Chrysler Pacifica battery drain problems

Filed Nov 4, 2026 · Electrical, Transmission · AZ

Vehicle has had ongoing electrical and transmission issues. Was purchased in 2024 w/6k miles, under warranty. Now on 10th service at 47K miles, including two shifter replacements, a full transmission replacement, and three battery (main and aux) replacements. On the most recent service, team could not diagnose the cause of the battery drain, but noted "battery so overcharged it was on the verge of exploding". It is important to note that this battery was installed as of March of 2026. The vehicle clearly has a parasitic draw or a failing alternator/voltage regulator that is frying the shifter electronics. If this vehicle suffers a thermal event or complete powertrain failure on the highway after I was sent away with an unresolved shifting issue, the paper trail shows a clear failure to repair a pre-existing safety hazard reported under warranty."

Filed Jul 4, 2026 · Electrical, Fuel system · CA

I am reporting an ongoing, catastrophic safety defect and corporate suppression regarding Chrysler Recall 03A (the federal safety agency Campaign 23V010) on my 2022 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The official recall remedy has repeatedly failed to prevent total electrical system depletion and unexpected motive power shutdown in the field, leaving my family in extreme danger. On March 3, 2023, at 6,000 miles, the vehicle suffered a complete, un-warned motive power shutdown while I was driving my two young children on a rural highway. The vehicle stalled dead on an incline in the middle of a lane. The brakes failed to engage automatically, so I couldn’t evacuate my children because I had to keep my foot on the brake. Cars had to swerve around our vehicle at 55 MPH, as it was on a blind corner. My children were deeply traumatized; my autistic child was completely inconsolable and now suffers from an ongoing, severe psychological fear surrounding this vehicle stopping unexpectedly. We were only saved from a crash because a passerby stopped to help after about 15 minutes. The dealership subsequently applied the Recall 03A software update and replaced the 12V battery. This recall remedy has utterly failed. The replacement 12V battery died again in May 2025 and died a third time in June 2026, proving a chronic electrical defect exists. The dealership refused to perform parasitic draw testing, refused diagnostics, and simply charged the battery, stating 'it's fine.' Chrysler corporate support subjected me to a cycle of unresponsive case managers. One manager promised a buyback review within 3 days, but instead, a subsequent manager closed my file. Corporate explicitly refused to escalate the vehicle to their STAR technical team and flatly refused to provide copies of my warranty and service records. I explained to both corporate and the dealership that I don’t feel safe driving this car without further diagnostics but corporate refused to authorize, stating they stood by the dealer.

Filed Apr 23, 2026 · Airbags, Electrical · TX

I received the recall notification for Campaign 25V‑302 regarding the Curtain Airbag (CAB) defect, which per the manufacturer's notice may fail to retain sufficient pressure during deployment, increasing the risk of occupant ejection through a side window during a crash. The notification informed us that no parts were available at that time. Many months later we received another notification that parts were now available. Upon contacting the dealer, I was informed that parts were not available. I have been waiting for parts to become available for an extended period. Most recently, the dealer scheduled a repair appointment for Tuesday of this week. Approximately 30 minutes before the scheduled appointment, the dealer called to cancel, stating that the parts were still not available. A new appointment was scheduled for the following week. As of today, the dealer has confirmed parts are still not available. Throughout this period, I have been required to continue operating the vehicle, including with my family as passengers, with a known, unremedied ejection-mitigation defect. The manufacturer has not offered a loaner vehicle or any alternative transportation, and no firm parts availability date has been provided. Concurrent stranding failure: Separately, today (23rd April), the vehicle failed to start in my driveway. Symptoms included: interior electronics (infotainment, lights) powered on, but the start button produced no response, the brake pedal would not depress (electronic brake booster inoperative), and the steering wheel remained locked. No error message was displayed. The vehicle was ultimately determined to have a dead 12V battery, the second battery failure on this vehicle, with the previous battery having been replaced under warranty by the dealer in August 2025 (only 8 months prior to this failure). The dealer has declined to investigate whether a parasitic electrical draw or other underlying defect is causing repeat battery failures.

Filed Mar 31, 2026 · Electrical · MD

Battery drains between starts and has to be jumped in order to start. Takes several attempts before vehicle will start when jumping after battery dies. Often have to reset dash display or media hub as screens go blank after jumping. Has fairly new batteries. Certified mechanics confirmed parasitic drain. Possbly connected to media hub system.

