Power Train Problems of Chrysler Pacifica - part 2

Stop safely vehicle will shut off soon sign came while I was driver in 3rd lane on [xxx] in virginia it shut off before I could pull to safety. Vehicle behind me slightly hit me on back. I got checked for dealer its fault in transmission. But I don't feel safe driving again since it shuts off while doing 65 mph. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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"stop safely vehicle will shut off soon" message and vehicle stopped in the middle of the highway.

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission shifted into gear very hard. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

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Symptoms exactly as described in safety recall 03a / NHTSA 23v-010. Warning came onto dash with very little time to get to side of road from highway driving before engine fully shut down. Picture of dash after warning attached. Extremely dangerous situation, particularly for a known issue as described in the recall and NHTSA notices above. Currently vehicle is at dealer pending confirmation / diagnostics.

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While traveling at highway speeds, vehicle enters into "limp" mode with an in-dash warning "stop safely. Vehicle will shut off soon" warning and a red turtle warning symbol above the drive indicator. The vehicle immediately stops sending power to the wheels and it must be safely pulled over to the side. This was brought into the dealership for service and the car was returned as "repaired. " but this has not been fixed. After the initial occurrence, this has re-occurred multiple times, most recently on 06/19/2025 and 06/21/2025.

Driving at highway speed (70 mph) the vehicle repeatedly has flashed a warning : stop safely vehicle will shut off soon the engine cuts power and the vehicle must be pulled over and turned off and cannot keep driving. It leads to very unsafe conditions at highway speed. The vehicle was repaired once for the defect by Chrysler but it still continues to occur and is now being repaired again.

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On three separate days, 2021 Pacifica lost power at 70 mph. After second incident transmission was replaced. The third loss of power occurred after the new transmission was installed. All of these incidents occurred on freeways with heavy semi-truck traffic.

Power steering module malfunctioned when taking kids to school. Auto repair shop confirmed.

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Hi! this vehicle stopped twice in the middle of a road on its own. Vehicle was driving fine and the next second it slowed down and wouldn’t accelerate as I would push the gas pedal. It’s as if the engine shut down due to the car signals not transmitting correctly. The screen started blinking on and off giving me warnings and one of them said “service shifter!” my safety and my children’s safety was put at risk because anyone could’ve hit us from behind as the car started decelerating on the road with oncoming traffic. I towed the car to a mechanic as the car does not run properly while being driven, and the mechanic said it has multiple electrical issues and multiple leaks. The vehicle was inspected by my own mechanic, as the dealer also inspected it and they tried to connect the scanner to turn off the engine light and get me to drive off. They have refused help and I truly believe they knew this car was a safety hazard. After leaving the dealer, 4 minutes into driving the car started slowing down and I was able to make it into the parking lot, but got stranded in the middle of the street where opposite traffic comes into. I bought the car 03/01/2025. The check engine light turned on 2 weeks in. The battery seemed to be drained 2 weeks in but it did not need cables or recharge, it’s as if the battery loses connection. Then at the one month mark it started having those issues, no warning until it completely stopped on the road. When it stopped on the road, that’s when the screen started going off with multiple warnings.

Driving on freeway at 70 mph clear conditions 65degree weather. Warning light said to stop safely engine would shut down soon. Pulled over safely, waited, restarted. Drove another 10 miles, same error message, car lost power.

In 2024, our vehicle displayed a critical warning stating: “stop safely. Vehicle will shut off soon. ” while driving on the highway, the vehicle began losing engine power—a terrifying and dangerous experience. We immediately took it to the dealership, where they diagnosed a transmission failure and proceeded to replace the transmission. Unfortunately, we are now experiencing the same issue again this year. The vehicle continues to lose power and shut off while in motion on the highway, creating an extremely hazardous situation that nearly resulted in a serious accident. This ongoing malfunction poses a significant risk to the safety of drivers and passengers. Chrysler must take immediate responsibility by recalling these vehicles and replacing them with safer alternatives to prevent further danger to human life.

We are the original owners of this vehicle, which has been consistently and properly maintained. Recently, the vehicle stalled unexpectedly in the middle of the highway and would not restart, creating a significant safety hazard. The check engine light illuminated, and the vehicle could not be shifted into neutral, preventing it from being safely moved out of traffic. After the vehicle was towed to the dealership, we were informed that the starter had failed due to coolant leakage from a compromised head gasket. This coolant intrusion damaged the starter, rendering it inoperable. The dealership advised that while the starter could be replaced, it would likely fail again unless the underlying head gasket issue is addressed. We have since learned that this is a known and recurring issue with certain Chrysler models. Unfortunately, Chrysler has not issued a recall, nor have they provided vehicle owners with any formal notification or long-term solution to this potentially dangerous defect.

