2024 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid: check engine light

Filed Jan 6, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · TX

A Concerning Safety Issue with the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Last week, I experienced a serious safety incident with my newly purchased Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid that I feel compelled to share. Just a mile from my home, my vehicle's dashboard displayed an alarming message: "Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon." Within moments, the van lost power and the steering wheel locked - fortunately while I was already stopping at a stop sign. The vehicle became completely unresponsive. After researching online, I found this was a known issue requiring a specific reset procedure: exiting the vehicle, multiple attempts with the start/stop button, and then restarting. While this eventually worked, both the Check Engine and battery warning lights remained illuminated during my careful drive home. My attempts to get assistance through Chrysler Assist were unsuccessful, with their only recommendation being to visit a dealer. At the dealership, they identified three diagnostic codes: B1945-13 B10EB-00 P0A78-00 While they performed a recall-related firmware update, the underlying concern remains: What if this failure had occurred on a freeway, in adverse weather conditions, or with my family aboard? More concerning is the discovery that this isn't an isolated incident. Similar reports are appearing across owner forums and social media, suggesting this is a widespread issue affecting Chrysler's hybrid vehicles. Despite apparent awareness of the problem, Chrysler has yet to implement a comprehensive fix. As a new hybrid vehicle owner, this experience raises serious questions about vehicle safety and manufacturer responsibility. While the automotive industry pushes toward electrification, ensuring basic safety and reliability should remain paramount.

Filed Oct 9, 2024 · Engine · NV

I bought a 2024 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Pinnacle [XXX]. On [XXX] I was driving. I was on a busy six lane road when the engine stopped working. The dash display showed a message to the effect of "Stop safely, vehicle engine will shut off soon" [the engine had already shut off when I saw the display]. The battery and engine lights displayed. The vehicle would not start and was towed to my dealership. They could find nothing wrong with the vehicle. They replaced the battery thinking it was dead from the desert heat sitting on the dealer lot prior to sale. The car worked until [XXX]. My daughter was driving, again, on a six lane road, when the engine died. The dash again showed the "Stop safely, vehicle...." [again the engine had already shut off when she saw the display}. The engine and battery light were again illuminated. Email notifications were sent to me showing alerts: Powertrain Malfunction, Charging system, Brakes & Suspension Antilock Brake System. I had the car towed to my dealership. Again, the dealership replaced the battery but could find no cause. The car currently works. I have owned twenty autos in my life. I have NEVER had a vehicle stop working as I am driving it. This is an extremely dangerous situation; the risk of being rear ended by another driver at a high rate of speed is great. I have seen other posts from Pacifica drivers with the same issue. Putting any driver in an unsafe situation such as this needs correction; it is even more disturbing when it is a minivan designed for families with children. My dealership is as stumped as I am. Chrysler needs to address this immediately. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 24, 2024 · GA

I purchased a brand new 2024 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid on September 23th 2024. It was delivered the next day and after driving just for 2-3 miles, the vehicle gave me a warning that the was serious issue and the vehicle will shutdown in 1/2 minutes. I was fortunately slowing down to stop at a light when the incident occurred and barely managed to pull the vehicle over to an island to let the traffic behind me pass. The vehicle wouldn't move at all and there were couple of warning lights on the dashboard including the engine light. After couple of attempts, the vehicle started again and I managed to drive to a parking lot for the vehicle to be towed. This could have been dangerous if this had happened on a highway on a highspeed. The dealer in the process of looking into the issue..

Filed Aug 27, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · IA

While driving the vehicle home after purchasing it, the check engine light came on with an error message saying to pull over safely, the van would shut off in 2 minutes. The dealership had the van for 16 days and replaced the transmission. The first time driving it after receiving it back, the check engine light came on. The dealership claimed the code was not cleared from the previous repair due to being the same code. The same day we received it back again, the same error message appeared; however, it immediately shut off in the middle of the street and jerked forward into a curb. The dealership has had the car for 4 days this time, as of now has not looked at the car yet and will not provide a loaner car.

