2021 Chrysler PACIFICA

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2021 Chrysler PACIFICA has 649 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 8.1x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (22% of all complaints), specifically: when attempting to start the van it will periodically not engage. the gear selector will blink when you select a gear, but it will not respond to throttle. the vehicle will roll however. this becomes a greater problem as you need to remove your foot from the brake to cycle the van back to off. all o. ⚠️ 1 fire report filed.

1 fire report 13 crash reports 12 injuries

649

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

8.1x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

141 complaints

22%

• WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VAN IT WILL PERIODICALLY NOT ENGAGE. THE GEAR SELECTOR WILL BLINK WHEN YOU SELECT A GEAR, BUT IT WILL NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE. THE VEHICLE WILL ROLL HOWEVER. THIS BECOMES A GREATER PROBLEM AS YOU NEED TO REMOVE YOUR FOOT FROM THE BRAKE TO CYCLE THE VAN BACK TO OFF. ALL O
• Vehicle broke down twice related to the hybrid electrical system. First Incident: vehicle would not start after being parked and turned off; upon attempt to start, vehicle displayed a "Service Electronic Throttle Control" error message in dash. Second Incident: vehicle was in motion on highway at
• My issue matches the issue reported in NHTSA ID Number: 11414581. My own words describing the incident: We have a new 2021 PHEV Limited (purchased May 3, 2021), which has with 977 miles (554.5 electric, 423.1 Hybrid). On May 24, 2021 my wife had driven about 2 miles to a store parking lot, turned

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VAN IT WILL PERIODICALLY NOT ENGAGE. THE GEAR SELECTOR WILL BLINK WHEN YOU SELECT A GEAR, BUT IT WILL NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE. THE VEHICLE WILL ROLL HOWEVER. THIS BECOMES A GREATER PROBLEM AS YOU NEED TO REMOVE YOUR FOOT FROM THE BRAKE TO CYCLE THE VAN BACK TO OFF. ALL O”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

137 complaints

21%

• WHEN THE CAR WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN GETTING READY TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. THOUGH THE CAR WAS ON DRIVE, I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE OR MOVE THE CAR. I HAD TO SHIFT TO PARK, RESTART THE CAR AND WAS THEN ABLE TO DRIVE. THIS HAPPENED ELEVEN DAYS LATER AGAIN, IN EVEN SCARIER CIRCU
• WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VAN IT WILL PERIODICALLY NOT ENGAGE. THE GEAR SELECTOR WILL BLINK WHEN YOU SELECT A GEAR, BUT IT WILL NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE. THE VEHICLE WILL ROLL HOWEVER. THIS BECOMES A GREATER PROBLEM AS YOU NEED TO REMOVE YOUR FOOT FROM THE BRAKE TO CYCLE THE VAN BACK TO OFF. ALL O
• AFTER 2 WEEKS AND LESS THAN 150 MILES, THE ENGINE MISFIRED DURING A SHORT DRIVE TO THE GROCERY STORE. THE DEALER STATES THAT A BEARING IN A LIFTER SEIZED.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“WHEN THE CAR WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN GETTING READY TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. THOUGH THE CAR WAS ON DRIVE, I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE OR MOVE THE CAR. I HAD TO SHIFT TO PARK, RESTART THE CAR AND WAS THEN ABLE TO DRIVE. THIS HAPPENED ELEVEN DAYS LATER AGAIN, IN EVEN SCARIER CIRCU”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

116 complaints

18%

• WHEN THE CAR WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN GETTING READY TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. THOUGH THE CAR WAS ON DRIVE, I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE OR MOVE THE CAR. I HAD TO SHIFT TO PARK, RESTART THE CAR AND WAS THEN ABLE TO DRIVE. THIS HAPPENED ELEVEN DAYS LATER AGAIN, IN EVEN SCARIER CIRCU
• WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VAN IT WILL PERIODICALLY NOT ENGAGE. THE GEAR SELECTOR WILL BLINK WHEN YOU SELECT A GEAR, BUT IT WILL NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE. THE VEHICLE WILL ROLL HOWEVER. THIS BECOMES A GREATER PROBLEM AS YOU NEED TO REMOVE YOUR FOOT FROM THE BRAKE TO CYCLE THE VAN BACK TO OFF. ALL O
• Here is our list they are "working on"... 1. had the no start issue 3 times...the first 2 times I could ONLY get it to start using the U-Connect app that we got free for the first year or whatever. The 3rd time I eventually got it to start after 3 tries. I did actually record the 2nd attempt so I ha

