2018 CHRYSLER PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID Complaints

AT ABOUT 1100 MILES, WHILE ON A FAMILY TRIP OUT OF STATE, A RED BATTERY (LITHIUM)/CHARGING SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR SLOWED TO A STOP, ACCOMPANIED BY A STRONG BURNING ELECTRICAL SMELL. GOT THE FAMILY SAFELY IT OFF THE CAR. TOW TRUCK CAME AND DRIVER CONFIRMED BURNING ELECTRICAL SMELL WHEN HE OPENED THE HOOD. TOWED IT TO THE DEALER WHICH WAS CLOSED AND IT SAT FOR 24 HOURS. I WENT BACK TO IT TO GET SOME THINGS AND PUSHED THE START BUTTON AND IMMEDIATELY THE BURNING ELECTRIC SMELL. SHUT IT OFF. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, AFTER THE CALL FROM THE DEALER SAYING THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR, THE BATTERY WAS JUST SEVERELY DISCHARGED, I RETURNED 200 MILES TO RETRIEVE THE CAR. HALFWAY HOME, A RED WARNING LIGHT FLASHED ON AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. I CALLED THE DEALER FROM WHOM I BOUGHT THE CAR AND THE SERVICE PERSON ADVISED TO KEEP DRIVING AND DROP IT OFF AT THE DEALER, WHICH I WAS ABLE TO DO. TECHNICIANS SEEM NOT TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING OR HOW TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM.

THE CAR FAILED TO ACCELERATE BEYOND 31 MPH ON A SATE HIGHWAY.I GOT TO A GAS STATION AND TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. THE SITUATION WAS TEMPORARILY RESOLVED, BUT THE NEXT DAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME OUT. DEALER SAYS IT IS CATALYTIC CONVERTER ISSUE AND THE WHOLE SYSTEM MUST BE REPLACED. THE CAR HAS 4000 MILES ON IT.

AFTER UPDATING U73 UPDATE, IF PCM FIRMWARE IS NOT UP TO DATE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER CAN OVERHEAT AND CAUSE A FIRE. CHRYSLER IS DOING NOTHING TO CONTACT THE CUSTOMERS THIS IS AFFECTED. AFTER GOING TO THE DEALERSHIP WAS TOLD TO COME BACK AS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. AFTER ASKING FOR THAT IN WRITING THE DEALER WAS WILLING TO LOOK TO SEE IF THERE WAS A NEEDED UPDATE, THERE WAS. AFTER PERFORMING THE FLASH THE DEALERSHIP NOTIFIED ME THAT NEED TO COME BACK SO THEY CAN INSPECT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO BE SURE IT DID NOT OVER HEAT AND IS NOT DAMAGED.

BRAND NEW, 5 DAY OLD HYBRID PACIFICA WITH 250 MILES STALLED OUT WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO COMPLETE A 3 POINT TURN ON A TWO LANE ROAD. PRIOR TO STALL BRAKES WERE 'MUSHY' AND NOT AS REAPONSIVE, HOWEVER DURING THE TURN BREAKS FAILED COMPLETELY, AND POWER STEERING WENT OUT. FORCED TO SLAM ON BREAKS WHILE FORCING STEERING WHEEL TO COMPLETE TURN. INITIALLY THOUGHT EMERGENCY BREAKING ENGAGED TO STOP CAR THAT WAS NOW HEADED TOWARDS A CURB AND PEDESTRIANS BUT MORE LIKELY HIT THE CURB CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP HARD. CAR REMAINED PURPENDICULAR TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC FOR APPROXIMATELY 2-4 MINUTES WHILE I TRIED TO RESTART ENGINE. 7-8 CARS BEGAN TO BACK UP ON EACH SIDE OF CAR CONTINUING TO CAUSE A INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY ISSUE UNTIL 'MUSHY BREAKS' ABOUT 1 BLOCK PRIOR TO 3 POINT TURN AND STALLING. INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS! PURCHASED THIS CAR BASED ON SAFETY RATINGS AND HYBRID FEATURE WITH HOPES OF DRIVING IT FOR A MINIMUM OF 5 YEARS. COMPLETELY TERRIFIED TO PUT MY FAMILY BACK IN THE CAR AS THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED DUE ONLY TO CAR MALFUNCTION, AS COULD HAVE THOSE THAT WERE IN THE PATH OF UNRESPONSIVE CAR. UNDER THE CALIFORNIA LEMON LAW I AM EXPECTED TO PUT MY FAMILY BACK INTO A CAR THAT IS DANGEROUS ONLY TO PROVE THAT IT ONCE AGAIN PUT MY FAMILY IN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. THIS IS WHY PEOPLE TAKE THESE DANGEROUS CARS TO CAR MAX OR SELL THEM PRIVATELY, WITHOUT FULL DISCLOSURE, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO PUT THEIR LOVED ONES AT RISK WITHOUT COMPLETELY LOSING $50,000. DANGEROUS CAR! DANGEROUS LAW!

WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 70MPH ON THE FREEWAY. A "THUNK" SOUND OCCURRED AND THE CAR BEGAN DECELERATING RAPIDLY DESPITE PRESSING DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO DECELERATE. CABIN FILLED WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF SMOKE. CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THE CAR WOULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE AT ALL. TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THEN ON TO GET IT THE FINAL 100 FEET TO A GAS STATION. PARKED AND THE CAR SMELLED LIKE SMOKE/BURNING IN THE CABIN AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE UNTIL A TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. WHEN TOW TRUCK ARRIVED, TURNED VEHICLE ON TO TURN OFF ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE; ALL ELECTRONICS IN THE VEHICLE WERE ACTING UP AND COULD NOT TURN OFF PARKING BRAKE FOR A GOOD 15 MINUTES. FINALLY GOT IT OFF AND TOWED TO THE CLOSEST DEALER. *DT *TR

WHILE ON TRAFFIC 20-30 MILES JUST AFTER THE 34MILES BATTERY CHARGED RAN OUT AND WHEN THE CAR SWITCHED TO ENGINE MODE THE CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE I80 HIGHWAY. FOLLOWED ON SCREEN INSTRUCTION TO RE START THE ENGINE AND STARTED AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO AND RAN AT A SPEED BELOW 30MILES PER HOUR TO A CARPARK. AMBER ENGINE LIGHTED UP AND BURNING SMELL. I LEFT AND CHARGED IT IN THE CARPARK AND MANAGED TO GO HOME NORMALLY WHILE USING BATTERY CHARGE. WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SAID THAT ITS AN ONGOING ISSUE AND THAT CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS BROKEN AND COULD TAKE A WHILE AS IT IS ON BACK ORDER. SO I AM ON RENTAL NOW BUT DON'T KNOW WHEN WILL THE CAR BE FIXED. *DT *TR

OCCASSIONALLY WHEN I HOLD THE BREAK AND PRESS THE BUTTON TO START THE VAN, ALL 3 OF THE MOTORIZED ELECTRIC DOORS ARE OPENED! APPLIES TO 2018 CHRYSLER PACIFICA HYBRID TOURING L

WE PURCHASED A NEW 2018 CHRYSLER PACIFICA HYBRID ON SEPTEMBER 3RD. YESTERDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD, WE LEFT TO GO ON A VACATION. LESS THAN 30 MINUTES INTO OUR TRIP (WITH 3 MILES REMAINING ELECTRIC RANGE) WE HEARD A CLUNK AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AS THE ELECTRIC RANGE WENT OUT WE LOST ALL PROPULSION, AND MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO STEER IT ONTO AN EXIT RAMP AS BLACK SMOKE BEGAN BILLOWING FROM BENEATH THE HOOD. WE AND OUR TWO CHILDREN AND MY UNCLE ALL EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE HOOD WAS POPPED AND A HERO UNIT ARRIVED, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS IN FLAMES. WE WERE ASKED TO GET AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AS ANOTHER FIRE TRUCK ARRIVED. KNOWING THE AMOUNT OF LITHIUM ION BATTERIES ON BOARD, A FIRE, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT STARTED INEXPLICABLY, WAS TERRIFYING. WE HAVE NOT HAD A RESPONSE FROM OUR CHRYSLER DEALER, AT THIS TIME. ... *BF...*BF. UPDATED 10/29/18*JB UPDATED 10/31/18*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHRYSLER PACIFICA HYBRID. WHILE THE CONTACT'S WIFE WAS DRIVING 70 MPH, AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND THE HOOD WAS LIFTED, THE CONTACT NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE ENGINE IN FRONT OF THE FIREWALL. THE FIRE MARSHALL EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND THE POLICE FILED REPORT NUMBER: 2018-2716. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS UNKNOWN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN UNKNOWN CHRYSLER DEALER, BUT HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. IT WAS UNKNOWN IF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,900. CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE STATUS IS IN LIMBO. CHRYSLER STATED "WE ARE UNABLE TO DISCUSS THE CASE DUE TO AN OPEN ONGOING INVESTIGATION." AS OF THIS NEXT SATURDAY, 6 OCTOBER, IT WILL BE 3 WEEKS THAT THE VEHICLE WILL BE SITTING ON THE DEALERSHIP LOT. UPDATED 10/18/18*JB ...*BF *BF. UPDATED 10/31/18*JB

THE CAR ENGINE WAS NOT RESPONDING WHEN THE CAR WAS STATIONARY (IN A PARKING LOT) AND ALL THE ELECTRONICS SYSTEMS WERE CONTINUOUSLY ON FOR 3-4 HOURS AND SECOND ROW DOORS AND TRUNK WERE NOT OPENING. THE CAR CAN NOT BE TOWED AS THE CAR WONT GO INTO NEUTRAL MODE, THE MANUAL WAY TO PUT THE CA IN NEUTRAL MODE WAS USING A YELLOW CABLE AND THE CABLE ITSELF WAS MISSING. THIS IS THE MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AS THE CAR IS NOT FULLY LOADED SO ITS NOT FUNCTIONAL. THIS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN A WEEK AND CAUSED LOT OF TROUBLE TO GET HELP. BOTH THE TIME I HAD TO SPEND 4-5 HOURS TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE CAR WILL JUMP START AFTER ALL THE ELECTRONICS SYSTEM IS OFF (AFTER 3-4 HOURS) AND THEN IT WOULD BE DRIVABLE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE THIS CAR ANYMORE SPECIALLY BECAUSE I DRIVE THIS CAR AROUND THE TOWN WITH MY KIDS. THE CAR CAN SHUT OFF EVEN WHILE DRIVING SO ITS A DANGEROUS CAR TO DRIVE AROUND ANYWHERE.