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Engine & cooling

2021 Chrysler Pacifica Engine problems

Owners have filed 144 complaints about the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica's engine & cooling with NHTSA - 38% of all its complaints, most recently on November 5, 2026. They describe 2 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.

Complaints
144
Recalls
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
3
Deaths
0

Engine complaints

Electrical systemEngine & coolingFuel system

We drive an 2021 Pasifica hybrid crysler van. We got a recall card for the hybrid battery. We took it into the dealership they installed the software, said it passed, then a month later engine light came on. We took it back to the dealership they scanned it and done a soak test and everything else to go with it and the code was POBBE and battery has failed. They opened a star case because Stellantis / Chrysler said our milage was to high at 159000 for the recall to cover it. Star case manger called us to let us...

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know that it falls under the warranty and they ordered a battery should arrive Dec 15 2026 at the earliest. Called the dealership to verify. They said yes its ordered. 2 days later Stellantis called us and said they canceled the order and it will not be covered under the warranty recall because of our van is over the milage for the recall. She told us to take it to another dealership to see what they say. That would be the 3rd time we done that and this is what they keep telling us. Our van is at the dealership off road because its a fire hazard and can not be driven and they will not honor the recall 52d, Id-25-13 for unlimited miles. Were stuck with no recall getting taking care of. The only option we have is to contact our lawyer and he will be handling this moving forward. Hopefully Stellantis and Chrysler will be 100% held accountable for there actions. I really dont understand how some people can sleep at night knowing they put people at such a high risk of dieing from their vehicle catching fire and expecting people to accept that as its ok. Big safety issue!!!

Filed Incident Electrical system · Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11776096
Electrical systemEngine & coolingFuel system

We took our van in for the 52d recall of the battery being defective and can catch on fire!! for our 2021 crysler pasifica hybrid van for them to update the software for the hybrid battery and to monitor it. Not even a month later we had to take it back to the dealership mechanic because the check engine light came on. They said the hybrid battery is bad and its under the recall 52d. We reached out to Stellantis and went back and forth because they didnt want to honor it. In the mean time we have been out of a...

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primary vehicle. Stellantis has finally agreed to order a new hybrid battery and cover our vehicle under the recall 52 and have the dealership mechanic install it 100% free. That was Monday. We have tried to reach out to our star case person Mariah, which she had a lady named Monica call us and we were not able to speak to her, she left a voice mail saying only on the message the part has been ordered? We reached out to the dealership mechanic and he has been more than helpful by letting us know the battery was ordered which he had to look it up when we called because Stellantis didnt not reach out to Auto Nation about our van being approved for the battery recall 52d replacement. Mariah told us last week that when we get approved for the battery that we would need to call her for them to get us a rental. We have been calling leaving messages and no response. Its now week 3 without a vehicle and we have children that have to go to school and the adults have to go to work. But have to ask other people to give us a ride and somtimes are not able to find a ride. When clearly the recall paper states that a loaner vehicle will be provided 100% and we will be takin care of. Please help with them honoring this recall all the way through until it is completed. This has become an inconvenience for our family of 8, because of their mistakes. Were asking you to look into this matter to help us and other people that are dealing with the same recall 52d on their pasific

Filed Incident Electrical system · Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11775682
Electrical systemEngine & coolingFuel system

We received a recall paper in the mail to stop driving our vehicle, and take it to the nearest Chrysler dealership to have our 2021 hybrid pacifica van hybrid battery for a software update and monitor of the hybrid battery replacement for a recall 52D. Because the hybrid battery will catch fire. We took it in, they updated the software and said it passed. We drove it not even a month and the check engine light came on. We took it back and they said our hybrid battery needs replaced, a code POBBE that ties to recall...

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52d but said its not covered under the recall, and we will have to pay out of pocket. We have been back and forth for over 3 to 4 months because Chrysler, Stellantis, & Mopar keeps denying the replacement of the hybrid battery because they say it passed after the check for the recall, our vin does not match for the recall, our van is over the warranty miles. The last call they gave us a new case # which this is our 4th one and told us to go take it back to the dealership and have them run a diagnosis again to see what it says. We did that and the same code comes back. The dealership opened a STAR case and told us to call Chrysler recall division. We did, she gave us a new case number and told us that a case manager will call us. In the mean time the dealership is waiting and has our van because its a fire recall and hoping that all of the above companies that are responsible for this recall make this right. Please help with this serious matter. Thank you

Filed Incident Electrical system · Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11774175
Engine & cooling

Vehicle once it came to a full stop on the highway the check engine light popped on and would not go out. it drove okay the reset of the way home until the last few miles, came to a stop sign and vehicle shut off. placed into park and restarted the vehicle and continued journey home

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11770344
Engine & cooling

I am writing about a mechanical failure on my 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Recently, I took my vehicle in for 2 recalls associated with this model. Recall #: 66B, pertaining to the rearview camera & 52D, which corresponds to the high voltage battery. Recall #: 52D could not be completed at the certified Chrysler dealership due to the failure of the Electric Coolant Heater, throwing diagnostic trouble code, (P0E15-00). Due to my vehicle being past its warranty period, at the time of service, by 9,190 miles, I...

