2020 CHRYSLER PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID Complaints

Husband was driving the vehicle on a highway during a road trip and it turned off while he was driving. It generated a “charge fault” message on my phone (uConnect). He pulled over to the shoulder, had to start it again, got going, and it died again. He managed to limp it into the nearest town, we had to pay to have it towed and rent a car to get our family home. Vehicle has fewer than 8,000 miles on it, was purchased new December 2020.

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 5 mph, the front windshield wiper arms started to malfunction. The contact stated that the driver’s side wiper arm seized and caused damage to the body of the vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 13,500.

Vehicle shut off engine and directed driver to shift to park while driving at full speed on interstate highway. After coasting to emergency lane and shifting to park the vehicle restarted. The vehicle is currently at the dealership.

On my Pacifica Hybrid the vehicle drivetrain loses all power and requires the driver put the vehicle in PARK and TURN OFF the ignition and START the vehicle again. Typically this happens when BOTH of the following conditions are met: 1) battery for the hybrid drivetrain, not the 12v accessory battery, runs to 0% or less than 1% state of charge 2) hard braking or sudden braking or braking when going down a hill. The hard braking seems to overwhelm the recharging system when the battery is at 0% causing a powertrain shutdown and all kinds of error lights flashing. It eventually ends with a "SERVICE CHARGING SYSTEM" message. Once the vehicle is in this condition it is very easy to replicate as I was able to do in this video that I recorded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6NF-kKPx5w This is quite dangerous and has left me barely able to get to the shoulder of major highways several times.

THE VEHICLE IS AN ELECTRIC AND GAS HYBRID VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE GOES COMPLETELY DEAD. THERE IS NO POWER TO ACCELERATE, NO POWER STEERING, REDUCED BRAKING. THIS HAPPENED IN JUNE OF 2020 AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP HAD THE VEHICLE FOR APPROX. 3 WEEKS TO REPAIR AND A NEW ELECTRICAL INVERTER WAS INSTALLED. A SIMILAR EVENT HAPPENED ON 04-13-2021, HOWEVER THIS TIME ONCE THE VEHICLE WENT DEAD AND THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP, AFTER TRYING TO TURN THE VEHICLE BACK ON IT WAS AGAIN UNDER POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE CAUTIOUSLY DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS IT IS BEING SERVICES FOR THIS ISSUE. IN BOTH THE JUNE 2020 AND CURRENT SITUATION, THERE WAS AN ERROR CODE STATING "SERVICE CHARGING SYSTEM". IN BOTH CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS HAS OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH SIGNIFICANT URBAN TRAFFIC. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE THIS LAST TIME WITH OUR CHILD IN THE VEHICLE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED SHE WAS ON A ONE LANE EXPRESS LANE WHERE PEOPLE TRAVEL AT THE HIGHEST HIGHWAY SPEEDS. SHE WAS SO CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE SHE CONSIDERED HAVING BOTH OF THEM DEPART THE VEHICLE AND CROSS MULTIPLE LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET TO SAFETY. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE AND FOR CARS AROUND THE STALLED VEHICLE. THANKFULLY THEY DID NOT GET STRUCK.

BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE WHEN PRESSED, LEADING TO COLLISION WITH CARS IN FRONT OF US BECAUSE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 CHRYSLER PACIFICA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V334000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH POWAY CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE DEALER (13811 POWAY ROAD, POWAY, CA 92064), AND WAS INFORMED THAT PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN APPROXIMATELY FOUR WEEKS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.