2018 CHRYSLER PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID Complaints

VAN INITIALLY PARKED AND OFF. I PRESSED THE BRAKE AND THE START BUTTON TO TURN IT ON AND IT ENTERED INTO A CONFUSED UNKNOWN-GEAR-STATE (ALL TRANSMISSIONS LIGHTS P, D, R, ETC. ILLUMINATED). IN THIS STATE, THE VAN IS STUCK. NOTHING WORKS BECAUSE IT DOESN'T THINK IT IS IN PARK. SPECIFIC EXAMPLES: VAN CANNOT BE PUT INTO NEUTRAL OR PARK (TRANSMISSION KNOB/DIAL IS STUCK WHEN VAN IS IN THIS STATE), LIFT GATE CANNOT BE OPENED, POWER SLIDING DOORS MUST BE OPENED MANUALLY, VAN CANNOT BE TURNED OFF, VAN CANNOT BE DRIVEN OR MOVED. THE VAN IS EFFECTIVELY IMMOBILIZED AND CAN ONLY BE MOVED BY A A FLATBED TOW OR A TOW TRUCK WITH A SPECIAL DOLLY. BECAUSE THE VAN CANNOT BE TURNED OFF, ITS BATTERIES WILL EVENTUALLY DIE. I'M UNSURE IF THIS HAS ANY DELETERIOUS EFFECTS ON THE HYBRID BATTERY. THE PROBLEM IS HARD TO REPRODUCE AND INTERMITTENT. BECAUSE OF THAT, MY GUESS IS THAT IT IS A TIMING RELATED SOFTWARE/SYSTEMS BUG, BUT THAT IS ONLY MY GUESS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN ABOUT 7MONTHS OR SO OF OWNING THE VAN THAT THIS ISSUE HAS OCCURRED. THE FIRST TIME, WE WERE STRANDED HOURS AWAY FROM HOME ON A FAMILY ROAD TRIP. THE DEALER WE TOOK IT TO COULDN'T (OR DIDN'T TRY HARD?) TO FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE AND CLAIMED THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE BATTERY DIED (THE BATTERY DYING IS A RESULT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE, NOT THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM!). THEY PUT IN A NEW BATTERY AND SENT US ON OUR WAY. NOW, HERE WE ARE A FEW MONTHS LATER WITH THE ISSUE OCCURRING AGAIN. IT TAKES ONLY A LITTLE IMAGINATION TO THINK ABOUT ALL THE HORRIBLE THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN A CAR LEAVES YOU STRANDED IN THE WRONG PLACE OR IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. THIS ISN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN WITH A BRAND NEW CAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHRYSLER PACIFICA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE EMITTED A BURNING ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO LIA CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM NORTHAMPTON (263 KING STREET, NORTHAMPTON, MA 01060, (855) 315-8182) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE BURNING ODOR. THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE BATTERY WAS DISCHARGED. THE BATTERY WAS RECHARGED, BUT NOT REPLACED. THE ODOR RECURRED WHILE DRIVING HOME AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BAYSIDE CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE (212 NORTHERN BLVD, BAYSIDE, NY 11361, (718) 229-8700) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS CLOGGED AND WAS NOT PERFORMING NORMALLY. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V740000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