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had to pay $1356.70 for the Electric Coolant Heater to be replaced, before my No-charge Recall #52D could be completed. While my vehicle is technically past its warranty period by 10,387 miles], I am reaching out because this specific component, the Electric Coolant Heater, is a well-documented failure point across the Pacifica Hybrid community. The breakdown of this heater directly impacts the vehicle's cabin climate control and the proper thermal management of the hybrid battery system, creating a significant inconvenience and safety concern during cold weather. Section 6 of the NHTSA 26V362 manufacturer filing states that the required remedy includes a software flash to track the battery pack's thermal performance. Because the high-voltage coolant heater core regulates that thermal loop, it is functionally impossible to safely execute the software parameter updates while the module is malfunctioning or failing the dealership's "soak test".

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11760367
Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was not duplicated. The contact was informed that several unknown software updates were completed. The failure reoccurred three months...

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later. The contact stated that the failure was a persistent failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11754728
Engine & coolingFuel system

Driving on the interstate at high speed, when check engine light comes on, warning message - Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off - and red turtle warning indicator (limp mode). After a short time, vehicle will no longer accelerate. I pulled over to the shoulder, stopped and shut off engine. Restarted after a few minutes and everything appeared to work fine, with check engine light on. About 15 minutes later, it happened again. The dealership serviced the vehicle. Found error code P0A78 for driver moteo "A"...

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inverter performance. Used Stellantis Technical Service Bulletin 08-253-24 to diagnose (both modules were out of date) and complete the indicated updates. This is a known issue that has affected many vehicles (per internet forums and that Stellantis has created a TSB. It is an extremely dangerous situation causing the vehicle to enter "limp mode" and requiring the driver to stop in a matter of minutes. Stellantis should recall all potentially affected vehicles to update the modules proactively.

Filed Incident Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11753704
Electrical systemEngine & coolingFuel system

My 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has a recurring hybrid/electrical defect that causes the accelerator to lose all power while driving, leaving the vehicle unable to accelerate or respond to throttle input. The vehicle remains "on," but it cannot move under its own power and must be coasted or pulled over immediately. This has happened in traffic, including with children in the vehicle. The dealer confirmed fault code P1A21-00 and documented that the high-voltage system can lose its loop connection, which results...

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in a no-propulsion condition. They also found the HVIL high-voltage connector loose and damaged. The vehicle was in the shop for 18 days for this issue. I picked it up on June 18, 2026, and within 24 hours the same loss-of-propulsion failure happened again. The vehicle is now back at the dealer. The dealer performed recall 52D and updated the BPCM software, but the failure still occurred immediately after pickup. This defect has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealership multiple times and remains unresolved. This is a serious safety hazard because the vehicle loses propulsion without warning and cannot accelerate in traffic.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11745325
SteeringElectrical systemEngine & cooling

This is an intermittent issue that has been happening for a while now and the car was sent to the dealership twice but the issue still persists. The engine would shuts down or partially loses torque all of a sudden and the steering becomes very stiff. At the same time you would see all kinds of alarms, error messages, and check lights on the dashboard. I would then have to pull over to the side of the road, turn off the car, then try to start it back up. Usually after several attempts (one time that took nearly...

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30 minutes), the car works properly again with no error messages but sometimes I'd still have some persistent check lights on the dashboard. Error messages and check lights that I see include the following: -Service Electronic Stability Control -Autopark Engaged -Shifter Autocorrect Active -Park Brake Temporarily Unavailable -AWD System Temporarily Unavailable -Automatic Emergency Braking off check light -Forward Collision Warning off check light -Check Engine light The dealership has been unable to properly diagnose and fix this issue so far. On the first visit, they replaced the main battery, auxiliary battery, some wire harnesses that I was told had some corrosion, and the adaptive cruise control module. On the second visit, they replaced the CAN Bus star connector. The same issue still persists after replacing all above components.

