2017 CHRYSLER PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID Fuel/propulsion System Problems

The car's lithium batteries caught fire to the point of smoldering. This happened at the end of the charge cycle. The car was parked in our garage and if the fire department did not come to help, the fire could have intensified and burned down our whole house. We are very thankful we caught it so quickly. No warnings or issues were apparent with the vehicle when it was parked and put on the charger.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - Internal charging system or vehicle battery pack malfunctioned & caught fire. Vehicle is available for inspection now, but not sure about when it is removed from our property. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - It was a big fire! Close to structures, vehicles & dry foliage – super lucky it didn't spread. Smoke was very noxious and affected our entire neighborhood. Neighbors have reported respiratory irritation since the fire. I now have a cough, burning throat and headaches. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? - There's a burned out van at the end of my driveway... specific instance of this problem does not need confirmation Similar issues are reported on the internet. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? - Not yet. Chrysler says it'll take 2-3 days for issue to be "escalated". Insurance is sending someone. Fire department HazMat crew verified that the battery pack is now "cold" but toxic chemicals are a public safety hazard. Oakland Fire incident #[XXX]. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - July 2022 the vehicle refused to charge & displayed a "turtle" icon. Took it to the dealer and told of the charging/fire recall. Stopped charging until all the recall parts were available which wasn't until August 2023. After repair, we were told the car was OK & it was safe to resume charging the car. Other details: - The vehicle caught fire while charging, engulfed in flames, had to be extinguished by Fire department, total loss. Car plugged in at ~4:30pm and we heard a "pop" at ~8:20pm. So the battery had reached 100%. Ran out and there was small fire dripping from middle underside of the car– quickly spread & consumed the entire car INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF I

We had the FCA Recall #Z11, NHTSA Recall #22V-077 repaired on this vehicle. One week later, the plug-in hybrid Pacifica was parked in the garage, plugged in but done charging. In the middle of the night, the battery spontaneously combusted. We heard a loud boom sound and found the car smoldering and emitting significant amounts of smoke. The car then burst into flames. The fire department soaked the car with water but it continued to reignite for approximately two hours despite the fire department’s best efforts to extinguish the fire. The car was completely destroyed. It also caused significant chemical smoke damage to our garage and home. As soon as we found it smoking, we rolled it out of the garage, which saved our house from catching on fire. Luckily our children were not in or next to the car at the time the battery combusted. There were no warning signs in the car prior to this incident. The vehicle has been inspected by insurance and is available for further inspection. At least two members of the family experienced adverse health consequences following the smoke exposure.

Recall Z11 was announced in early February 2022 due to fire risk which prompted Chrysler to issue a recommendation that owners not charge their plug-in hybrid Pacifica Hybrids and to park them outside until the fix was completed. More than six months have passed without subsequent update to resolve this recall, and not only is no part or remedy identified, the underlying cause has yet to be identified. This is after two previous recalls, U94 in October 2018 and W46 in June 2020, which were also announced by Chrysler due to fire risk for the Pacifica Hybrid. Chrysler's guidance of parking the vehicle outside and not plugging it in to charge is unsatisfactory and illogical. The normal operation of the plug-in hybrid system leads to the gasoline engine and regenerative braking charging the high-voltage battery during its "Hybrid Mode" operation even when the vehicle has not been plugged in to charge the high-voltage battery. Based upon other recent fire risk recalls related to vehicles with high-voltage batteries such as the Chevrolet Bolt EV--which has led to numerous manufacturer repurchases and complete battery replacement for all affected models--Chrysler's response is neither timely nor sufficient. It is past time that definitive resolution be provided to owners of vans that have already been affected by two prior fire risk recalls and now have been waiting six months with recommendation to not use the vehicle as designed, marketed, and advertised at the time of sell. Given the unresolved nature of recall Z11, I request action be taken to require manufacturer buybacks of the affected products at this time.

PHEV Fire risk recall has not been completed in a timely manner. Vehicle is potentially unsafe, Stellantis does not appear to understand the underlying problem or the risk to the consumer. Is our family and home at risk from a fire? When will this be remedied? It's been over 6 months and have had only silence from Stellantis.

Recall was issued February 18, 2022. Have not been able to park in garage or plug in charger since recall. Numerous calls and letters and emails have resulted in nothing but sympathy. This recall is definitely not being handled in a timely manner! This idiocy needs to get more attention….quickly!

Received notice about the Z11 recall for potential fire risk earlier this year. It's been over 5 months since the initial recall notice, and Chrysler/Stellantis has not issued any further communication. Vehicle cannot be operated as intended without a solution from the manufacturer. We've waited well-past a reasonable amount of time for some kind of update on a potential fix, and have yet to receive so much as an offer for rental reimbursement (or a buyback, which would be preferred at this point).