THIS PAST MONDAY/TUESDAY WE HAVE THE U94 RECALL SERVICE PERFORMED, WE ALSO HAD THE FIRST RECALL UPDATE DONE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. U94 WAS COMPLETED, AND NO ISSUES WERE NOTED WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. CAR WAS PICKED UP TUESDAY, BUT WEDNESDAY MY WIFE (WHO NORMALLY DRIVES THE VEHICLE) NOTED THAT IT SMELLED A BIT LIKE BURNING RUBBER WHEN SHE WAS DRIVING. I DROVE THE CAR TODAY TO CHECK THINGS OUT AND AFTER ABOUT 45 MILES OF DRIVING WHEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR A BIT DEEPER TO MAINTAIN HIGHWAY SPEED DURING A MEDIUM GRADE CLIMB I DIDN'T NOTICE ANY INCREASE IN POWER. AT THE SAME TIME I HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND WHICH I INITIALLY THOUGHT WAS ME RUNNING OVER SOMETHING IN THE ROAD (THERE WAS TRUCK TIRE DEBRIS). I LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR MOMENTARILY TO CHECK THE ROAD AND ENSURE I WASN'T HITTING ANY RUBBER DEBRIS. I AGAIN PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR, BUT AGAIN ONLY ELECTRIC MOTOR POWER, AND NO EXTRA GRUNT FROM THE ICE. I EVEN FLIPPED THE HYBRID INFO SCREEN TO THE ONE THAT SHOWS THE BALANCE OF POWER FROM THE ELECTRIC MOTOR AND ICE. I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR A 3RD TIME AND SAW THE ELECTRIC MOTOR INDICATOR GO TO 100% POWER, AND AFTER A SECOND OR SO THE ICE INDICATOR ALSO WENT TO 100%, BUT STILL NO EXTRA BOOST OF POWER. AT THIS TIME I HEARD ANOTHER LOUD POP OR TWO, AND STARTED TO SMELL SMOKE. I REALIZED THERE WAS SOMETHING SERIOUS GOING ON WITH THE CAR. I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND ONCE THE CAR WAS NO LONGER IN MOTION WITH AIRFLOW UNDER THE HOOD I COULD SEE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I JUMPED OUT AND POPPED THE HOOD AND WHAT I SAW WAS THE ENTIRE EXHAUST MANIFOLD / CATALYTIC CONVERTER AREA WAS GLOWING BRIGHT ORANGE AND SMOKE WAS EMANATING FROM SOMEWHERE DEEPER IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I CALLED 911, FORTUNATELY CAR DID NOT CATCH FIRE. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER.

BRAKES ARE MUSHY, AND DO NOT RESPOND WELL. VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND TO NORMAL BRAKING IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP, EVEN WITH BRAKES PRESSED TO THE FLOOR, HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID COLLISION WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF OUR VAN. VEHICLE DIED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE 30 MPH.

CLUNKING SOUND AT RIGHT FRONT WHEEL OF VEHICLE. DEALER CHECKED SUSPENSION PARTS, PROBLEM PERSISTS

WHILE DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY ON THE HIGHWAY AT AROUND 70MPH, WE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. I COASTED TO THE SHOULDER, ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC, WITH CARS PASSING AT 60+ MPH ON BOTH SIDES. ONCE STOPPED, WE NOTICED THE SMELL OF FIRE AND EVACUATED THE VECHICLE. CAR IS AT DEALERSHIP AWAITING REPAIR, TECHNICIAN STATED VECHICLE STILL SMELLED LIKE FIRE WHEN THEY PULLED IT INTO THE SHOP THE MORNING AFTER THE INCIDENT. TECHNICIAN ALSO STATED THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE RELATED TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER.

CHRYSLER ISSUED A U73 UPDATE AS A RECALL IN JUNE 2018 OR SO AND THEN QUIETLY UPDATED THE SAME U73 SOFTWARE AS PART OF THEIR RRT 18-087 BECAUSE THE SOFTWARE UPDATE IN JUNE HAS BEEN BURNING OUT CATALYTIC CONVERTERS AND SOME CARS ARE CATCHING ON FIRE. I FEEL THAT BECAUSE THIS ISN'T A RECALL THAT MORE CARS ARE GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE UNTIL IT IS. PLEASE LOOK AT THE FACEBOOK GROUP "CHRYSLER PACIFICA HYBRID-FIRE RISK: READ GROUP ANNOUNCEMENT" FOR MULTIPLE PEOPLE REPORTING ABOUT THE ISSUE. FYI I HAD THIS UPDATE DONE ON MY PERSONAL CAR BECAUSE I FREQUENT THE FORUMS AND FACEBOOK GROUP. I PERSONALLY DID NOT HAVE AN ISSUE BUT I'VE SEEN REPORTS OF MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE.

WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREET VEHICLE LOST ALL PROPULSION WITH WARNING LIGHTS ON. PUSHED CAR TO SAFE AREA AND NOTICED BURNING SMELL WHICH WAS GETTING WORSE. EVACUATED VEHICLE AND NOTICED BURNING SMELL INTENSIFYING. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, WHERE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS PERFORMED AS WELL AS BOTH CATALYTIC CONVERTERS REPLACED WITH ASSOCIATED EXHAUST PIPING DUE TO SEVERE HEAT DAMAGE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE RECENT OVER THE AIR UPDATE CAUSED THE FUEL MIX TO BE RICH AND THE EXHAUST TEMPERATURE TO EXCEED SAFE LIMITS. ENTIRE VEHICLE COULD HAVE BURNED WHICH WOULD HAVE IGNITED THE LITHIUM BATTERIES CAUSING AN EXPLOSION.

CATALYTIC CONVERTER OVERHEATED DURING OPERATION CAUSING A BURNING SMELL IN CABIN. VISUAL INSPECTION OF CONVERTER SHOWED IT WAS RED HOT AND THE COLOR OF THE SUN. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME IN AND CAR WAS NOT FUNCTIONAL. THIS IS RELATED TO THE BOTCHED U73 RECALL AND SUBSEQUENT RRT.

MY FAMILY AND I WERE RIDING ALONG AT 70 MPH AND SUDDENLY, THE LEFT SIDE ENERGY CONSUMPTION METER STARTED BOUNCING UP AND DOWN. SOME BURNT RUBBER SMELL CAME THROUGH THE VENTS AND THEN THE CAR JUST START SLOWING DOWN. I WAS LUCKY THERE WERE NO CARS AROUND ME AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT ACROSS 4 LANES TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE SHOULDER. ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON MY DASH WERE LIT BUT THE ENGINE DEPARTMENT OBVIOUSLY DEAD. I POWERED THE CAR DOWN AND TRIED TO CRANK IT AGAIN BUT THE COMPUTER WAS CONFUSED ABOUT WHICH GEAR I WAS IN. NOW, THE DASH ONLY SHOWED THE ENGINE LIGHT AND BATTERY LIGHT. AFTER TRYING THIS SEVERAL MORE TIMES, I GAVE UP AND CALLED THE FCA TOW TRUCK WHICH WAS A HORROR STORY ALL ON ITS OWN. TOOK ME LONGER TO GET AND FCA REP ONLINE AND CONVERSATION FINALIZED (30 MIN) THAN IT TOOK THE TOW TRUCK TO GET TO MY LOCATION (15 MIN). BEFORE THE TOW TRUCK GOT TO MY LOCATION, I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR IN GAS MODE AFTER IT DIED 45 MINUTES AGO AND HOBBLED OVER TO A GAS STATION A 200 FEET AWAY. THE SMELL WAS STILL PREVALENT AT THIS POINT. THE TOW TRUCK TOWED THE VAN TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHERE I BOUGHT THE VAN (COVERT IN AUSTIN) WHICH JUST HAPPENED TO COINCIDE WITHIN THE 10 MILES TOWING LIMIT FOR MY CASE. THIS HAPPENED 10/6/2018. IT'S BEEN 9 DAYS AND MY VAN HASN'T BEEN LOOKED AT YET. APPARENTLY THERE AREN'T ENOUGH HYBRID TECHS TO GO AROUND. COVERT WHICH IS A LARGER FCA DEALERSHIP IN THE AUSTIN AREA ONLY HAS 2 TECHS. IN THE MEAN TIME, COVERT LENT ME A LOANER SINCE THE DAY I DROPPED THE VAN OFF. NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS OR WHEN IT WILL BE FIX. BUT THIS DOESN'T LOOK PROMISING.