Top 10 Chrysler Pacifica Problems by Mileage in 2026: Four Hybrid Battery Fire Recalls, Three Open Federal Investigations, and What Each One Costs

Chrysler has recalled the Pacifica plug-in hybrid four separate times for a battery that can catch fire while the van is parked with the ignition off: 22V-077, 24V-536, 24V-538 and 26V-362. The second exists because the first did not work, and FCA says so in its own filing: "This discovery confirmed the Z11 remedy is not effective." Meanwhile a federal investigation, RQ24001, still carries the title that frames this whole guide: "Remedy effectiveness of Recall 22V-077."

On the Pacifica, two of the three federal investigations open today exist because the regulator doubts the fix, not the part. This guide covers the RU Pacifica minivan, model years 2017 to 2025: the 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 with the 948TE nine-speed, and the plug-in hybrid with the eFlite electrically variable transmission. Not the 2004-2008 crossover, which shares only the name.

By the end you will know which of the ten failures is due at your mileage, which ones belong to your drivetrain at all, what each costs in 2026, and which claims rest on a document you can open yourself. Claims marked 🟢 rest on a numbered document in the Sources section. Claims marked ⚪ are shop-price ranges or owner-reported figures, labelled as estimates because that is what they are.

I built Pulscar — an AI tool that identifies car problems from a 30-second recording — after spending $6,000 on misdiagnosed repairs, starting with a $380 bill for an "engine knock" that was a loose heat shield and a $5 zip tie.

How to use this guide

Start with the drivetrain and the VIN, not the symptom. The gasoline Pacifica and the plug-in hybrid share a body, a name and a showroom, and very little else on this list.

One rule overrides everything: the mileage in each heading is when the part starts talking, not when it breaks — and on the Pacifica a completed recall is not a repaired van. FCA's own report on 24V-536 says the software fix for 22V-077 was "not effective." NHTSA's opening resume for RQ24004 says the software fix for 23V-010 "does not replace the defective hardware," and that "the wiring connector short still exists on these vehicles."

Two entries behave differently from the rest. The warranty extensions in items 6 and 10 are conditional on a stored code, so the free repair depends on what the scan tool prints on the day. And item 9 is a group of campaigns with tiny or very large populations that almost nobody mentions, including a curtain airbag recall on 293,264 vans and Voyagers.

First: which Pacifica do you actually have?

Gas or plug-in hybrid? Decide this first. The hybrid carries the 3.6-litre hybrid engine, sales code EH3, and the eFlite Si-eVT transmission, sales code DFQ, both on the window sticker. Items 4, 6 and 10 are hybrid-only; items 1, 2, 3 and 8 are gas-only.

Owners file under the wrong name. Of the 210 complaints in our sample quoting the hybrid's "Stop Safely" message, 141 were filed under plain "Pacifica," so our hybrid counts match by text as well as by model name.

Gas 2017, the launch year. 1,593 of the 4,259 complaints filed against 2017-2025 Pacificas, and inside the stall recall 18V-049, the battery ground recall 19V-348, the park release recall 18V-395, campaign Y65 and investigation PE25-009.

Gas 2018-2020. 19V-348 runs to vans built 20 November 2018; the brake booster extension XA7 covers vans built 1 May 2018 to 31 May 2019; the control arm recall 19V-143 covers 2018 builds from November 2017 to February 2018.

Gas 2021-2025, the facelift. Fewer complaints, different paperwork: curtain airbag recall 26V-189 from 10 May 2022 builds, traction control recall 24V-240 on 2024, bushing bulletin 21-040-25 through 1 December 2024 builds.

Hybrid 2017-2018. The densest paperwork here: 22V-077 then 24V-536, the isolator post fire recall 20V-334, recalls 18V-740, 17V-371 and 23V-010, extensions XE1 and XT1, and both open recall queries, RQ24001 and RQ24004.

Hybrid 2019-2022. 24V-538 for vans built 30 April 2018 to 26 October 2021, 26V-362 for vans built 5 August 2020 to 2 May 2022, and 23V-010 with XE1 for vans built through 27 December 2022.

Hybrid 2023-2025. Outside the fire campaigns except 23V-753, which covers 32 vans. But the 2024-2025 hybrid has bulletin 21-037-26, describing the XE1 failure with no extension attached, and NHTSA's March 2026 information request names every hybrid from 2017 to 2026.

