Chrysler Pacifica Class Action: Defect Turns Minivans into ‘Death Traps’

Another class action has hit FCA US LLC, this time in Florida, over an alleged Chrysler Pacifica defect that leads to stalling and even causes vehicles to shut down.

Plaintiff Barbara Vaughn alleges in her class action lawsuit that Chrysler’s 2017 Pacifica minivans have a serious safety defect that results in the engine shutting off, idling, or preventing acceleration.

The Chrysler Pacifica, alleges the plaintiff, is advertised as a safe family vehicle, but the defect poses a serious risk of turning the minivans into “death traps.”

Vaughn says she purchased a 2017 non-hybrid Chrysler Pacifica in October 2017 under the impression that it was a safe and reliable vehicle. She says that she would not have purchased it had she known about the alleged defect and the potential safety risk it posed to her and her family, as well as other drivers.

According to the Chrysler class action lawsuit both hybrid and non-hybrid models of the 2017 Pacifica minivans are susceptible to the defect.

“Indeed, there are widespread reports of the defect in both models, and Chrysler has acknowledged the defect reports about both Pacifica models,” alleges the Chrysler class action lawsuit. “However, Chrysler has attempted to repair only the hybrid model of its Pacifica minivan. Chrysler has never publicly announced or done anything about the defect present in the more than 160,000 non-hybrid 2017 Pacifica minivans sold to date.”

The Chrysler Pacifica class action lawsuit alleges that the car maker has downplayed and covered up the defect and continued to use defective parts in the Pacifica.

“[M]ore than 160,000 drivers and untold numbers of passengers [are] unaware that they are riding in a vehicle that contains a defect that leads to sudden, unintended, and complete loss of motor power,” says the plaintiff.

This is not the first class action to hit FCA over the alleged stalling defect in Chrysler Pacificas. Earlier this year, a class action lawsuit in California alleged that 2017 and 2018 model year Chrysler Pacificas contain an engine defect that causes them to stall or shut off without warning. The plaintiffs in that class action alleged that their minivan stalled unexpectedly in the middle of traffic and they were nearly rear-ended.

The Florida class action lawsuit alleges that 2017 Chrysler Pacifica owners incurred damages – in addition to damages caused by an accident, their vehicle they purchased does not meet reasonable consumer expectations regarding safe and reliable operation.

According to the Chrysler Pacifica class action, more than 70 Pacifica owners have submitted complaints to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration over the alleged stalling defect. Further, alleges the plaintiff, the car maker has a history of producing vehicles that contain power defects resulting in complete power loss. In 2016, points out the class action lawsuit, Chrysler recalled all 2013-2016 model year Chrysler Fiat 500e vehicles for safety reasons.

Vaughn seeks to represent a nationwide Class of 2017 non-hybrid Chrysler Pacifica owners along with a Florida subclass. The plaintiff is seeking damages, as well as a court order requiring Chrysler to repair or replace the defect.

The plaintiff is represented by Timothy G. Blood, Thomas J. O’Reardon II, and Paula R. Brown of Blood Hurst & O’Reardon LLP, Ben Barnow and Erich Schork of Barnow and Associates PC, and T. Michael Morgan of Morgan & Morgan PA.

The Chrysler Pacifica Stalling Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Vaughn v. FCA US LLC, Case No. 5:18-cv-00065-JSM-PRL, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Ocala Division.