Filed Feb 3, 2026 · Electrical · NY

As prior reported I am the owner of a 2024 Chrysler Pacifica that has a known safety defect in the rear sliding doors that is impossible to disable. This issue also cases parasitic draw strain on the battery that can completely disable the vehicle. The affected system can not be isolated and triggers even without the vehicle in use even effecting the way that the engine runs when in use due to voltage issues that the door issue causes with the battery system in the vehicle. This is not an isolated issue Enterprise Rent a Car in Rome, New York also stated to me that they had the same issue with a Pacifica that they use for rentals when I mentioned why mine was in the show this was on 2/2/2026 at 4:00pm. Something should be done to fix this issue or at the very least they should have a way to completely turn off the effected system. Nye Dodge in Oneida, New York is doing the repair on my vehicle and can be reached at 315‑277‑8955 for more information about the cause, and the fix for this issue. I want to reiterate that this is not a one off issue it is a known issue with the Chrysler Pacifica series that should be investigated.

Filed Oct 7, 2025 · Electrical · UT

The batteries died and we didn't know that there was an IBS(internal battery sensor). The van started to take over its own system. It would put itself in park, open the hood, self holding temporarily unavailable, start/stop unavailable, emergency break engaged, and turned it self off while driving!

Filed Sep 25, 2025 · Electrical, Steering · NC

My 2018 Chrysler Pacifica has ongoing electrical problems that match the same symptoms described in existing recalls, but my VIN is not included in those campaigns. The issues began around 08/30/22. The vehicle has experienced stalling, electrical shutdown, dashboard warning lights, loss of power steering issues, failure of the start-stop system, dead batteries, loud creaking, popping, squeaking noises from the front suspension, especially when turning, backing up, steering lock, or going over bumps. These events began in 2021 and continue despite numerous repairs at mechanics and dealerships. Despite repairs and inspections, the problems continue. I have reviewed the federal safety agency recalls and found recall numbers 18V524000, 20V334000, 19V143000 as well as battery ground recall for 2017–2019 models, and my vehicle’s problems are identical to those safety issues. The dealer confirmed that my VIN is not covered, so I have been responsible for repair costs. These defects create a serious safety hazard, especially when the vehicle stalls or loses power while driving. It places my family and other drivers at risk of a crash. We have been stranded on highways and in the center of busy intersections due to loss of power. I strongly request that the federal safety agency investigate whether the existing recalls should be expanded to include additional VIN ranges, since many 2018 Pacifica owners (myself included) are experiencing the same electrical failures. I have had the vehicle inspected/repaired on: 4/15/21, 9/15/22, 10/2/23, 11/22/23, 8/10/24, 7/21/25, 8/7/25, 9/23/25 for battery ground, electrical module replacement, wiring repair, and strut repairs. The issues persist despite these attempts.

Filed Aug 1, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · NV

I am reporting a serious and ongoing safety defect with my 2017 Chrysler Pacifica (VIN: [XXX] , current mileage 51,875). The vehicle stalls and shuts off unexpectedly while driving, including in intersections, creating a life-threatening hazard. I have reported this issue multiple times to CarMax and Prestige Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Las Vegas, NV, but it remains unresolved. Key points: • First reported to CarMax on 2/6/2024 (Invoice #[XXX]). • Battery health test passed on 3/1/2024 (Invoice [XXX]). • Dealership later misdiagnosed the problem as a dead battery and charged me $837.95 for a replacement on 10/11/2024 (Invoice #[XXX]), which did not fix the stalling issue. • I returned within 7 days with the same safety complaint. • Multiple service attempts have failed to permanently resolve the issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jun 24, 2025 · GA

The battery went dead in the van. I opened the driver's door using the key from the key fob. However, because there was no power, I couldn't open any of the other doors or lift gate not even from the inside. There appears to be no manual override to open those doors. I couldn't get to portable charger because it was in the back. This could be a significant safety issue. If the battery is dead, the only way for passengers to exit the vehicle is through the driver's door.

Filed Jun 23, 2025 · Electrical · IA

After driving, I can to a stop to park the van. The van would not shift to park and instead would go to neutral. I then could not turn the van off. It would only stay in accessory mode. Upon looking at this issue online, many Chrysler Pacifica owners have the same issue. Some people are able to fix the issue easily, while others needed to replace the transmission valve body. This is an incredibly expensive repair. There were no warning lights ahead of this problem happening, it happened out of the blue. No codes are shown when reading for codes in the van. The message that pops up when the van would not shift to park was “service trans press brake when stopped key off engine to engage park”. But the van will not turn off completely. To get the van to shut off, the battery needs to be disconnected. Safety is put at risk as I am not able to park the van or turn it off completely which would result in a dead battery.