We own a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V077000 (Hybrid Propulsion System) however, AFTER 5 months, the part to do the recall repair is not yet available. The manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. We have not experienced a failure, however we cannot charge the car and are instructed to park it away from other structures and vehicles. The car is almost useless and likely has lost all value. The VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The Z11 recall is not being handled in a timely manner, and Chrysler is not being forthcoming with a solution.

I received the recall notice for possible fires created by the battery system for propulsion. After two calls to Chrysler and just having had the regular 12 V engine battery replaced at a very expensive cost, still no solution to the recall. The Chrysler dealer who replaced the battery also had no knowledge of when a fix would be available or what it might be. My suspicion is that the fix will be an entirely new propulsion battery. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED INFORMATION ON AN ESTIMATED TIME OF WHEN A REMEDY WOULD BE AVAILABLE.

It has been over a month now and Chrysler has not issued a fix for the latest recall to the PHEV propulsion system. The fact that it could catch fire at any time is concerning and it should be fixed quickly or the owners should be able to receive a loaner. This recall frightens the owners into not wanting to drive the vehicle. Not good.

ON THREE SEPERATE OCCASIONS OVER THE PAST FIVE MONTHS, I HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME ISSUE. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 75-80MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WITH 32-44% LIFE ON THE HYBRID BATTERY, THE VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. A MESSAGE COMES UP ON THE CLUSTER THAT I MUST PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK TO DRIVE. THE ACCELERATOR DOES NOTHING AND POWER STEERING IS LOST. I MUST COAST OFF THE HIGHWAY. ONCE PARKED, THE VEHICLE IS IN A STATE THAT CANNOT BE TURNED ON/OFF. THE VEHICLE START BUTTON SHOWS THAT THE VEHICLE IS ON, BUT THE ENGINE IS STILL OFF. ALL OTHER ELECTRONICS IN CAR LIKE STEREO AND BLUETOOTH WORK AS THE CENTER TOUCHSCREEN REMAINS ACTIVE. TOUCHING THE START BUTTON MAKES THIS FLICKER TO OFF, BUT IT IMMEDIATELY RETURNS TO THIS STATE. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE CHRYSLER DEALER TWICE ALREADY AND CURRENTLY IS THERE FOR A THIRD TIME TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, BUT THEY HAVE NO SOLUTION. THIS IS DEADLY!

Mileage: 30,689

ON FRIDAY, 7/12, WHILE MY WIFE, [XXX] ALONG WITH MY 5 CHILDREN, WERE SITTING AT A STOPLIGHT IN OLATHE, KS NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF 119TH AND BLACKBOB , SHE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AS THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND SHE ACCELERATED FORWARD, TURNING WEST ONTO 119TH ST. WITHIN SECONDS OF THE LIGHT TURNING GREEN, FLAMES WERE NOTICED COMING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SECTION OF THE CAR. MY WIFE QUICKLY PULLED TO THE SIDE OF 119TH ST, ABOUT 50 YARDS TO THE WEST OF THE INTERSECTION WITH BLACKBOB. SHE PROCEEDED TO HELP ALL 5 KIDS FROM THE VEHICLE AND AS THEY WERE RUNNING AWAY, THE VEHICLE EXPLODED INTO A FIREBALL. THE TOTAL TIME FROM HER SEEING SMOKE TO THE FIREBALL WAS LESS ABOUT 4 MINUTES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Mileage: 44,500

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK IN THE MORNING ON 19-FEB-2019, THE MIL CHECK ENGINE LAMP ILLUMINATED AS WELL AS THE "RED TURTLE" LIMP MODE INDICATOR AND A DASHBOARD MESSAGE STATING "VEHICLE SPEED MAY BE LIMITED." THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON LOCAL SURFACE STREETS ABOUT ONE MILE FROM MY PLACE OF WORK. I HAD JUST TURNED OFF A 45 MPH MAIN STREET ONTO A 35 MPH SIDE STREET. THE GAS ENGINE IN MY PHEV HYBRID VEHICLE STOPPED WORKING BUT COULD STILL OPERATE AT NORMAL SPEED IN ALL-ELECTRIC MODE. I GOT TO WORK AND PLUGGED MY PHEV VAN INTO A CHARGEPOINT EVSE TO RECHARGE. AT LUNCH, I RAN SOME ERRANDS AND NOTICED THAT THE GAS ENGINE STILL WOULD NOT OPERATE UNDER ANY CONDITIONS, WHICH IS VERY RARE DURING THE HARSH, COLD WEATHER WE WERE HAVING AT THE TIME IN THE CHICAGO AREA. AFTER RETURNING TO WORK, I MADE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR THAT EVENING. ON MY DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER WORK, THE ALL-ELECTRIC MOTOR ALSO FAILED AND STOPPED WORKING ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP. THIS HAPPENED ON A 35 MPH MAIN STREET, AND I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD AT THE TIME. I SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED IT AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE ABOUT 100 FEET BEFORE IT SHUT DOWN AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO REPEAT THIS PROCESS 2-3 TIMES IN ORDER TO TURN MY VEHICLE OFF ONTO A SIDE STREET SO THAT I WAS NOT IMPEDING TRAFFIC ON THE MAIN THOROUGHFARE. I HAD MY PHEV VAN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT EVENING. IT HAS NOW BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR FOR 49 DAYS, AND THEY STILL CANNOT DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE LOSS OF POWER AND FORWARD MOTION.