Filed Incident Steering · Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11727813
Acceleration & cruise controlEngine & coolingFuel system

While driving at normal road speed, the vehicle suddenly lost propulsion and entered limp mode. A turtle warning icon appeared along with multiple system fault messages. The vehicle began slowing down on it's own and was unable to accelerate. I pulled to the side of the road. The vehicle displayed an error "Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon". After sitting for a period of time, the vehicle restarted and was able to be driven again, but the failure occurred without warning and created a dangerous situation in...

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traffic. Diagnostic trouble codes were present related to the hybrid system and high-voltage battery, including P1D43, P1A21, U029A, and U0412. These codes indicate faults in the hybrid control system and battery communication. A Chrysler service department inspected the vehicle, confirmed the trouble codes, and returned it to me without repair because the issue was not immediately reproducible at the dealership. The vehicle has a history of similar intermittent issues, including prior loss-of-power events and repeated service visits for hybrid system faults. The condition is not consistently reproducible, but when it occurs it results in a sudden loss of motive power while driving. This creates a significant safety risk due to unexpected loss of propulsion in active traffic.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11725453
Engine & cooling

On January 14, 2026 while driving on highway fast lane warning light came on that engine was going to shut off and withing a few minutes it did. I managed to pull over off the freeway before engine completely shut off. Turned everything off and waited about five minutes and turned car back on. Car ran with engine warning lights on. Took it to Carl Burger Dodge but they could not check in the car due to an abundance of work. Asked that I make an appointment later. On January 26, 2026 while driving on the...

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highway same thing happened, warning light came on that engine was going to shut off, pulled over from fast lane to side of busy highway and stopped. Turned everything off and waited for about five minutes and started car again with car warning lights on. Drove it that day. Later in the day parked car at a shopping mall and turned car off. When I returned to turn car on warning light came on that engine was shut down. Turned everything off and waited for about five minutes and turned car back on, it drove with engine warning lights on. On January 29, 2026 took car to Carl Burger Dodge and left it there for evaluation and repairs. Question, has there been any recalls or fixes relating to alleged problem an internal transmission wiring connector that may short and can cause the car to shut off? An issue NHTSA had previously identified as a problem.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11714366
Electrical systemEngine & cooling

I am reporting a safety defect involving my 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The vehicle experiences repeated hybrid system failures, including "system charging" errors, rapid battery depletion from full to zero within minutes, and vehicle stalling. These failures have occurred multiple times, even after dealership repair attempts. The vehicle has stalled and been towed more than once, most recently on September 26, 2025. Now, today, January 20, 2026, the vehicle has once again stalled and will have to be towed for...

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the third time since purchasing in August 2024. This has left us stranded once again. This is a serious safety concern, especially given the risk of stalling while driving. I transport elderly family members and depend on this vehicle for medical appointments. I am requesting NHTSA document this issue and review whether this represents a broader safety defect.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Unknown or other · EngineNHTSA 11711996
Engine & cooling

On [[redacted]] while driving my vehicle on the fast lane of the freeway the warning came on that the vehicle was going to shut down soon. I was able to pull over to the slow lane and immediately exit the freeway and as I was exiting the freeway the vehicle completely shut down. I was able to move the car to park in a safe area on the street with what little power it had. Shut the vehicle down and contemplated what to do. I waited for a few minutes and then turned the engine on and it drove but the orange...

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engine light was still on. I slowly drove it to the Carl Burger Dodge dealership in La Mesa, CA using side streets, avoiding the freeway, approximately 10 miles distance. They would not take my car in for service due to their back log and asked for I to make an appointment which would likely be around two to three weeks away or take it to another dealer that may look at my car sooner. Hesitant, I slowly drove my car to my residence again using only side streets, a distance of about 20 miles. Made it safely but the orange engine light was still on. I have had recall repairs on this vehicle previously. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11711046
Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine & cooling

While driving down the highway at 70 miles per hour ater driving 2.5 hours our 2021 Pacifica hybrid minivan flashed a warning on the vehicles display saying approximately "Warning Engine Shutting Down". The engine immediately shut down in the middle of the highway and we were forced to coast off the highway to the shoulder. The engine warning light came on. We turned the car off for a few minutes and proceeded to start the engine. The engine warning light was still on, but the other message was gone. We attempted...

