2017 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the van losing motive power or shutting down while driving, with or without warning, sometimes at low mileage. A second large share of complaints center on the plug-in hybrid's high-voltage battery and charging system, including fire concerns and long waits for recall repairs. Electrical glitches and a small number of early transmission or power-cutoff episodes round out the reports.

1. 1
   Hybrid propulsion system

   Recall remedy unavailable / fire risk while parked or

   • 51 complaints (65%)
   • median 65,424 mi at 5.4 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2024

   Many complaints are about the plug-in hybrid battery fire recall, not a symptom the owner felt: owners report waiting months for a remedy, being told parts were not available, and being advised not to charge the van or to park it away from structures. A handful describe actual incidents, including smoke, arcing at the charge connector, and battery fires while parked or after charging. Others report 'service charging system' warnings and a van that would not start or go into drive. Mostly filed in 2022 through 2024, across a wide mileage range, and often tied to charging or to the vehicle sitting parked after a charge cycle.

   Recall 22V077000Recall 24V5360002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Confirm with a dealer whether the battery-pack recalls (22V-077 and 24V-536) have been completed on the specific van, and ask for documentation of any battery or charging-module replacement. Check the charge port and connector pins for scorching or discoloration.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car's lithium batteries caught fire to the point of smoldering. This happened at the end of the charge cycle. The car was parked in our garage and if the fire department did not come to help, the fire could have intensified and burned down our whole house. We are very thankful we caught it so quickly. No warnings or issues were apparent with the vehicle when it was parked and put on the charger.”

   NHTSA complaint #11558139, filed 2023-12

   “What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - Internal charging system or vehicle battery pack malfunctioned & caught fire. Vehicle is available for inspection now, but not sure about when it is removed from our property. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - It was a big fire! Close to structures, vehicles & dry foliage – super lucky it didn't spread. Smoke was very noxious and affected our entire neighborhood. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11553283, filed 2023-11
2. 2
   Engine

   Loss of motive power or stalling while driving

   Mentioned in 14 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the van cutting power while moving, sometimes at highway speed, with a chime, dashboard messages such as 'press brake to prevent rolling,' and a cluster full of warning lights. Owners report losing power steering and power brakes along with acceleration, and several say the vehicle would not restart or could not be shifted for a period afterward. Some were told a sensor short or a transmission replacement was needed; others describe repeated attempts to restart before the van came back to life. Reported from a few hundred miles up to around 45,000, with many under 10,000 miles, often while accelerating from a stop or at steady speed.

   Recall 17V371000Recall 18V7400002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the power inverter module recall and any hybrid-control software updates were done, and have a pre-purchase scan for stored hybrid and powertrain codes. Take a test drive that includes a hard acceleration from a stop and note any warning chimes or dash messages.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Car was powered on, put in reverse and we began backing down a steep driveway. Part of the way down the motive power cut out, we lost power steering and power brakes and could not operate the gear shifter. We could not get the vehicle to restart on the hill but were able to roll down to the bottom. Once at the bottom we were able to restart the vehicle normally.”

   NHTSA complaint #11055519, filed 2017-12, 1,300 miles

   “The van's engine stopped while traveling at 30 MPH on a city street. The AC had been running. The hybrid and engine light came on. The day board stated I needed to put vehicle in park to start van. After coasting to a stop the vehicle did not respond to trying to use gear selector. This changed after sitting for 15 minutes. I drove the vehicle with engine light and hybrid light the final 1 mile home....updated 11/06/17 updated 11/09/2017”

   NHTSA complaint #11003939, filed 2017-07, 3,800 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Electrical glitches: warnings, no-start, dead 12V system

   • 28 complaints (35%)
   • median 16,240 mi at 2.8 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2024

   Owners describe a cluster of electrical oddities: a van that will not turn on or off with the start button, gauges fluctuating, multiple system warnings lighting up at once, and driver-assist features dropping out. Some report the parking brake engaging on its own, doors failing to unlock, or the van needing a battery disconnect to reset. Complaints also mention an in-dash software update prompt that kept returning and disabled features while driving. Spread from a few hundred miles to about 66,000, sometimes after the vehicle sat or when restarting after a shutdown.