My wife was driving our 2022 pacific phev limited with 4 kids on board suddenly went into limp mode while driving northbound south of [xxx] on [xxx]. Turtle signal was on dash with just seconds to get off freeway on limp mode. Pacifica had to be towed to woodhouse Chrysler in sioux city where it remains to this day. Changed pcim and remains in limp mode. Chrysler approved hybrid transmission repair under hybrid warranty but dealer found not repairable and needs new transmission. Now Chrysler refusing to have transmission replaced under warranty. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My 2022 Pacifica hybrid is experiencing a known transmission issue as identified in TSB 21-042-24 my VIN falls squarely within the build date window. The bulletin instructs dealers to replace the transmission—not rebuild it. I am refusing an inferior repair that contradicts the manufacturer’s own instructions. I am requesting immediate escalation, in writing, confirming that my vehicle will receive a factory-new transmission in accordance with the TSB.

While driving at highway speed the vehicle flashed a vehicle and I’ll shut down sign. A red turtle flashed and the vehicle began to decelerate. Had to pull over to a less than safe sand shoulder. Had highway speed traffic directly behind me. Dealership pulled codes related to the transmission. No previous issues or sign thereof. 25k miles.

[xxx]- bought new 2025 Chrysler Pacifica w/ 29 mi at troncalli Chrysler Dodge Jeep (tcdj). [xxx]- 1st time -I was driving the car when it made a “clunk” sound when turning left. All the lights on the dashboard came on and the abs system turned off. The car safety features disabled and it did not recognize we were in the seats (seat belt lights came on). I was able to drive into a parking lot. Turned the car off and then restarted it after a few min and the lights on the dash were gone. Decided to cont driving, figured it was a computer error. Went 2 mi and had to turn left again. All dash lights came on including engine, abs. Pulled over and lights turned off after car was turned off/on again. Tried to get the car home. Turned it on and no alerts. Drove <1mi and the car began to stutter and dash lit up. Lost the ability to accelerate, and the steering seemed stiff and hard to control. Lost abs system. Pulled over into parking lot barely moving. Had to leave the car in the lot and have it towed to tcdj 3/29- towed to tcdj service depart. . Total miles on car:283. 3/31- tcdj states it's the batteries that caused the malfxn. Explained I did't think the batteries were the issue. They replaced both batteries. [xxx]-serious safety issue. Picked up car @ tcdj. We did not make it home from tcdj. Trip from tcdj to home is ~27 mi. At mile 22, turned left and ~0. 5 mi later, while driving ~ 15-20mph, the car shifted on its own, throwing itself into park at a major intersection. All of the dash lights came on. The emergency vas, abs system and shifter disabled displayed on the dash. The windshield wipers turned on at high speed. The head and tail lights began to flash. The car shifted so abruptly w/o warning we were almost hit from behind. It did not slow to a stop or brake it just threw itself into park. Police were called. Car wouldn't turn off or move. Could not put in neutral manually. Still @ tcdj now >30days. Alternator and abs replaced. Continues to break and need a tow when tcdj test drive it. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom.

May car has started repeatedly flashed check engine lights and warning signs that the vehicle is about to shut off soon and to stop safely while traveling at highway speeds. The vehicle becomes unresponsive and I have to coast to the shoulder of the highway. After turning off the vehicle I am able to restart and continue driving with the check engine light on for next 2 to 3 starts. The dealer has already attempted to repair this last year by replacing the transmission, but the problem still remains and has not been fixed. The dealer was not able to replicate the issue as there was no active codes when it was brought into the shop. Since that visit in early March 2025, it has happened again. I believe this is related to NHTSA campaign 23v010 and Chrysler recall 03a.

As I'm driving down the road my mil comes on and tells me to pull over the engine will shut off. My vehicle has had the recall completed. This happened to me on the interstate with my family in the van. This is our only vehicle for the family and need it everyday. Now my dealership is telling me that it isn't a recall issue and I might have to pay for the repairs. This light started coming on about a week ago, and doesn't always come on. But it started to happen more frequently.

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The vehicle randomly went into limp mode. The check engine light came on with error code p0a3f. The vehicle was restarted and drove normally with the check engine light (cel) still on. We immediately made an appointment with the dealership to get it looked at. As we were driving into the dealership parking lot the cel cleared itself. There is an existing TSB for this exact scenario and symptoms. The dealership and Chrysler corporate (stellantis) are refusing to fix this issue because there isn’t an “active code. ” the code is in the history. Since then the cel has come on multiple times but cleared itself too quickly to get it to the dealer in time. We took it a second dealership this time with an active code, but the code cleared itself upon restarting the car after leaving it there. This vehicle is not safe to drive since it randomly goes into limp mode with no power. This poses a very dangerous and unsafe situation that can endanger me, my family, and other drivers around me.

We were driving down the freeway at 70 mph and the vehicle displayed "vehicle will shut off soon, pull over safely" and immediately lost power and the gas pedal would do nothing.

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Driving on the highway at 70 mph. Car stated "stop safely. Vehicle will shut off. " check engine light came on. Dash light of a turtle with an exclamation point displayed. Pulled over and turned car off. Was able to turn vehicle back on and get back on the road. However, issue would recur every 5-7 miles. Eventually stopped at a hotel for the night and left car at a dealership. Car is currently being looked at. No contact from the dealership yet.

