2021 Chrysler Pacifica Problems

What owners report

Most of what owners describe for the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica centers on the plug-in hybrid drivetrain: sudden loss of motive power at speed, often accompanied by a "Service Charging System" or "Shift to P to Start" message, with many reports appearing at low mileage. A second, later cluster involves the rearview camera going blank or frozen, along with other electrical and infotainment faults. Engine and transmission complaints round out the list, mostly stalling, hesitation and shift or power-loss symptoms.

1. 1
   Engine

   Sudden loss of power while driving (hybrid)

   • 232 complaints (62%)
   • median 19,400 mi at 2.0 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,198 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2021–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle abruptly cutting power, sometimes at highway speed, with the accelerator unresponsive and a "Service Charging System" or "Shift to P to Start" message on the dash. Some report a "stop safely, vehicle will shut off soon" warning just before shutdown. Several say the van restarts only after being shifted to park and cycled off and on, and that dealers could not reproduce the fault or applied software updates without lasting effect; others were told a transmission replacement was needed. Reported from very low mileage up through tens of thousands of miles, frequently at highway speeds and in hybrid or EV mode.

   Recall 23V010000Recall 26V3620001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for the service history and whether recall 23V010000 wiring repairs and any related software updates were completed. Test drive at highway speed and on hybrid-to-engine transitions; note whether any charging-system or shift-to-park messages appear.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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 circumstances. The engine turned off when I was slowing down in preparation to merge into a highway. The car turned off and stopped and I could not accelerate or drive, holding up the cars behind me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11413131, filed 2021-04, 950 miles

   “The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid will lose all power while driving. I have had it back to the Dealer for this Problem. I got a Recall for this in April. I took it in to the Dealer to do. They told me that Chrysler does not have a fix for this yet. Within 400 miles after that it done it again while my wife was driving and caused a crash.”

   NHTSA complaint #11531168, filed 2023-07
2. 2
   Back-over prevention (rear camera)

   Rearview camera blank, frozen or blue

   • 26 complaints (7%)
   • median 43,500 mi at 3.4 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2021–2026

   Complaints describe the backup camera showing a blank, blue, static or frozen image, or displaying an old frame, when reversing. Some owners had a radio software update or a recall software flash performed and said the image problem came back; others were told the camera itself needed replacement or that parts were not yet available. A few mention related display faults such as Uconnect service messages or an inoperative screen. Appears across a wide mileage range, from under 10,000 to over 100,000 miles, and is described as intermittent.

   Recall 24V4360004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the camera in reverse several times, including right after startup, and ask whether the recall 24V436000 software update was applied and whether the camera unit was replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Had recall 66B software update done for rear view camera not working, did not fix the issue. Backup camera still not working. Need to know what next steps are to get it fixed. Chrysler is saying I have to pay for diagnostics. Can you please help me with this issue. First recall notice was September 2024 but there was no fix at that time.”

   NHTSA complaint #11674185, filed 2025-07

   “The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the contact attempted to back up and became aware that the rearview camera was inoperable. The contact stated the image from the rearview camera appeared blank. The contact stated that due to the failure with the rearview camera, the contact rear-ended an object which caused the rear-end of the vehicle to be fractured. The vehicle was able to restart. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11631638, filed 2024-12, 8,852 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Gear selector and shifting faults

   Mentioned in 7 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the gear selector flashing or failing to engage, a "Service Trans" or "Service Gear Shifter" message, the van shifting into neutral on its own, and in some cases an inability to accelerate after selecting a gear. Some owners were told the transmission needed replacement; others reported software updates were performed first. Mostly described on vehicles under about 40,000 miles, occasionally at higher mileage.

   Recall 23V0100002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Cycle through drive, reverse and park several times and watch for selector lights or warning messages. Ask whether the transmission or shifter module has been serviced or replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving my Pacifica, got the warning light telling me to pull over. The van lost power 3/4 way up a hill blocking traffic and had to get towed to the dealer, where it now awaiting a transmission rebuild. This is the 4th time this same van has died like this, including twice on the highway. Previous times when I brought to the dealer, they only updated software or told me there was nothing they could do”

   NHTSA complaint #11716357, filed 2026-02

   “This Chrysler Pacifica is only a few weeks old with around 1700 miles on it- I had only made our first car payment a few days prior. I tried to put my car in park in a long line of vehicles, and heard a clicking noise, followed by an immediate dinging with an error message. The vehicle told me service trans. It would not allow me to park my vehicle. Shortly after this happened, the service engine light came on. There was absolutely no indication of anything being wrong with my BRAND NEW vehicle prior to this incident. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11440660, filed 2021-11
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Power sliding doors and liftgate not latching or opening

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe power sliding doors that close on their own or fail to stop for obstructions, doors that can be found open after the vehicle was locked, and a liftgate that will not close and latch or opens intermittently. Complaints note the liftgate and door-ajar messages and repeated dealer visits. Other electrical gripes include console and dashboard failures and a vehicle that would not shut off. Spread across the mileage range, with several reports on relatively new vehicles.

   6 related service bulletins

   What to check: Operate both sliding doors and the liftgate several times, including from the fob and interior buttons, and confirm they latch firmly and reverse on obstruction. Ask whether door or liftgate modules have been reflashed or replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Im not sure if it’s electrical or what but we lock up car and everything is closed and in the morning we come out and the door is open and it’s the back sliding door not sure what to do about it or if it’s broken but having my van completely locked up and then coming out and the door being open is weird and it’s happened multiple times as well as both sliding doors slam shut and don’t stop closing once u click button and gets hands and fingers shut in door when is shouldn’t shut when u put on it or block it”

   NHTSA complaint #11533163, filed 2023-07

   “The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle and shifting to park(P), the contact attempted to turn off the vehicle however, the engine remained running. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent however, on one occasion, the engine remained running for almost 2-hours after pressing the START/STOP button. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11590630, filed 2024-05, 76,000 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Engine misfire, hesitation and internal wear

   • 28 complaints (7%)
   • median 24,000 mi at 1.6 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2021–2026

   Owners report misfires, rough running and hesitation under acceleration, in some cases shortly after purchase and in others at higher mileage. Dealer diagnoses described in complaints include a seized lifter bearing and, in another case, worn rocker arms, lifters and an intake camshaft, with parts sometimes unavailable. Reported from a few hundred miles to over 100,000 miles, with no single pattern in the sample.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Listen for rough idle or misfire on a cold start and ask whether the check-engine light has ever been logged; request any engine diagnostic records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #11416164, filed 2021-05, 135 miles

   “The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle started to stall. The accelerator pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The contact stated that the brake pedal was shaking while depressed. The check engine warning light and the warning Service Charging Systems and Shift to Park to Start was illuminated. Additionally, the contact noticed that the drive(D) warning light was flashing on the gear shifter knob. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11460755, filed 2022-04, 14,800 miles

Buying note. A used 2021 Pacifica is worth checking carefully on drivetrain behavior: confirm which recalls and software updates have been completed, then test the vehicle at highway speed and on hybrid-to-engine transitions. Also try the backup camera and all powered doors and the liftgate, since those faults appear repeatedly in owner complaints.

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.