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 3 crashes

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

73 complaints

11%

• While in EV mode, driving 75 mph on the freeway for at least five minutes, the vehicle suddenly loses power and the accelerator pedal becomes completely unresponsive. My vehicle was slowing down in the carpool lane and I had to carefully find my way to the shoulder to be able to turn the vehicle EV
• I was driving at just over 70MPH in hybrid mode (battery fully depleted for full electric operation) and suddenly the van lost all power and a warning came up on the screen that said "Service Charging System". The van was totally stalled and had no power, but still had electrical functions. I had to
• While driving our 2021 Chrysler Pacifica PHEV in EV on the highway, at speed of 65 mph, the vehicle lost power and the accelerator pedal became unresponsive. This has occurred on three occassions, each on different days. The dashboard signaled these issues: Shift to P to Start, Service Charging Sy

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“While in EV mode, driving 75 mph on the freeway for at least five minutes, the vehicle suddenly loses power and the accelerator pedal becomes completely unresponsive. My vehicle was slowing down in the carpool lane and I had to carefully find my way to the shoulder to be able to turn the vehicle EV”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

50 complaints

• We have had intermittent issues with the rear hatch not closing when any buttons or key fob pushed since purchase. On 7/2/21 aprox 6:30 pm I was walking around rear of the vehicle the rear liftgate was fully open. A passenger pressed rear hatch button to close not realizing at that moment I was w
• I was in the garage near the car when it started spontaneously. I had the key fob in my pants pocket. It turned off when I sat inside and pushed the ignition off button. Did not notice any warnings/lights at the time. There were no safety consequences. My Concerns: What else could happen spontaneou
• The car stopped 2 times on it's own, told me to shift to park immediately but was in essence shutting itself off. Once approaching a stop light going ~10 mph and the second time I was going 50 mph down the road. The first time 3 warnings flashed across my screen, Service Charging System Service Re

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“We have had intermittent issues with the rear hatch not closing when any buttons or key fob pushed since purchase. On 7/2/21 aprox 6:30 pm I was walking around rear of the vehicle the rear liftgate was fully open. A passenger pressed rear hatch button to close not realizing at that moment I was w”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 649 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VAN IT WILL PERIODICALLY NOT ENGAGE. THE GEAR SELECTOR WILL BLINK WHEN YOU SELECT A GEAR, BUT IT WILL NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE. THE VEHICLE WILL ROLL HOWEVER. THIS BECOMES A GREATER PROBLEM AS YOU NEED TO REMOVE YOUR FOOT FROM THE BRAKE TO CYCLE THE VAN BACK TO OFF. ALL O
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: WHEN THE CAR WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN GETTING READY TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. THOUGH THE CAR WAS ON DRIVE, I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE OR MOVE THE CAR. I HAD TO SHIFT TO PARK, RESTART THE CAR AND WAS THEN ABLE TO DRIVE. THIS HAPPENED ELEVEN DAYS LATER AGAIN, IN EVEN SCARIER CIRCU
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: WHEN THE CAR WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN GETTING READY TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. THOUGH THE CAR WAS ON DRIVE, I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE OR MOVE THE CAR. I HAD TO SHIFT TO PARK, RESTART THE CAR AND WAS THEN ABLE TO DRIVE. THIS HAPPENED ELEVEN DAYS LATER AGAIN, IN EVEN SCARIER CIRCU
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: While in EV mode, driving 75 mph on the freeway for at least five minutes, the vehicle suddenly loses power and the accelerator pedal becomes completely unresponsive. My vehicle was slowing down in the carpool lane and I had to carefully find my way to the shoulder to be able to turn the vehicle EV
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)