Had to have plastic oil filter housing and oil cooler replaced due to warping from the engine heat and leaking into engine bay causing a burning oil smell throughout the entire vehicle. Was replaced by meineke car care with an aftermarket aluminum constructed part. Constantly having transmission issues since the vehicle hit 70,000 miles. Now at 139,000. Fluid flush and fill done and transmission fluid was ridiculously thin and dirty despite it being known as a sealed transmission and being told by Chrysler that no fluid changes should ever need to be done for the transmission. Seems as though the transmission may be slipping, and is shifting very hard after having the fluid changed.

On our daily commute the car came to a stop at a light and then the car then turned off and would not start again. We tried everything but the engine would turnover. After 3 hours, the car then started and we drove it to dealership and they detected no faults or codes.

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.

Unknown.

-stalled while driving -loud clanking upon start -no diagnostic info was accessible -replaced Cadillac converter, was glowing red -once replaced still hot, 10,000-20,000 degrees -.

Our Pacifica has repeatedly stalled on freeways. The engine will just stop running and will not start for 15 minutes to several hours. If it does start, it often will sputter and stall again if you try to put it in ear or press the accelerator. After some time, the problem will resolve itself and the vehicle will drive normally. This problem is infrequent which is what makes it so vexing. Each incident was more than 6 months apart so you never know when it will just stall out. Because our van was converted to a rear entry wheelchair van by braunability we've had the conversion components/connections thoroughly inspected by the conversion company dealer. I can see online that this is a known issue with multiple vehicles equipped with the pentastar v6 engine with stop-start and that there have been recalls but many people on the forum, the recall work didn't resolve the issue. We've had the vehicle to Chrysler dealers several times (four or five) to address the issue without permanent resolution. We've replaced the primary and secondary batteries several times. We've recently installed an aftermarket stop-start eliminator recently in the hope that it will resolve the problem. Additionally, because our Pacifica was converted for our disabled child, we will probably need to sell the vehicle at a significant loss because we can't risk having the vehicle stall on the interstate highway or freeway as we have no way to remove him from it safely. This issue seems so widespread that Chrysler/stellantis should have continued responsibility to resolve it permanently.

Vehicle lost power with no prior warning at highway speeds. Vehicle then displayed "stop safely vehicle will shut off soon" message. In order to attempt a reset, driver must turn off, leave vehicle with fob and secure vehicle. Then return to vehcile and start up in an attempt to reboot. Check engine light remained, but functioned nromally for a day. Vehicle did the same on another freeway at 70 mph, and continued with the same events above several times, some producing immediate repeat message, or other times getting a half mile down the road. Depending on availability of a shoulder or center divide, this is extremly dangerous to fail unexpectedly on the highway. In California there are freeways with over 6 lanes, try getting across 6 lanes of traffic with no power, in limp mode. Vehicle is now at dealer awaiting diagnosis and repair. I continued with the vehicle when the tow truck service via Chrysler corporate stated 60 -90 min response. My saftey was more of a concern if I had to wait that long.

My vehicle suddenly experienced a loss of power while driving, starting at 62000 miles per hour. Sometimes the same problem occurs again after driving for several hundred miles per hour, and sometimes even after driving for tens of miles per hour. When this problem occurs, the vehicle cannot continue to drive and can only rely on inertia to slide. It must be parked on the side of the road, the engine must be turned off for one minute, and the vehicle can start again to drive normally. My car has now driven at 89000 miles per hour, and this problem has occurred countless times. At first, it occurred about once every 2-3 days, but now it occurs twice a day.

I was driving down the highway. The check engine light comes on. Then a warning comes on that say prepare to stop the car will shut down. This is a hybrid. The electricity is depleted but the gas tank is half full. After turning the car off I can run it for a little while and then the same warning comes back.

My transmission went out at 108,000 miles. 6 out of 9 gears went bad. Had it replaced and it went out again 2 weeks later. The transmission dropped while I was driving but luckily I was pulling into a parking spot. Had to have another transmission installed. This scared me because my kid was in the car and was on the expressway a couple of minutes before it dropped. Also, the oil filter housing was cracked and I know this is a common problem because it is made of plastic.

The transmission shifts very hard, it causes the vehicle to jump forward and feels like you have been hit by another car. There is not one specific incident it happens frequently.

Over six months later, NHTSA campaign number: 24v538000 still has no remedy for an apparent fire risk! I can't charge my vehicle and I can't park it in my own garage. I drive at risk of being in the midst of a spontaneous fire! the manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for my vehicle in a timely manner. I bought a plug in hybrid that I can't plug in. I bought it also for gas mileage complimented by the electrical propulsion system, which I cannot use. All the while, a spontaneous fire risk, without a fully known cause, continues to lurk in the car that I drive my kids to school in.

Power steering went out and can’t back on.

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