80 on the expressway. Very dangerous luckily we haven't caused a accident. The manufacturer hasn't fixed the problem. Even though we keep taking it to the dealer. They clear the code and try to recreate the problem with no success. Tell us there is nothing they can do. There are recalls snd repairs for previous years of this vehicle with the same issue. They haven't solved the problem in the 2024s. The car was bought new in November 2024 and has 18,000 miles. It is unreliable and unsafe. See attached photos showing he dash and warning.

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When beginning to move from a stop, the transmission occasionally does not engage for a few seconds and allows the vehicle to drift unexpectedly before it slips in gear and moves. Also, occasionally when shifting gears once moving, the transmission “pops” into gear, which feels as if I have been rear-ended. This has been happening for a few years and has been at the dealership 5 or so times with no resolution.

I would like to bring up a serious safety issue with this vehicle (2024 Chrysler Pacifica select phev) with 6997 miles on the odometer. As I was driving, at approximately 11:15am, I received a message on the dashboard that read, “stop safely!! vehicle will shut off in < 2 minutes”. For my own safety as well as other drivers on the road, I tried maneuvering the vehicle to the side of the road, however the vehicle shut off within 15-30 seconds. The vehicle did not move at all. The serious safety concern I have is “what if the vehicle had stopped running on the major highways full of traffic”? please note, this is also a well-known issue starting from the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica models. Additionally, a similar incident occurred to another similar make model in sept. 2024 with VIN # [xxx] . It seemed like, when I received the message, the vehicle's computer system interlocks fuel supply and chokes up the brakes to the wheels so the vehicle is completed locked up in one position and it does not do rolling stop to safely pull over to the side of the road. This is very dangerous because if a semi-truck with 80,000 lbs. Load is coming behind you, you will not be able to move your vehicle to the side. This can potentially kill all the occupants in the vehicle. This vehicle has been towed to the dealer to troubleshoot/resolve the issue. Thank you so much in advance for looking into this issue urgently. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while his wife was attempting to park the vehicle with the brake pedal depressed, the engine unexpectedly began to rev. The vehicle then accelerated inadvertently, resulting in a collision with a pole in front of the parking space. There was no damage to the pole. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a collision center, and the insurance company declared it a total loss. No police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 76,000. The VIN was not available.

Transmission will have a very severe jerk when starting out, usually at low speeds, causing the driver to temporarily lose control and distract them from driving. This appears to be a very common issue on the recent model Pacifica that uses the zf transmission. There is a serious disagreement about the servicing interval of the oil in the transmissions. Chrysler states that it is a "lifetime" oil and does not require changing. The transmission manufacturer zf, states on their website that it must be changed at 100,000 km. Some Chrysler dealers say it needs periodic changing, while others say it never needs changing. The impact of this is that a significant number of transmissions are failing. When these are in warranty, they are replaced by the dealer, but those out of warranty result in a major expense to the owners, even though the owners are following the auto manufacturer's recommendations. Owners need clarification of this, and if the servicing recommendations for the zf transmissions are in error and result in a transmission failure, the auto manufacturer should bear some responsibility. A quick scan of the Chrysler Pacifica online groups will show numerous cases such as this,.

When driving van will jerk or bang like slipping in gear, feels like possible being hit from behind, we have tried the adaptive learning reset several times, we had just purchased this less than 2 months ago with about 4800 miles in it. Feels dangerous to drive, especially with kids. We are scared to even try the cruise control. We heard and read online many whey same issues, with warranty and having there vans in dealership on several events, having reset in software upgrades, transmission replacement with only the problem to return. Please fix this, this one of my vehicles that unfortunately I have to drive because it's my only vehicle. This problem happens at lest everytime I'm driving daily, it started maybe a few weeks ago from the time this has been written.

The vehicle has been at the dealership multiple times for transmission issues, and the most recent time slammed into park while driving slowly on a side road. It is a known hybrid transmission issue and the dealership just let me know that the manufacturer will not replace the transmission, only rebuild per TSB 21-025-25. I am concerned based on research of others with this issue that the rebuild will not fix the issue and the transmission will shift to park on the highway with my wife driving.

The contact owns a 2019 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that upon reversing out of the driveway, the contact attempted to shift out of reverse(r), but the gear shifter remained stuck in reverse(r). The contact noticed that the gear shifter indicator light was inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle felt like it was in neutral(n) and was rolling backwards. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond upon depressing the brake pedal and continued to roll. The contact engaged the parking brake, and the vehicle stopped. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as intended; however, the failure became a recurring failure. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the failure recurred. The vehicle became inoperable, and the contact pulled to the side of the road. The message "service gear shifter" and other unknown messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The dealer replaced the gear shifter assembly, and the ground wires were tightened; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was advised to call back after taking the vehicle back to the dealer, and the engineers would assist the dealer in diagnosing and repairing the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure NHTSA action number: rq24004 (electrical system). The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

While driving on interstate, red turtle indicator came on and engine shut down.