Mileage: 26,995

WHILE DRIVING, I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE VEHICLE PUT ITSELF INTO A LOW-SPEED MODE (AKA "TURTLE MODE") AND THEN WOULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE AT ALL. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT AN ENTIRELY NEW TRANSMISSION IS REQUIRED.

Mileage: 17,000

VEHICLE LOST MOTIVE POWER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXCELERATE FROM A STOP ON A CITY STREET. VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED BUT LOUD CLUNKING NOISE AND VIOLENT SHAKING CAME FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND HAS BEEN AT THE LOCAL DEALER SINCE WITH LITTLE COMMUNICATION ABOUT A PROGNOSIS OR PERMANENT FIX.

Mileage: 8,000

FCA STATED THAT THE THEIR T34 RECALL CAMPAIGN (NHTSA RECALL #17V-371) WAS SCHEDULED TO START "ON OR ABOUT JULY 24, 2017." JULY 24, 2017 HAS COME AND GONE WITH NO UPDATES FROM FCA TO OWNERS ON THE PROPOSED FIX OR SCHEDULE FOR PARTS AVAILABILITY. THE RECALL LETTER HAS NOT YET BEEN POSTED TO THE FCA WEBSITE. THE LINK TO THE ASSOCIATED PDF FOR RECALL T34 RESULTS IN A "PAGE NOT FOUND" ERROR. THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE HAS NO FURTHER INFORMATION. THEIR DEALERS HAVE NO FURTHER INFORMATION. FCA IS NOT ADDRESSING THIS RECALL WITH AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF URGENCY, GIVEN THAT IT WAS ISSUED ON JUNE 7. IN THE MEANTIME, THE SAFETY DEFECT CONTINUES TO EXIST WITH NO TIMELINE FOR RESOLUTION. AS FCA STATES, "A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER COULD CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING." ...UPDATED 11/06/17 *BF UPDATED 11/09/2017*JS

HAD THE CAR FOR 23 HOURS. LESS THAN 5000 MILES. AFTER PULLING THE CAR TO THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY AND 3/4 OF THE WAY INTO OUR ROAD IT BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY, SO MUCH SO THAT ONE OF OUR DAUGHTERS BURST IN TO TEARS (THE ONE THAT NEVER CRIES). THE SHAKING LASTED SOME TIME, ALONG WITH GRINDING NOISES. THE CAR FLASHED A DOZEN DIFFERENT CODES AS WELL AS INDICATING THAT THE PARKING BREAK WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VAN WAS COMPLETELY DEAD IN THE ROAD WITH FIVE CHILDREN INSIDE AND CARS HAVING TO SWERVE AROUND TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE NEARLY BLOCKED ROAD. THE VAN WOULD NOT RESPOND TO RESTARTING IN ANY WAY. WE QUICKLY TRIED TO REMOVE ALL FIVE KIDS AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE. AFTER CALLING OUR DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD US WE NEEDED TO CALL CHRYSLER SERVICE AND TOWING. AFTER WAITING OVER AN HOUR, WITH THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THE VIOLENT SHAKING AND STATED THAT SOMEONE "REALLY SCREWED SOMETHING UP WITH THIS VAN." HE COULD NOT PUT THE VAN IN NEUTRAL BECAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTIONS AND HAD TO USE SLIDES TO GET IT ON TOP OF THE TOW TRUCK. WE HAD BEEN HEADING TO THE FREEWAY AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO OUR FAMILY IF THIS HAD DIED ON THE FREEWAY WITH AN 18 WHEELER BEHIND US. WE EASILY COULD HAVE ALL BEEN KILLED. WHERE WE LIVE, THE LARGE TRUCKS FILL THE FREEWAY AND FROM OTHER STORIES WE'VE BEEN READING ABOUT FAILURE OF CHRYSLER PACIFICA HYBRIDS (AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM) VANS ARE DYING IN THE MIDDLE OF ROADS; A POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM. CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP HAS NO IDEA WHAT'S WRONG OR HOW TO FIX IT. CORPORATE IS NOT RETURNING CALLS

Mileage: 15