The ten-minute check that dates your Pacifica better than the odometer

1. Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and write down every campaign, open and completed. On a hybrid, a completed 22V-077 is not the end: check 24V-536 by number. Item 4.
2. Find the build date on the driver's door jamb sticker. Every hybrid campaign and both warranty extensions are defined by production windows. Items 4, 6, 8 and 10.
3. Check the window sticker for EH3, ERC and JRK. Hybrid engine, stop/start, power sliding doors. Items 3, 5, 6 and 10.
4. Start it and photograph the cluster before any message clears. "Stop Safely," a turtle symbol or "Service Hybrid System" is item 6 or 10; "Stop/Start Required Fault Detected" is item 3.
5. Drive a slow, gentle bend both ways, hands light on the wheel. A catch near 11 or 1 o'clock is item 7.
6. From a standstill, accelerate gently to 35 mph and let it coast down. A clunk into first, a bang on the 3-2 downshift or a flare between gears is item 2.
7. On a gas van with stop/start, watch the engine stop and restart at a red light. A stall or a delayed restart is items 1 and 3.
8. Engine off, pump the brake pedal five times, hold it down and start the engine. The pedal should sink slightly as the booster comes alive. A pedal that stays rock hard is item 8.
9. Cycle each sliding door five times from the key fob and from the inside button. A door that reverses, stops short or needs a shove is item 5.

Find your situation: eight ways people arrive here

"My hybrid got a letter saying park it outside and do not charge it." → Item 4. Read which campaign number is on the letter, because there are four.

"It said 'Stop Safely — Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon' and lost power on the highway." → Item 6, a recall whose remedy is the message itself, and an extension with no time limit.

"The steering sticks in gentle bends, then snaps free." → Item 7, an open federal investigation on 2017-2018 vans.

"My 2017 stalls turning into a parking lot and no light comes on." → Item 1, and FCA's own recall says there will be no code to find.

"It clunks into gear and bangs on downshifts." → Item 2, and no recall covers ordinary shift quality.

"'Stop/Start Required Fault Detected,' then the battery went flat." → Item 3, a free reflash and a second battery nobody mentions.

"The sliding door will not close, or reopens by itself." → Item 5, with bulletins by build date and no recall.

"Hybrid check-engine light, and the electric range has shrunk." → Item 10, and the code on the repair order decides whether a new pack is free.

What actually determines your number

Whether you have the gas van or the hybrid. Bigger than mileage, trim or model year. The items with the largest exposure are hybrid-only, and so are both extensions that pay for them.

Whether the VIN sits inside a live campaign. A battery fire chain, a transmission recall and a curtain airbag recall on nearly 300,000 vehicles are free; the same work outside them is a four- or five-figure invoice.

The build date, not the model year. 24V-538 covers 2019-2021 model years but starts with vans built on 30 April 2018. 26V-362 ends on 2 May 2022, so two 2022 hybrids can differ by one campaign.

The stored code on the day. XE1 pays for a transmission repair only with a lit malfunction lamp and one of four codes. XT1 pays for a battery pack only with one of three. An intermittent fault that clears before the dealer sees it costs you the extension.

Whether a remedy exists yet. 26V-362's dealer instructions list "Remedy available for" 2020-2021 vans and "Remedy not available for" 2022 vans.

Which model year you own. 2017 and 2018 account for 2,680 of the 4,259 complaints in our sample.

Independent versus dealer. Typically 30-50% on labour-heavy work, but campaign and extension work must go to a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or Ram dealer, and high-voltage work needs a hybrid-trained technician. The comparison maps which jobs go where.

The ten problems, in the order they arrive

1 · The 2017 stall that sets no code — 0 to 30,000 miles

The tell. The engine simply stops, usually at low speed: rolling up to a light, turning into a parking lot, idling in a drive-through. The steering goes heavy and the van restarts at once. In NHTSA's complaint database for 2017-2025 Pacificas, downloaded 12 September 2026, 491 complaints on gas vans describe a stall or an engine shutting off while moving, 266 of them on the 2017 model year, at a median odometer near 17,000 miles among the 283 that give one.

