2020 CHRYSLER PACIFICA Power Train Problems

I purchased this van in March 2025, it was used about 62000 miles, but dealer said it was in good condition, no issues. In September 2025, a battery light came on, that also activated the Start/Stop could not be used and needed service as well as Service Shifter. I brought the vehicle in and they simply replaced the auxiliary battery and sent me on my way. On November 13th, I was driving and a battery light came on as well as the Stop/Start not available error, and then moments later said "Stop Safely Vehicle will shut off soon". Thankfully I was only moments from home, and made it safely with my 5 children who were also in the van. Obviously this is dangerous as the vehicle stopping while driving can kill myself, my children, anyone in my vehicle, as well as cars around me as I live in a busy area, Tampa, FL. This car had just been given a review in March when put up for sale, and I had brought it in for an oil change, as well as a motor mount replacement, and the aux battery change, before this. My car has been serviced multiple times and this should have been checked or errors/updates reviewed. This auto/stop start seems to be a key in the safety issues as well since that light comes on every time there is an issue. Now the dealer states they are going to replace my PDC, main fuse box, and see if that fixes the error, but I have read that this is an error in many Chrysler Pacificas and mine is another.

Component/System: The propulsion system of my 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, specifically a suspected internal transmission wiring-connector short—the exact hardware defect identified in Recall 23V-010 as capable of causing sudden loss of motive power. In my case, both propulsion sources (gas and electric) simultaneously ceased providing power, leaving the vehicle unable to accelerate. The vehicle, its transmission, and all hybrid-system components are available for inspection upon request. When inspected at the Chrysler dealership, technicians retrieved a diagnostic trouble code they acknowledged corresponds to the known wiring-connector short condition. This code was present before any recall procedures were performed. Safety Risk: I was traveling at highway speed with my family, the vehicle abruptly lost all motive power and began decelerating without my ability to maintain speed. I was forced to coast to the shoulder while surrounded by faster-moving traffic, exposing me and other motorists to the danger of a high-speed rear-end collision. Dealer Confirmation: The Chrysler dealer confirmed the presence of the wiring-connector-related fault code and agreed that it aligned with the recall defect pattern. However, they performed only the software update required under Recall 23V-010 and informed me that they would not undertake further inspection or physical diagnosis unless I paid out-of-pocket, despite the safety-critical nature of the failure. They are ignoring the fact that the physical underlying defect is not fixed by the software update, much to my frustration. With this unfixed, the car is not safe to drive IMO. Inspection: The vehicle has been inspected by an authorized Chrysler dealer. No additional parties have inspected it. The dealer did not examine or repair the wiring harness or connector itself, refusing my request to do so. Warnings/Symptoms: A hybrid/electrical-system warning message appeared moments before the shutdown. No prior symptoms

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.

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)

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the gear shifter independently shifted from drive to park. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission solenoid shift sensor failure. The contact was informed that the transmission solenoid shift sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

I came to a stop at a stop sign yet again & the emergency brake engaged & put the car in park & shut itself off. I’ve lost count of how many of these forms I’ve filled out & how many times it’s happened and NOTHING IS GETTING SOLVED!!

My van once again gave the stop safely, vehicle will shut off soon & stopped right in the middle of the intersection. I’ve lost count on how many times this has happened!!

See attached document for complaint.

I’m experiencing persistent issues with my 2020 Chrysler engine. While driving, the engine frequently shuts down unexpectedly, often resembling a start-stop feature. When I come to a stop, the engine and lights go out, and the vehicle won’t restart, which is particularly concerning while in traffic. Additionally, when accelerating, I notice a jolt in the engine followed by a loud knocking sound. These problems significantly affect the vehicle's performance and pose a serious safety risk. I would appreciate any guidance on diagnosing and resolving these issues.

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

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

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

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

Mileage: 40,000

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while stopped at a stop light, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power; however, the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact also stated that later, while driving at 40 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly hesitated and jerked before returning to normal operation. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired, and the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission control module and performed a software update as per Technical Service Bulletin: 21-043-20. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.

Mileage: 70,000

It’s the same issue that the hybrid pacificas were recalled for. It pops up the random stop safely on the dash & then you’re halting to a dead stop & the vehicle shuts off. This has happened several times.

In August 2022, while traveling on the interstate I received a warning that the vehicle was experiencing a power failure. It subsequently shut down while traveling at highway speeds. I was able to navigate off an exit that happened to be immediate and coasted downhill off the exit ramp to a safe spot. I was unable to power the vehicle off for approximately 10 minutes. Once able to power the vehicle off and keeping it off for a few minutes, I restarted it. The check engine light was lit but drivable. The dealer replaced the entire transmission. In January 2023, the dealer completed the recall associated with the vehicle. On 1 January 2024, while driving approximately 60mph, I received notice that the vehicle would shut down and to pull over safely. Upon turning the vehicle off and back on, the check engine was lit but drivable. The vehicle is currently with the dealer again.

