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Chrysler Pacifica shutdown class action overview:
- Who: A group of Chrysler Pacifica minivan owners are suing automaker FCA.
- Why: The plaintiffs say FCA knowingly concealed a defect that causes the vehicles to suddenly shutdown while in motion.
- Where: The Chrysler Pacifica shutdown class action was filed in a Michigan federal court.
FCA played “Russian Roulette” with drivers’ lives by knowingly selling Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid plug-in electric minivans prone to an immediate and complete shutdown while in motion, a new class action lawsuit alleges.
A group of 36 plaintiffs filed the class action complaint against FCA US LLC on Feb. 1 in a Michigan federal court, alleging violation of state and federal consumer laws.
According to the lawsuit, model year 2017-2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans contain a defect in the propulsion system that can cause the vehicle to experience an immediate shutdown of motive power while the vehicle is being driven.
The issue was known to, and concealed by, FCA since as early as 2018, the plaintiffs allege. However, it wasn’t until Jan. 9, 2023 that the automaker decided to issue a recall.
In a recall report provided to federal safety regulators, FCA said it was aware of six customer assistance records, 242 warranty claims, and 59 field reports going back to February 2018 that could be related to the issue.
“Though FCA knew of the shutdown risk in the gasoline drive system prior to launching the vehicles, it did nothing to warn owners and lessees until very recently,” the plaintiffs say.
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid issue put drivers at risk of injury or death, lawsuit states
The shutdown issue exposes drivers to the risk of accident, injury, death, or property damage if their vehicle spontaneously shuts down while driving, the plaintiffs say.
Despite this, FCA did not “trouble to open an investigation into the issue” until Aug. 2022, more than four years after it was put on notice of the defect, plaintiffs say.
FCA has still not offered to repair or replace the faulty transmission wire harnesses causing the issue, plaintiffs say. Instead, it has offered to install software updates that it says will “provide messaging to the customer and sufficient drive time to exit traffic.”
“What FCA should, but is refusing to do, is simply replace the faulty wiring harness with a non-faulty part so that owners of Shutdown Risk vehicles do not have to play Russian Roulette with the lives of their vehicle occupants… every time they enter traffic,” the plaintiffs say.
They seek to represent anyone in the U.S. who purchased or leased a model year 2017-2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans plus a range of state subclasses.
They are suing for breach of warranty and violations of state consumer protection acts, as well as fraudulent concealment and unjust enrichment. They seek damages and a repair of their vehicles, fees, costs and a jury trial.
What do you think of the allegations in this Chrysler minivan lawsuit? Let us know in the comments!
The plaintiffs are represented by Steve W. Berman and Thomas E. Loeser of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP and E. Powell Miller, Sharon S. Almonrode, Dennis A. Lienhardt and Dana E. Fraser of The Miller Law Firm PC.
The FCA class action lawsuit is James Kappes et al., v. FCA US LLC, Case No. 23-cv-10259 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
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19 thoughts onChrysler Pacifica class action alleges vehicles contain dangerous shutdown risk
My Pacifica has done this over and over . I was driving my 3 month old grandson to the hospital to see my daughter who was in extreme danger and almost died. In the mean time my car shut down on us on the interstate and we almost got hit. I couldn’t even tell her. So I had to drive there everyday for 6 weeks with her new born son so she could recover and not miss his milestones . So I parked the Pacifica under the back yard tree. And spent all my savings on a used vehicle so I could be with her and my grandson and I could arrive safely.
How do we talk to someone about this? My 2016 Chrysler Pacifica started jerking, stalling, skipping just a couple of months after being purchased new. It was taken to the dealership several times, and they found nothing wrong with it. Since then, it has done suddenly stopped accelerating while driving 2 times now, almost caused a bad accident the first time, and registered 500 degrees at the repair shop. The 2nd time the issue caused the engine to blow the head gasket and I’m facing a $3,000 repair on a vehicle the chrysler dealerships are saying is now only worth $5,000. The recall starts at 2017. How is that possible when my 2016 has done this 2 times?
Add me to the list. My car has shut down while driving no less than 10 times. Taken into the dealer 3 times and all we’ve gotten are software updates that haven’t actually solved the problem.
That’s exactly what mine was doing, and exactly what the dealership was saying about mine. Just some software updates. Now I’m stuck with it in the service department and I’m a single mom without a vehicle
Please add me too, I have been back and forth with Chrysler for many issues. From transmission to electrical problems ( car turned off an expected in the middle of a major highway), bubbling paint, and now AC not cooling even after adding refrigerant. I bought the car brand new six years ago. I am so disappointed.
I’m in the same boat. I complained loudly and directly to Chrysler and I am getting a new transmission. Or, so I am told. Please add me to the list.
I bought my van 2021
And literally it’s been stalling
Shutting down
And it’s been frustrating and stressing because I have a son in a wheelchair .that’s why I got it
It’s been hard to get him to the doctor at times because of the defects in it
I’ve been back and fourth to the cardealer place multiple times
And never no go news..being caregiver to my son is a 42hr job for me .and it’s not fair I’m paying a note on a van that I can’t use to take my son to his appointments 😒
I am going into 2 years owning a 2021 Pacifica Hybird and I am so disappointed and unhappy with Chrysler…. I have been back and forth to the dealer non stop where I purchased the vehicle and nothing
has fixed my issue…. I even followed through with the recall postcard that was sent to my residence and still they haven’t been amén to fix my issue…. I have had my check engine light on going onto pass a year & waiting for a loaner as well from the dealer they same amount of time …
I can’t charge my car nor use the remote start..