Since week 1 of owning my brand new 2021 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid, I have had issues of loss of motive power. I have done all of the recall remedies yet my car with a 35day old 12v battery not only died on me, but drained every battery in my vehicle so that I couldnt open my doors. The vehicle was unable to be jumped so that it could be driven, so I ended up paying o or $1000 in towing to get the vehicle to my dealership to be diagnosed,again. That happened on July 12th, I finally had it towed on July 14th to my dealership & it has been there since. Although the pim & battery are under warranty, Chrysler is refusing to reimburse me any of the tow fees & only 20 days of a rental I have now had for a month. The dealership installed the pim which cleared a couple of codes, but not all. They installed another new 12v battery, which was immediately drained. They have ordered another coolant something or other for the battery & here we are. I attempted in 2022 to retain a lemon law lawyer but he gave up very easily once Chrysler just stopped answering him. He said because I had my car updated under the class action lawsuit moran is Chrysler fca et al, I was not able to continue under lemon law. I have not been able to find a lawyer, even one from the class action lawsuit, to assist me in fighting Chrysler to do something to make me whole. My vehicle needs to be inspected in less than 40 days but at this point my 5 yr old vehicle can not pass the PA inspection, so what am I supposed to do? I live in the mountains, have an 8 yrold grandchild that im raising & certainly cant afford to rent cars forever. I still haven't gotten my pension from the coty of philadelphia after 3 years of retiring after getting hurt on the job. I just read an article about the office of drfective products investigating Chrysler in 2022 for exactly the problems I continue to have!!.

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The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission slammed into gear while shifting. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel pulled to the left while the contact was attempting to go to the right. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

On [xxx], I was driving uphill on the interstate at around 70 mph on gas power (hybrid battery was discharged) and warning came up "stop safely vehicle will shut down soon" and lost power (limp mode). I was able to move safely to the shoulder, but with 5 passengers (3 young kids) and a dog and a full load of camping gear it was a bit nervewracking. Could not get the car started again (stayed in limp mode) and used an obdii scanner I had which popped up error code (p0a43 - "intermittent issue with the drive motor "a" position sensor"). The vehicle was towed to the dealer ( 4 hours from home) and after a few days they said the vehicle was fixed and I pushed for them to test drive it on the interstate. Was returned with this comment: " found codes for drive motor "a" position sensor circuit intermittent and hybrid battery pack state of charge low. Checked trans plug and wiring verified operating correctly. Found that resolver needs to have relearn preformed. Preformed relearn on resolver and charged hybrid battery. Test drove vehicle on interstate and verified that issue did not return. Vehicle operating as designed. " I received a notice of an unlimited mile/year warranty on the transmission for this car, and from what I read on the internet, this is a recurrent issue with a known cause. We were able to get off the road safely in this case, but it is nerve-wracking to drive, especially with my family, in the current state. This is related to an open NHTSA investigation: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The transmission is starting to jerk and make hard abrupt transitions from gears.

Dash message "stop safely vehicle will shut off soon" included a red exclamation mark in the middle with a red triangle and a turtle in the bottom right. A yellow reduced speed type indicator in the top right and a check engine light all at the same time. Also a chime sounded. This occured in town moving around 35 mph. Dealer stated this exact VIN had already received a rebuilt trans around 50k miles from another dealer. Took dealer 2+ months to repair, and had to call many many times to encourage them to push to get it completed. Manufacturer seemed to delay sending parts because they can - no good reason provided. First power inverter module (pim) was replaced, but that did not resolve the issue. Then dealer rebuilt entire transmission. Dealer lead tech stated that a roller bearing near the bottom of the trans appeared to have start failing, which then causes a short and or some kind of damage with the electrical "phasers". Multiple conversations with lead technician and Chrysler cares indicate clearly that Chrysler is not investigating the issue deeply (they did not want any of the failed components, nor did they ask for details from dealer - are they even trying to resolve root cause. . . . This has been occurring since the earliest models). Chrysler should have a financial incentive to fix to remediate warranty repairs. Why can't chat gpt find literally anything on the web about the root cause, why is it nothing other than reports of the issue can be found??? nobody has done a root cause analysis. Is Chrysler paying to minimize bad press??? if Chrysler replaced entire trans with rebuilt one at 50k and now it failed again at 80k - when can I expect it to fail a third time?.