Filed Aug 20, 2024 · Transmission · WI

I purchased a 2024 Pacifica hybrid new off the lot (~1200 miles on it at time of purchase). Two weeks into ownership I was exiting the highway and I heard a clunk and lost all engine power on the vehicle and a warning screen came up telling me to pull over. I was able to pull over in a "safe" location where cars were able to see me and pull around me. I could not move anywhere else as the car has no power when I hit the accelerator pedal. I sat in the car for a few minutes and after a google search it told me to try turning it back on to regain power to limp it home and that worked (Check engine light still on). I took it to the nearest dealer and they told me that the code went into a stored state and they couldn't do anything and for me to just keep driving it and keep an eye on it. Two days later I had it happen again and i just barely made it to the shoulder but almost got rear ended. I took it into the dealer and told them they have to fix it as I don't feel safe in this car nor do I feel safe having my wife drive my children in it. They said this was a common issue with the transmission that was supposedly fixed in the 2024 but from what they are seeing it looked to be the same issues as prior years which requires a new transmission. They told me Chrysler wouldn't warranty it until they could replicate the issue with their computer attached. They have put 1000 miles on the car but haven't been able to replicate it. I have called Chrysler multiple times and they have a case file open but aren't taking action until the dealer can recreate this issue. This is a huge safety risk and could cause a major accident if it happened in a construction zone or somewhere where we couldn't pull off safely! This needs to be addressed and force Chrysler to fix these issues because I know I'm not the only one with this issue (according to many online forums).

Filed Jul 28, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · CA

Two children and I were put in a very dangerous situation when our Avis rental car (2024 Chrysler Pacifica) stopped suddenly, with hardly any notice, while in motion. As the driver, mid Uturn off a busy offramp near [XXX] in CA, I had a moment's notice before I lost all power to the vehicle. The engine light, battery light both went on and I lost all ability to move the car despite having 1/2 tank of gas. The car ended up in a precarious angle across a lane of traffic and put us at very serious risk of being hit from behind by other cars moving at high speed. The responding CHP officer stated in no uncertain terms was that vehicle to be driven on the freeway more that day. The tow truck operator remarked that I was the second driver of a Chrysler Pacifica that he picked up that week to report the exact same problem with the car stopping while in motion and leaving the driver with little time/space to maneuver the car to a safe position. It is commonly reported that these vehicles "reset" often soon after, with all warning lights back to normal, and so the next unsuspecting rental car customer would have no idea that they are at serious risk of rear end collision at high speeds if they are driving on the freeway in one of these vehicles. Please recall the 2024 Chrysler Pacifica to avoid serious injuries or fatalities. Repair techs should believe customers when they report this dangerous spontaneous shut down, regardless of how the car later presents at a maintenance visit. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jul 25, 2024 · Transmission · FL

While driving on highway a vehicle alert “STOP SAFELY…VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF SOON” displayed. A few seconds later, vehicle shutdown, slowed and came to a stop in heavy traffic. Vehicle could not be pushed out of the driving lane and was locked in the “Park” position. After about twenty minutes and multiple attempts to restart vehicle, it started with the Amber engine light displaying. After driving about one mile the “STOP SAFELY … VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF SOON” again displayed and again vehicle almost immediately shut off and came to a stop. Again after several minutes and multiple tries, I was able to restart with the Amber Engine alert displayed. Was able to drive about three miles and make it home. Next day vehicle started and I was able to dive vehicle to dealership where it is currently being evaluated. Only a few months old and 3400 miles.

