2020 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid most often report the vehicle suddenly losing drive power while driving, usually after a dash warning about the charging system or a message to pull over. These reports describe a sudden event rather than a gradual decline, and many complaints do not list mileage. Other reported problems include recall repairs waiting on parts or instructions, second-row seat recline failures, and coolant system faults.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Sudden loss of drive power while driving

   • 39 complaints (67%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 3.8 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2021–2025

   Owners describe the vehicle losing drive power while driving, often with a dash message about the charging system or a warning to pull over soon. Some say the accelerator stopped responding, and that power steering or brake assist dropped out with it. Some owners could restart the vehicle after turning it off and on, while others say it would not restart at all. Dealers reportedly could not reproduce the problem in some cases; in others they updated software or installed a new inverter, and owners say the symptom returned. Most reports describe it at highway speeds, often after a warning message, and where a mileage is listed it falls between about 11,000 and 58,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask the dealer to scan for stored drive motor or inverter codes and whether the hybrid control software bulletins have been applied. During a test drive, check the dash for charging system or shut-off warnings, and ask the dealer to explain any warning that appears.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We were driving and the vehicle displayed Pull Over, Vehicle will Shut off Soon along with a check engine light. Fortunately we were almost home and the vehicle made it to our house before shutting off. We took it to the dealer and the dealer claimed they were not able to reproduce the issue or see any problems with the vehicle, despite it losing motive power.”

   NHTSA complaint #11602417, filed 2024-07

   “We were traveling 70 mph down a steep incline and suddenly the vehicle, a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, displayed the warning Pull Over - Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon and immediately the vehicle lost all motive power. I was able to pull over to the side of the road safely. This is the second time this has occurred. The first time a Chrysler dealership did not fix the problem. The code pulled was P0A43 related to the 03A recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #11603650, filed 2024-07
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Recall repair parts or instructions not yet available

   • 8 complaints (14%)
   • median 37,406 mi at 3.4 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2020–2023

   Owners describe a recall notice for an electrical or hybrid system fault, but the dealer had no repair parts or repair instructions yet. Owners say the parts were unavailable and that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable time for the repair, with a dealer estimate of a few weeks for parts and longer timelines for instructions. An owner says customer service said it was acceptable to keep driving while the recall was open. These complaints list no mileage, and most were filed in early 2023 with the owner reporting no failure at that time.

   Recall 20V334000

   What to check: Ask a dealer whether any open recall repairs, including the 12-volt isolator campaign, have been completed, and check the vehicle's recall status by VIN on the NHTSA website. If a recall remains open, ask for the expected date the repair will be available.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The current recall, NHTSA 23V-010, on my vehicle can not be resolved. The manufacturer customer service stated that repair instructions would be released within the 1st quarter or 2nd quarter of 2023. That could be up to six months. I am losing a lot of money because I can't fix the issue. Currently, I do not have any noticeable issues with my vehicle, but Chrysler Customer Service is telling me that even though there is a risk for an accident to occur due to the recall, it is okay for me to continue driving it. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11505563, filed 2023-02

   “The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V010000 (Electrical System, Hybrid Propulsion System); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”

   NHTSA complaint #11511881, filed 2023-03
3. 3
   Seats

   Second-row and captain's chair recline or fold failure

   Mentioned in 4 of 56 sampled complaints

   Owners describe a second-row or captain's chair seatback that will not lock, so it reclines or folds forward and can slide on its track. Complaints often point to a failed release cable or spring in the recline and fold lever, and some say the problem began while a child seat was installed. An owner reports the dealer said seat replacement was needed, and complaints say online forums describe similar failures. These complaints describe the failure in everyday use, including with a child seat installed and in hot weather, and none list mileage.

   What to check: Check whether the second-row and captain's chair recline and fold levers lock firmly and hold the seatback in place. Ask a dealer to inspect the release cable and spring before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We have a broken 2nd row captain's chair on the passenger side. The seat broke with my child's car seat in it so we didn't notice until we took the carseat out and noticed the seat back was swinging freely forward and back and would not latch. In doing some research we found dozens of other people with similar age Pacificas with identical problems. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11642639, filed 2025-02

   “Both 2nd row quad seats have failed. The lever for leaning the seat forward pulls a cable that has a large spring in a plastic housing that fails. It failed on both seats within the same day in a hot weather environment. After failure, the seats both slide and tilt without the ability to lock into position. This is a HUGE safety concern as it provides no restraint to the occupant. There are hundreds of accounts of this same issue on forums and reddit posts and highly documented the part that is failed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11605467, filed 2024-07
4. 4
   Engine

   Coolant leaks and electric coolant heater or pump faults

   Mentioned in 4 of 56 sampled complaints

   Owners describe coolant loss, check engine lights, and rough idling or misfires. Complaints describe an electric coolant heater that locked up and stopped the windshield demisting function in electric mode, and an inverter coolant pump failure where the replacement part was reportedly back-ordered. Complaints say the dealer replaced a failed coolant heater, and an owner reports the dealer found coolant in the engine and replaced parts including a cylinder head. These complaints do not list mileage and were filed between 2022 and 2024, and the heater complaint describes the demisting failure as a visibility concern in cool weather.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the electric coolant heater service bulletins have been applied and request records of any coolant heater, pump, or cylinder head repairs. Check the coolant level and look for leaks or residue around the engine.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The Electric Coolant Heater can become in a locked state thus causing the demist function to stop working when driving in EV mode. This can potentially present visibility issues when driving in cool weather and there is no heat in the vehicle until the ICE is engaged. The error code that occurs is POE15. This is a known problem and there is a supply chain issue”

   NHTSA complaint #11460127, filed 2022-04

   “Invertor coolant pump failure, giving a Check Engine Light P0E7C (coolant bypass valve B control circuit having low voltage). Part from Chrysler seems to be on national back order. replacement part offered by dealership keeps failing.”

   NHTSA complaint #11586097, filed 2024-04

Buying note. Before buying, ask for service records covering the hybrid drive system, the inverter, and any coolant repairs, and confirm whether open recall repairs are complete. A pre-purchase inspection that includes a scan for stored drive motor codes can help show whether the power-loss warnings are present.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 56 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.