Since performing the latest recall (03A/NHTSA 23V-010) this car has gone into a "limp home mode" a half dozen times -often with a car full of children and at least once in a long construction zone on the Washington DC beltway! The recall "fix" for the faulty transmission wiring was apparently to program the electronic control to recognize faulty wiring and put the car in "limp home mode" - supposedly this makes it safe! Really? on DC beltway at night in a construction zone! The dealership told me that Chrysler would replace the transmission - 5/25/23. I have been in contact with the dealer numerous times and also Chrysler customer care. No one can give me a delivery estimate for the transmission and in the meantime, we continue to experience the total loss of power in the most horrible of circumstances. Neither Chrysler nor the dealer has offered a rental car or a loaner vehicle. This recall was totally inadequate to address the wiring and safety issue due to the lack of response from Chrysler to fix the actual problem.

On 11/05/2023 at approximately 12 pm while getting onto the highway of 183 in Austin Texas @ Lamar increasing speeds from 45 to 65mph the engine shifted hard 3x. The engine surged then a hard shift. This occurred 3x. I’m certain you understand the complexities of austin Texas traffic. No matter the time of day. Imagine those complexities with a car that was poorly made by a company that has never been held accountable.

Exceedingly jarring transmission shifts at both low and higher speeds that are startling to the driver and could cause an accident. This has been a chronic issue that happens frequently but not in every use of the vehicle. Below is a date in which this recently occured.

The issue is the Pentastar V6 engine defect. It has caused engine misfires resulting in bucking and surging, decreased engine performance, hesitation, loss of power, premature wear on internal components. The potentially dangerous issues on the “defective design” of the engine’s needle bearings within the rocker arms, the use of sub-standard materials and procedures during manufacture, “defective or miscalibrated” ECM software, and poor quality controls.  The Defect causes unsafe driving conditions because the Class Vehicles, that includes 2020 chrysler pacifica, have a significant chance of failing while being driven. Further, even the lesser symptoms of the Defect affect vehicle performance and safety, making it harder for a driver to control the vehicle as it loses power, hesitates, or misfires. the vehicle has only been inspected by the mechanic at the dealership we leased the vehicle from.

Three times now while driving the car just turns its self off with no warning. One incident was car wouldn’t start after just driving 20 minutes before with no problems. Steering wheel and brake were stuck in place so unplugged the battery and waited a few minutes. Hooked back up started the car with some struggling and the security light stayed on. Second incident was while driving car just turned off with no warning. Was told battery was dead so replaced the battery. Same day after thinking the car was fine we went somewhere and when turning on the car the security light was on again. Drove and the car turned off again while driving. Was able to restart and drive when the car shut off again with no warning. Had the car jumped and had someone check alternater and batteries again and they are all fine. Diagnostics talks about power train and faulty wire when everything checks out fine. Very scary when your family is in the car and not knowing if the person behind you is paying attention so you can get over safely. Taking car to a dealership on 9/11/2023.

When pulling up to a stop light the car shuttered and shifted into park and engaged the parking brake with no warning. Then it said safe hold temporarily disabled as well as the auto start stop light on the dash came on

While driving at highway speeds a warning flashed on the dashboard "Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon". I was able to coast to safe stop off the highway and drive slowly on battery powered acceleration for a few miles until the vehicle completely died. The gas engine did not engage during this period. I shut the engine off with emergency lights on while on a two lane road. After restarting the engine, I drove for about 30 seconds before it completely failed again, and pulled off in a residential area. I waited about 5 minutes before restarting the engine and attempted to drive the vehicle again. The gas engine did not engage and the same warnings were displayed as we attempted to reach a charging station to get to safe place to stop. The vehicle lost all power again after about 20 seconds and we pulled over. I waiting about 10 minutes until restarting the vehicle and the gas engine engaged. We were able to drive the vehicle to a safe location to park and unload 2 kids and an infant. My family was absolutely at risk during this incident. I'm bringing the vehicle to a dealership immediately and considering a complete replacement. This is unacceptable. A family should not have to fear for their lives while driving a American made vehicle on American roads.

While driving in normal conditions most, if not all, of the van's dash warning lights lit up, the van came to a stop on its own (without input from driver) in the middle of the street, put itself in park and would not shift into drive again. This happened in the middle of the street and before it could be moved onto the shoulder. The battery had to be disconnected to allow the computer/electrical system to reset, only then would it move. We are very lucky that this occurred within a 35 mph zone and not in interstate traffic. Even with this happening in a lower speed zone it is still very dangerous for the van to stop unpredictably in the middle of traffic. Again, had this been on interstate it could have been deadly. When attempting to put into reverse or drive, the shifter would shift itself back into park. If placed in neutral the van would engage the electronic parking brake and would not disengage until placed back in park. Given that the main purpose of these vehicles is to ferry children, it is especially concerning that the van is behaving the way it is.

Driving the car and the engine shut off on me. Brakes didn’t work. Steering didn’t work. Just coasted on a busy highway to safety. I’m lucky I’m not dead. No warning it would happen.