The transmission kicks into 2nd gear at times and it feels like I've been rear ended. Also sometimes when that happens the car will accelerate on it's own, I am surprised that I haven't hit anything or anybody when that happens. And other times it will cut out altogether and loses power. This is definitely a safety issue. I can't understand why Chrysler will not do anything about this issue. It can be very dangerous. This has been going on for the 4 years that I have had the van.

While attempting to accelerate experiencing a loss of power, an/or hard shifting. Pulling out from parking lot or street from a stop, there is a delay in getting the car to move. Moves slowly but then gradually builds up. Also at times there appears to be shifting issue, when attempting to accelerate the vehicle will do a hard jolt forward. In reviewing online this jolting is a common theme with the pacific but yet there has been no further action taken by Chrysler. Told my two different mechanics that Pacifica's are known to have issues with their transmissions and that I should not expect any type of recall for this due to the potential cost.

The van did not transition from electric to gas engine when driving and battery for the electrical engine was depleted. The dash board displayed a red turtle and said slow on dashboard. But it would not drive forward. I was on a hill and the van backed down the hill in reverse. I did this multiple times - turn off van, restart van and try to go up hill, reverse it down hill again. At some point, there was enough electricity for the electrical engine to kick in and I was able to drive home. After the van set for a while, it restarted and I was able to drive it to my ultimate destination 147 miles away. I researched online and found there is a recall for this very thing, but it does not include my car. Why is my life so hard? its a new van to me.

Vehicle displayed "stop safely, vehicle will shut off soon" followed by a complete lack of power. We managed to get to the side of the highway safely. Vehicle would not turn back on until about 45 minutes later. Before we turned off the vehicle it said service charge port. Check engine light is on, even after we managed to get it started. Currently at the shop, waiting for information on why.

Vehicle engine shuts off while driving down the road. Will start up after a few minutes. Traction control light and auto start stop light will come on. Random right wheel noise will come and go. Have had multiple mechanic shops check vehicle with no findings. Vehicle loses all power when shuts down.

9-speed transmission:zf9 hp-9, considered an "improved" transmission as compared to the previous 6-speed versions, prior to 2017. According to more than one fca class action lawsuit, fiat Chrysler knew the transmission had problems that could make fca vehicles unsafe to drive. Problems: lurching away from a stop, either when shifting into drive or reverse, then often accelerating into traffic, or into a crowded parking lot, or in an after-school setting, with children around. Rough shifting into reverse or drive from park. Delayed shifting into reverse or drive, from park. Intermittent "sounds" such as clunking or low-level grinding when attempting to shift from one gear to another. Refusal to downshift once a speed of 35-45 mph is reached, creating "gear-hunting", during which time the vehicle begins to accelerate, then decelerate, then accelerate again, often forcing abrupt, potentially-dangerous braking. Refusal to downshift allows the vehicle to continue unabated in gears 2-3, then 3-4. Intermittent refusal to upshift or downshift when engaging gears 6-9. At speeds between 50-70 mph, the vehicle will independently begin to slowly downshift, for no apparent reason, requiring a soft braking action, first, then sometimes followed by pulling over, coming to a complete stop, waiting then resuming. Then getting back to speed. On one occasion, the transmission "slipped" into neutral at approximately 70 mph, causing the driver to pull off onto a major interstate's shoulder, shutting the engine off, then allowing the transmission to "cool" for several minutes, before starting the vehicle and continuing. This can be very dangerous if the transmission completely fails at 2 am in the morning in a somewhat "dicey" area, anywhere, on any highway. All of the above complaints and transmission dysfunction/defects are sudden/acute and intermittent creating a sense of unnecessary anxiety and frustration when driving. As aresult, the owner has begun not allowing other drivers.

While exiting an interstate, the van felt like it had popped out of gear and lost power, and the instrument cluster had the message "stop safely, vehicle will shut off soon. " I was in the middle of three lanes on the ramp, and due to traffic and no shoulder I was unable to stop off the side of the road. The van died at the top of the ramp at the traffic light, causing a risk of being rear-ended by approaching traffic. I had my two children in the van at the time. After attempting to cycle the ignition several times and stepping out to wave traffic around as the traffic light cycled several times (causing a traffic backup), the van started and drove normally albeit with the check engine light on. I have not had the time to take the van to a dealership for diagnoses, but looking online this is not an unknown problem and is related to the Pacifica hybrid's transmission. Just wanting to make NHTSA aware of another event of this fault occurring.