While the cat is idle… stop sign, traffic, red light… the car jerks non stop with the feeling it is about to shut off…
1. CHRYSLER PACIFICA HYBRID MINIVANS 2017 THROUGH 2023 SUFFER FROM A MANUFACTURERING DEFECT WHICH MAY CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO LOSE MOTIVE POWER SUDDENLY AND COMPLETELY, CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR CRASHES OR OTHER LIFE-THREATENING INCIDENTS. CHRYSLER HAS KNOWN ABOUT AND CONCEALED THIS DEFECT SINCE 2018, AND ONLY ON 9 JANUARY 2023 ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE DEFECTIVE VEHILES. WE OWN A 2021 CHRYSLER LIMITED HYBRID MINIVAN PURCHASED IN JUNE 2021. AS OF 14 FEBRUARY 2023 WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A NOTICE OF THAT RECALL.
2. A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT WAS FILED IN FEDERAL COURT AGAINST CHRYSLER RELATIVE TO THIS SPECIFIC TYPE VEHICLE – PACIFICA HYBRID 2017 THROUGH 2023. A DIFFERENT CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT, INVOLVING SIMILAR CLAIMS REGARDING THE NON-HYBRID VERSION OF THE VEHICLE, IS NOW IN THE FINAL STAGES WITH FINAL HEARING TO TAKE PLACE THIS MONTH. GIVEN THE DELAYING TACTICS AND FAILURE-TO-ACT ON THE PART OF CHRYSLER DURING THE COURSE OF THE RELATED AND SIMILAR CASE WITH THE NON-HYBRID VERSIONS, I’M CONVINCED THAT CHRYSLER IS SLOW-WALKING THE VEHICLE CORRECTIVE ACTION AND THE COMPENSATORY AND RESTORATIVE ACTIONS DUE THOSE STUCK WITH THE DEFECTIVE HYBRID VEHICLES.
3. 3. DURING THE RELATIVELY BRIEF TIME THAT I’VE BEEN ENGAGED IN DISCUSSIIONS WITH A CHRYSLER REPRESENTATIVE (CASE MANAGER) MY VEHILE HAS DEPRECIATED FAR MORE THAN ANY COMPENSATORY DAMAGES OFFERED BY CHRYSLER, AND CHRYSLER HAS NOT YET COME UP WITH ANY SPECIFIC REMEDIATIONS TO REMEDY THAT DECLINE IN VALUE.
4. THE CHRYSLER CASE MANAGER HAS REFERRED TO EITHER A VEHICLE BUYBACK, TRADE-IN ASSISTANCE OR PERHAPS SOME OTHER COMPENSATORY OR RESTORATIVE ACTION. NOTHING HAS MATERIALIZED. THERE IS CURRENTLY, AS OF THIS DATE, NO DISCERNIBLE ACTION BY CHRYSLER TO REPAIR THE MANY DEFECTIVE NEW 2022 AND 2023 CHRYSLER PACIFICA HYBRID MINIVANS SITTING ON DEALER LOTS WHICH THEY ARE PROHIBITED FROM SELLING OR OTHERWISE CONVEYING TO THOSE WHO NOW POSSESS THE DEFECTIVE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS VEHICLES.
5. I AM 86 YEARS OLD AND A DISABLED VETERAN. GIVEN THE EXTREME LEVELS OF DANGER AND INCONVENIENCE MY WIFE AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED OVER THE PAST ONE-AND-A-HALF YEARS OF OWNERSHIP OF OUR 2021 CHRYSLER PACIFICA HYBRID MINIVAN, BEGINNING WITH A 10-DAY DEALERESHIP SHOP STAY APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS INTO OUR OWNERSHIP AND MOST RECENTLY WITH COMPLETE HIGHWAY POWER FAILURE REQUIRING A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT (OVER TWO WEEKS IN THE SHOP AFTER STRANDING MY 76-YEAR-OLD WIFE ON HIGHWAY I-10 FOR OVER THREE HOURS) AND SUBSEQUENT SIMULTANEOUTS FAILURES OF THE DASH DISPLAY, AIR CONDITIONING AND POWERE LIFTGATE FUNCTIONS, I HAVE DECIDED THAT CHRYSLER OWES US A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE WITH FEATURES, FUNCTION AND VALUE EQUIVALENT TO THE DEFECTIVE ONE WE PURCHASED IN 2021.
6. CHRYSLER HAS VERBALLY ACKNOWLEDGED, THROUGH ITS CASE MANAGER “PATTY”, THAT WE QUALIFY FOR BUYBACK OR OTHER RESTORATIVE/COMPENSATORY TREATMENT REGARDING OUR VEHICLE. IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR INTERESTS ARE PROTECTED I BELIEVE IT PRUDENT TO SEEK LEGAL REPRESENTATION UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ARIZONA’S NEW-VEHILE “LEMON LAW” STATUTE.
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My 2017 Tahoe fail paint I had to pay $1500 to have it repaint what is being done about that