Filed Jul 22, 2024 · Engine, Fuel system · TX

We were driving on a 2 lane stretch of highway under construction. There were concrete barriers at the edge of the left and right lanes. There were no shoulder pull off areas or highway exits. We had been driving at highway speeds for 30 minutes. For about the next 10 minutes, there was heavy traffic congestion. Traffic was periodically stopped in both lanes and generally moving at less than 30 MPH. We were in the left lane when we got an audible chime followed by a dash board message, “Stop Safely - Vehicle will Shut Off Soon”. I was hoping the warning would give me enough time to get off the highway. I used my turn signal to change lanes but the traffic in the right lane would not let me in. I pushed on the gas and there was no engine response and the check engine light was on. I put my hazard lights on and rolled to a stop. The vehicle was blocking the entire left lane and there was no where else to go. We needed a tow. Roadside assistance instructed us to call 911. The vehicle is being repaired under warranty. The engine and transmission are available for inspection upon request to the rental car owner. My family and the other highway drivers safety was put at risk. It is my understanding that over 60,000 HEV Pacifica vehicles were recalled between 2017-2023 for this issue. The corrective action was not to mechanically engineer the problem out of the vehicle but to install a software update to provide the dash board audible and verbal warnings. The 2024 models come with the software mod and so there is no current recall for this years model. I would argue the recall fix is inadequate. There are many roadways where it is not possible with the warning time provided to “Drive to a safe location” and safety continues to be compromised. Verbally filed with the federal safety agency, ID11598224 due to not having a VIN for the web site entry. My intent is not to duplicate the report, but to provide a more accurate 1st hand account with this submission.

Filed Jun 13, 2024 · Engine, Fuel system · MI

Vehicle shut down without enough notice IN TRAFFIC and could not be started for several minutes, causing a safety hazard for me and backing traffic up. Once I was able to restart, check engine light was illuminated. This was a rental and on the way to their location, the vehicle failed as described at least 5 more times.

Filed Jun 13, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · FL

We purchased the vehicle in Feb 2024. On [XXX] a check engine light came on while driving on [XXX] (1 lane highway) and a few seconds later the on the display on the instrument panel stated "Stop Safely, the vehicle will shut off soon" and the vehicle immediately started slowing down and lost the ability to accelerate. Luckily the vehicle was able to pull off the road about 20 seconds after the "Stop Safely" caution appeared. We tried shutting down the vehicle and restarting with no change. We let the vehicle sit for approximately 10 minutes and the vehicle was able to start back up with a "Check Engine" caution light. We were able to limp the vehicle home. The vehicle was brought into the dealer on the 29th of May and found multiple error codes on the vehicle. The maintainer said would require a new PIM Power Inverter P/N 68381781-AD. The part is not available and is on back order (Dealership said it could take months). I contacted Chrysler at 1‑800‑334‑9200 on 6 June and discussed the issue. They said they will elevate my case to a supervisor and will call me back within 24 hours. They did not call back. On 11 June my case worker was unavailable and left a voice mail. And on 12 June I contacted Chrysler at the above number again and spoke to a different person who said my case worker is the only one that can handle my issue. Again, they have not returned my call. Lastly, I called another dealer in Orlando to see if they had the part (above part number), they said that they had 5 vehicles waiting for the part and the PIM Power Inverter is on back order (which he said that the part could take months). Bottom line, if the vehicle would have shut off like it did on a freeway like the I-95, this would have ended in an accident or worse. The vehicle is not safe to drive let alone it is a minivan which we take our children in. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jun 7, 2024 · Engine · 12,791 miles · CA

The contact rented a 2024 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated the message "Stop Safely- The Vehicle Will Shut-off Soon" was displayed. The contact stated while driving uphill at an unknown speed, there was a loss in automotive power. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. After restarting the vehicle and proceeding to drive up the hill, the failure occurred. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,791.

Filed May 6, 2024 · Acceleration, Engine · IN

•What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine shut off and I lost the ability to accelerate. The issue only resolved when I turned off the vehicle and opened my car door while on the highway and had oncoming cars driving next to me at 55+ MPH. After shutting the car door and turning the vehicle back on, I was able to continue to drive home. The check engine light remains on while the vehicle is powered on, now. This vehicle is available for inspection upon request. •How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The engine lost power as my wife, two children, mother, and I were going down a ramp attached to the highway. We lost momentum and ability to accelerate and I had to stop on the side of the highway as cars had to drive around us as we were forced to stop half on the right highway shoulder and half in the right-most lane. •Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Not that I am aware of. •Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Not as of 06May2924, I reached out to the Bachman Jeffersonville Indiana dealer that I purchased this vehicle from to collect the vehicle’s issue code(s). •Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? “Stop Safety Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon” appeared when the vehicle first had the issue occur. Now the check engine light remains on when the vehicle is powered on.