Auburn Hills, MI – February 19, 2022 – Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) – which owns Chrysler brand – has issued a recall for 16,741 vehicles over a risk of fire which may occur even if the car is parked and turned off. A fire greatly increases the risk of an injury.
The recall covers the following minivans:
- 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Plug-in electric vehicle (PHEV)
- 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Plug-in electric vehicle (PHEV)
Recall summary
Due to reasons that are currently being investigated, the recalled vehicles may suddenly burst into flames even when parked and with the ignition turned off.
The recall comes on the heels of “five customer records and 12 field reports” of Pacifica PHEVs spontaneously combusting.
‘The vehicle exploded into a fireball’
One driver’s complaint described his or her family’s horrifying experience which happened while the car was driven by the person’s wife with five children inside. The wife noticed “smoke coming from under the hood.” Within “seconds” of continuing on, smoke turned into flames. She pulled over and barely got her kids out before the “vehicle exploded into a fireball.”
Recall risks
A fire may damage nearby structures and vehicles. It also puts the life of the car occupants at risk.
Fortunately, there have been no reports of victims so far.
Other Chrysler Pacifica recalls
Chrysler Pacifica PHEV minivans were involved in at least two other fire-related recalls in the last couple of years.
Over 10,000 units of the 2017-2018 model-years were recalled in October 2018 partially because of a fire hazard caused by improperly starting the engine. In June 2020, the 2017-2020 model-years were recalled due to the risk of fire due to a faulty connector post behind the driver’s seat.
Safety tips
While the repair for these Chrysler Pacifica fire incidents is being worked on, owners are advised not to recharge their vehicles and to park them a safe distance away from structures and other vehicles. To learn what to do if your car catches fire, please visit this article about a related Hyundai recall.
The repair
The remedy is currently not available. Owners will receive more information by mail by April 2, 2022. Any recall-affiliated repairs will be done free-of-charge.
Is your vehicle part of this recall?
More than 16,700 vehicles are included in this Chrysler recall. To do a Chrysler recall check, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
