US government investigates Stellantis over stalling PHEV minivans

Auburn Hills, MI July 31, 2022 – The U.S. government auto safety regulator is investigating incidents with Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) PHEV minivans that may stall while driving, even at highway speeds, increasing the risk of a crash and injury. 

If this investigation leads to a recall, it could affect an estimated 21,348 minivans, including the following: 

  • 2019 – 2021 Chrysler Pacifica  
  • 2019 – 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

Investigation summary  

The regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), opened an investigation on July 22, 2022, following 40 complaints about vehicles stalling while in motion

According to the complaints, the PHEV minivans would lose power while traveling at speeds higher than 25 miles per hour (mph). In some cases, a charging system failure message would appear on the dashboard. Based on initial findings, the malfunction was related to a transmission issue.

Risks

If a vehicle stalls while driving, it could be hit from behind by oncoming traffic, especially on the highway. In addition, it may be difficult for passengers to get out of the vehicle safely in such situations.   

Other Chrysler Pacifica recalls 

Earlier this year, in February, Chrysler Plug-In hybrid vehicles were recalled over a fire risk, with vehicles suddenly bursting into flames. Apart from that, there was another fire-related recall affecting these minivans in June 2020.  

Is your vehicle part of a recall?

This investigation into the Chrysler stalling issue may eventually lead to a recall, possibly affecting over 20,000 minivans. To do a Chrysler recall check for your vehicle, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicUS government investigates Stellantis over stalling PHEV minivans