Engine shut down warning while on the highway stating to pull over as the engine was going to shut down. No power to accelerate during this time. This is the second time this has happened and the first time the transmission needed to be replaced under warranty. The problem persists despite Chrysler’s attempts to fix.

After driving 15miles home from work, stopped at a traffic light to turn left. When attempting to proceed forward van stopped with an error code that indicated "stop safely vehicle will shut off soon". The van shut down, and could not move even though it was blocking the intersection. Law enforcement had to be called as it was a safety hazard, and a tow truck had to be dispatched to remove the van from the intersection and tow to dealership for warranty service. The dealer provided warranty service as per Chrysler direction, which was a software update and reseating electrical connections. However, as per the notes from the dealer, "possible a loose connection was issue but still could be internal to power inverter module. " as the repair was not a definite resolution for the issue, I contact Chrysler corporate to request a more definite repair. Their stance was that they considered the car repaired under warranty, and that they would not authorize any further work. Chrysler stated that they will not do anymore work until the issue happens again. The issue is that the condition that results is that the van shuts down - and it can happen anywhere, the middle of an intersection or on the freeway at highway speeds. Basically Chrysler has told me that even though they are not sure that the fix applied may not have remedied the issue that caused the van to shut off, they will not do what is required to ensure that it does not happen again. Chrysler has put the safety of my family second to their bottom line - by refusing to authorize the expensive work that it would take to remedy the problem, and ensure that my faily does not face a dangerous situation when driving our van.

On June 3, 2025, my 2023 Chrysler pacific hybrid gave me a warning message that it was about to shut down. This included a "red turtle" icon that I later learned is called "limp home mode. " I was traveling on the interstate at highway speed at the time. I was able to pull over to the shoulder and turn the vehicle off. The risk of a car shutting down on the highway is a huge a safety risk to myself and other vehicles. Stopping on the shoulder of a highway, particularly given that it was early morning and not yet fully light out also felt very risky with other cars passing by. After turning the car back on, the limp home mode turned off, but the engine warning light was still on. I was able to re-enter traffic, which was also a safety issue having to deal with. When the dealership opened, I contacted them. They were familiar with the problem and were able to state over the phone that it was likely a transmission issue. After inspecting it that afternoon, they determined it would need a transmission rebuild. As of June 27, 2025, they still have the vehicle and have not yet made the repairs.

When I put van in park ,shut off,it moves a little even on flat surface. When I back up in grass or out of a sloped driveway the van acts like something is preventing it from going backwards. The van,when going from the right lane to the left will act like it pulls to the right,hard to explain. Also when going down a road with slight bumps it makes a noise like something is loose,a rattle like.

[xxx] first “red turtle” breakdown on freeway after about an hour of freeway driving, car went into “red turtle mode” (“limp mode”) on the freeway, alerting us that the engine would shut down shortly and that we needed to get to a safe place to stop. The car wouldn’t accelerate fully, putting us in danger on the freeway, where cars were speeding all around us. June 2025: dealership’s first attempt to fix the dealership showed stored error codes p0a43 drive mode code a position sensor intermittent. But, the tech said they were unable to replicate the error. They kept it in the shop for a couple days, then sent the car home with us with no fix. They told us to restart the car a few times and it should go away. [xxx]: second breakdown on freeway on [xxx], with all three kids in the car, we drove the car from sacramento to san rafael. On the way there–the first long car trip with the van since the [xxx] incident, the red turtle alert appeared again. We were going uphill and unable to fully accelerate on the freeway, again putting our entire family in danger. We were luckily able to pull off of the freeway, restart the car several times, and continue driving–wondering the entire time whether the vehicle would again lose power, and sure enough it did. [xxx]: third breakdown on freeway later that same day, on our way home, the red turtle alert appeared again, the vehicle was unable to fully accelerate, and the message warned us that the car was about to shut itself down. This time, we were on the freeway with no exit available to us. We had to pull over onto an unprotected shoulder, with cars speeding by us on both sides. It would have been unsafe for any of us–but especially my toddlers–to exit the vehicle. We sat on the side of the freeway, restarting the car repeatedly, waiting to see if the alert would clear and the vehicle would become drivable again. Eventually, it did. We brought the car to the dealership again. Spent over a week there information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia).

Although no active recalls are on the now. While driving the transmission changes hard. It makes a loud noise and jerks randomly. I’m concerned it wasn’t fixed during recall. I recently purchased this vehicle used. Do I have any recourse?.

While I was driving this vehicle on the highway, the vehicle shut off and the engine light came on.