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to drive towards our destination and approximately 30 minutes later the same thing happened again. We tried one more time since we were several hours from home and within 30 minutes the vehicle had the same issue. At that point we decided to try to get home. We drove the vehicle 15-20 mins at a time and then exited the highway over and over giving the vehicle time turned off. After returning home with no additional events the engine warning light went off the next warning. This was on a Sunday so we were unable to get it to a dealer. The next day we dropped off the vehicle at Nappletom Chrysler dealership. The called us the next day and told us they could not cause the event to happen again. They could see a set of error codes showing the problem occurred, but told us there was nothing they could do and it was up to us to cause the problem and then return the vehicle. Now I have a minivan with 70k miles on it that my wife primarily uses my with to get my daughter from place to place and I have no idea when this vehicle will shut the engine down at any time potentially causing a dangerous accident. I believe Chrysler has the responsibility to determine what the issue is. Researching on the internet show this is a common problem for my vehicle and typically requires a new transmission or and engine wiring short.

Filed Incident Power train · Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11700402
Electrical systemEngine & cooling

The ESS battery fails constantly and manufacturer will not find problem and just replaces battery. When the ESS battery fails it drains the main battery which then leaves the driver and its occupants at risk of being stranded. The transmission is an electronic transmission and if the battery fails while driving that could compromise the occupants also. We have had to have the battery replace twice and a third time tomorrow 9/21 if the dealership will "fit" us in. The ESS system will tell you it is unavailable but only after the battery has failed.

Filed Incident Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11688761
Electrical systemEngine & cooling

While driving my vehicle soon after purchase I notice an engine light on along with a huge fan noise from under the hood. Addressed the issue with dealer they diagnosed the car and so called fixed the issue. about a month ago I'm driving the car on a residential street and noticed the car jerking loud fan noise and the whole dashboard light up saying service hybrid service engine and transmission.. Suddenly the engine stops in moving traffic. The vehicle windshield wipers cut on by themselves and the car stayed in...

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park.. tow the vehicle to the dealer using only a dolly tow truck due to vehicle unable to be placed in neutral. Dealer calls to give update and noted no codes were stored and there is currently no issue with vehicle..He suggested to keep the vehicle longer to see if the problem returns. I'm afraid the electrical issue that is going on with this hybrid will cost me and my children life one day. this vehicle is not safe to drive and I am stuck in a purchase contract.

Filed Incident Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11683692
Electrical systemEngine & cooling

When driving our van from Nashville to Memphis, we were 2 hours from home when we received an on screen alert stating "Stop Safely - vehicle will shut off soon". This was in a construction area with little to no shoulders to pull the vehicle over as power loss began to occur. We contacted Chrysler for help but the nearest dealership told us the earliest they could see the vehicle was 3 weeks from Tuesday. I had 3 children in the car ages [[redacted]}. A web search for this shows how prevalent this issue is with...

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several blogs and Reddit forums indicating a problem. The NHTSA even has an open investigation into this specific issue. Apparently the only fix is a full transmission replacement, but we have no assurance from Chrysler that will happen and now our van is left 3 hours away in Memphis as we had no choice but to leave there. [[redacted]] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) https://www.outmotorsports.com/2024/12/chrysler-pacifica-hybrid-stop-safely/

Filed Incident Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11678015
Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine & cooling

On [[redacted]], 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...

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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: [[redacted]] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Incident Power train · Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11672470
Engine & cooling

Hard shifting. Shifting then RPMs dropping to 1000 and not accelerating when hitting gas.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11669592
Electrical systemEngine & coolingFuel system

While driving 70MPH on the expressway the dash randomly sent a message saying "Pull over vehicle shutting off" and then it put itself into limp mode. Thankfully we were able to coast to the small shoulder and put on our hazards. This happened at 2am with 4 kids in the car. Nothing in the car would work, it wouldn't turn on, shift, nothing. We had to sit on the side of the expressway for hours waiting for a tow. While waiting it had the check engine light on, limp mode light, and messages to service hybrid system & plug in battery for reconditioning. It is waiting to be serviced, but there is a very limited amount of techs that will service it due to being a hybrid.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11665527
Transmission & drivetrainEngine & cooling

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.

Filed Incident Power train · EngineNHTSA 11660695
Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating with the accelerator pedal depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rocker arm, lifters, and the right intake camshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11660486
Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine & cooling

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.

Filed Incident Power train · Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11655461
Electrical systemEngine & cooling

We noticed our van having issues getting stuck in gear and then jerking to get out of the gear. After doing further research it seems to be a common issue in 2021 Pacifica vans. The next issue is electrical. Our van rear door opens if we are too close to it with the keys and now the sliding door will not open. They just fixed a recall regarding the entertainment system and back up camera. The entertainment system is still having issues. When we start the car up the system will reboot itself.

Filed Incident Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11654142
Electrical systemEngine & cooling

While driving home with my children in the vehicle. When coming to a turn, the vehicle completely turned off without warning while I was doing about 35 MPh.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Unknown or other · EngineNHTSA 11644220

Chrysler Pacifica engine complaints by year

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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