   Recall 20V3340002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the 12-volt isolator post recall was performed and whether the battery and charging-sensor software bulletins were applied. Test the start button cycle, sliding doors, liftgate and rear camera before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Three notable issues. First, the electrical system randomly crashes and I receive a huge glaring 9-1-1 error screen that the vehicle phone system needs service. Second, the onboard charging system does not charge correctly leading me to believe failure is occuring. Lastly, the drivers automatic side sliding door often malfunctions which could cause injury”

   NHTSA complaint #11083424, filed 2018-04, 300 miles

   “Our Pacifica plug-in hybrid intermittently wouldn't start beginning in October, 2021, each time displaying a Service Charging System message and Check Engine light. In one case, it was on and would not shift into Park, and we got stuck ~30 miles from home, with kids, and had to arrange for pick up and transportation. After many attempts, we were able to start it and drove it to a dealership in Plymouth, MI on November 15th. It has been there since; the dealership wanted to replace the high voltage (hybrid) battery under warranty. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11447482, filed 2022-01
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission replacement or shuddering drivetrain

   • 5 complaints (6%)
   • median 17,000 mi at 2.4 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2018–2023

   A smaller group of complaints describes the van dropping into a low-speed limp mode and then refusing to accelerate, with one owner told an entirely new transmission was required. Another reports shuddering and lurching on steep grades that a dealer attributed to worn engine and transmission mounts plus the transmission itself. Usually early in life, often under about 20,000 miles, and sometimes on grades or during acceleration.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Have a mechanic inspect the transmission and mounts and road-test on an incline, watching for shudder or a sudden drop into reduced-power mode.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving to work in the morning on 19-feb-2019, the mil check engine lamp illuminated as well as the red turtle limp mode indicator and a dashboard message stating vehicle speed may be limited. This happened while driving on local surface streets about one mile from my place of work. I had just turned off a 45 MPH main street onto a 35 MPH side street. The gas engine in my phev hybrid vehicle stopped working but could still operate at normal speed in all-electric mode. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11195021, filed 2019-04, 26,995 miles

   “We recently took our Hybrid Chrysler Pacifica to the dealer and they mentioned that there are multiple engine and transmission mounts that need to be replaced in addition to the entire transmission. I reported to them over the years that the vehicle stutters up steep hills (>13.5 degrees). The electric motor produces too much torque, lurches forward, then cuts off and repeats the process. In doing so the electric drivetrain motor is twisting the vehicle apart. It is certainly a safety issue. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11493520, filed 2022-11
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Infotainment, camera and driver-assist complaints

   • 8 complaints (10%)
   • median 8,500 mi at 1.3 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2022

   Owners report the backup camera going nearly black in some lighting, the rear automatic braking and warning chimes not engaging while reversing, and confusion over whether advertised automatic emergency braking was actually fitted. Some describe the radio and navigation being taken over by update alerts. Reported on vehicles with only a few hundred up to a few thousand miles, both in daylight garages and at night.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Reverse into a dim area and check the camera image, and confirm the built-in safety features by testing them or checking the window sticker against the van's equipment.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The rear view backup camera fails to function (goes virtually dark) under certain lighting conditions, presenting a condition that is favorable to collisions with vehicles, object, or pedestrians. The web has plenty such complaints on this vehicle, and the problem may not be specific to the hybrid. Two specific scenarios where I experienced the problem: 1) in a parking garage, in broad daylight, when backing out of a space, and 2) when backing out of the garage in my house at night. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11041498, filed 2017-10, 1,200 miles

   “While driving, the car disabled radio and navigation to put up an alert to schedule a software update. Attempting to dismiss this alert by selecting a time resulted in the alert coming back. When I hit 'cancel' to block the update, the vehicle decided to perform a software update while driving. The vehicle created an reoccurring driver distraction, and then unsafely performed a software update while driving, during which it disabled emergency services.”

   NHTSA complaint #11267559, filed 2019-10, 11,500 miles

Buying note. Ask for written proof that the battery-pack and 12-volt recalls on this van were completed, and budget for a dealer scan of hybrid and powertrain codes before purchase. Given how often complaints involve sudden power loss, a careful test drive and an independent inspection are worth the cost.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.