The transmission lurches or stalls. A check engine light will come on and says to service the transmission. While moving it will automatically detect a problem them engage the parking brake. While the check engine light is on, it will not go into gear. It will put itself in park if i try and out it in drive or reverse it just wont move. Has been going on since 6,000 miles and Chrysler constantly tells me there's no problem and it's normal. Now at 50,000 miles and it's still a huge issue. Chrysler has failed to document every time I've complained about it. Refused to give service records.

Severe shaking, or rough idle, when in park or drive but at stop. Chrysler dealership was washed their hands of this issue. I have had it in at least 4 times for rough idle/shaking issue. Has yet to be resolved and is still under warranty.

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made abnormal sounds with the Auto Start/Stop, and electronic throttle control warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure, and no error codes were retrieved. The dealer replaced the battery; however, the failure recurred with the brake warning light illuminated. Additionally, while the vehicle was being taken back to the dealer, the vehicle unexpectedly rolled backward while the transmission was shifted into drive(D). The dealer test-drove the vehicle; however, no error codes were retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle began to forcefully jerk. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing to complete TBS: 21-043-20 (flash update transmission controller). The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience a failure. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Mileage: 30,000

While driving at freeway speed a check engine light came on follows by “service electrical system “ then limp mode which limits the vehicle to 40mph. Very dangerous on the freeway. Luckily we made it off the freeway but the vehicle locked itself in park gear and began to make loud grinding noises with wipers going on randomly. This happened in a busy intersection. Car was inoperable had to be towed. Would not roll so flat bed tow was not possible. Dealer says the 12v battery was bad and it also needs a new transmission. If a 12v battery caused this to happen, this is a serious problem that could lead to a bad accident. Many more accounts of this online and YouTube.

My car has been going thru the refresh for gas and oil for the last few days. the motor has been running to empty out the "old" gas. so today, i took it thru a car wash on a conveyor belt system, with cars behind me. at the end of this i went to put it in gear so i hit the brake from the neutral position and put it in drive. i hit the gas and it went nowhere! there was a note on the dash that said i had to put the car in park, hit the brake and then put it in gear. i did this and it finally started to move. the car and five others behind could have been in serious trouble if i didnt get this figured out quickly, damn close to causing a wreck inside the car wash. now you tell me why a safety feature almost killed me?????

Driving from PA to GA when after 775+ miles, and twenty five minutes from our destination we received an message indicating to pull over safety as the vehicle was coming to a stop. Three kids in car seats stuck on the highway waiting for a tow is not comforting. The car dealership plugged the vehicle into a charger and they indicated everything appeared fine. On the next leg of our journey driving to FL, we went about 350 miles before receiving the same message and braking down yet again. The engine eventually turned back on after 35 minutes and I was able to pulled into a charging station two miles away. We charged it 45% and make it to our destination some 175 miles later. We took it to another Chrysler dealership in FL and they indicated their was an issue with some temp sensors and performed updates to the hybrid control processor software. The three error codes we rec'd were: "Stop Safely, Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon," "Service Charging System," "Battery Conditioning Leave Ignition in Run." There may have been a fourth. This is an extremely dangerous issue. We were fortunate that it happened in daylight hours and were able to pull off to the side of the road. Pray that we make the 1,200 miles track back to PA safety.

WENT FOR 1ST EVER OIL CHANGE, TECHNICIANS NOTICED COOLANT RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY (SHOULD NEVER BE) AND THERE WAS LEAKED COOLANT ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND BOTTOM OF CARS PROTECTION PADS (BAD ISSUE). TOLD ME (GET IT TO THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY), WHICH I DID, TAKING IT TO PHILLIPS CHRYSLER OF OCALA. IN ORDER FOR MY ENGINE NOT TO BLOW UP. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THIS FOR 7000 MILES SINCE I PURCHASED IT WITH ZERO MILES. THE DEALERSHIP TECHNICIANS SAID (THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS CONDITION) IT CAME FROM THE CHRYSLER OEM PLANT THIS WAY, SAID THAT ALL THE BOLTS TO THE COOLANT TEMPERATURE HOUSING THAT FITS ONTO THE ENGINE BLOCK WITH BOLTS WERE COMPLETELY LOOSE AND THE ONLY WAY FOR THIS TO HAPPEN IS THAT THE OPERATOR AT THE MANUFACTURING PLANT THAT ATTACHES THESE UNITS TO THE ENGINE DID NOT OR FORGOT TO BOLT DOWN COMPLETELY THE COOLING UNIT TO THE ENGINE. THIS IS GROSS NEGLECT ON THE PART OF T HE OEM AND COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FREEZE OR BLOW. CALL PHILLIPS CHRYSLER IN OCALA FL AT 352-732-7577 AND ASK TO SPEAK TO ABRIEL ARCHER ABOUT MR. KNAUER'S CHRYSLER PACIFICA V6.

Mileage: 7,200