What it actually is. Software that lost track of the crankshaft. FCA's Part 573 for 18V-049 describes it with unusual candour: the 2017 Pacifica with the 3.6 "may experience an engine stall without prior warning, without lighting a Malfunction Indicator Lamp and without setting any Diagnostic Trouble Code. In the majority of cases the stalling occurs at low speed, while decelerating, while at idle or while negotiating a turn." The fix was new engine control software. It began as a petition: the Center for Auto Safety cited 57 complaints, NHTSA opened DP17-003 on 1 December 2017, and FCA filed the recall on 11 January 2018. The closing resume explains why owners were sent home: "dealer technicians would be unable to properly diagnose, much less correct the cause of the stalling."

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The campaign record itself, before any diagnosis. A 2017 that never had campaign U01 runs software FCA replaced eight years ago, and scanning finds nothing because nothing is stored. After that, on a 2017-2019 with stop/start, the battery ground joint in item 3: its recall lists "a loss of motive power" as one of two symptoms. Our stalling guide walks the rest of the sequence.

The confirmation test. Ask for the PCM software part number against the recall's remedy list. Current software and still stalling points to the ground joint and battery; a stall with warning lamps is a different fault that leaves a code.

Where this does not apply. The Part 573 is explicit: "2017 MY Plug-in Hybrid Electric Chrysler Pacifica vehicles are not affected by this condition," and 2018 vans were built with the revised software. A hybrid that loses power with a message on the cluster is item 6.

At the shop — say this: "Print the current PCM software level and tell me whether 18V-049 and 19V-348 show complete on this VIN before you charge diagnostic time for a stall that stores no code."

2 · The nine-speed: clunks, hard shifts and a worn reaction shaft bushing — 0 to 60,000 miles

The tell. A clunk as the van drops into first coming to a stop, a bang on the downshift from third to second, a hesitation and then a lurch pulling away, as if someone ran into the back bumper. 313 complaints in our sample on gas vans describe a transmission symptom alongside a jerk, clunk, slam, lurch, shudder, hesitation or slip, 238 of them on the 2017 model year, at a median odometer near 29,000 miles among the 188 that give one.

What it actually is, and what the paper covers. Mostly software, occasionally hardware, never a warranty extension. The 948TE got a run of transmission control module reflashes: 21-027-17 for 2017 vans built on or before 15 February 2017, covering codes including P1B13-00 "Park by Wire Unintended Out Of Park Position"; 21-043-20 for 2020 vans that could go into neutral "only during a hard brake event when the Antilock Brake System (ABS) is disabled"; and 21-031-24 for 2024 vans, whose whole symptom line reads "Transmission Shift Quality Improvements." The hardware bulletin, 21-040-25, dated 2 October 2025, covers Pacificas built on or before 1 December 2024 where "reaction shaft misalignment" wears the reaction shaft bushing prematurely and sets P1DB7-00, Torque Converter Clutch Performance. Two tiny campaigns sit alongside: ZD3 replaced transmissions on about 76 vehicles across four 2022 models, and recall 18V-492 covered a weld defect on five.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The software level, printed, before any hardware conversation. Most bulletins above are a 0.3-hour reflash. Second: if the check-engine light is on, the exact code. P1DB7 points at a measured bushing kit, part 68732959AB, that the bulletin says applies only when the input shaft side-to-side play exceeds 0.027 mm. That measurement is the difference between a kit and a transmission. Our jerking guide and the transmission cost guide cover both ends.

Fix it yourself — the evidence, not the repair. Note speed, gear, throttle and engine temperature each time the clunk happens. "Shifts hard sometimes" earns "could not duplicate"; "three to two, 20 to 15 mph, first ten minutes from cold" gets reproduced. The honest limit: anything inside the case, where the job ends with a factory adaptation relearn that a home scan tool cannot do.

Where this does not apply. The plug-in hybrid has no nine-speed; its transmission is item 6.

At the shop — say this: "Print the TCM software level and any stored codes. If P1DB7 is set, measure input shaft play against bulletin 21-040-25 before quoting a transmission."

3 · Stop/start faults, a loose battery ground and the second battery — 10,000 to 60,000 miles

The tell. A message: "Stop/Start Required Fault Detected," or a "Service Auto Start/Stop" light, and the engine no longer shuts off at lights. Sometimes worse: steering that goes heavy for a second, or an engine that dies at a light. 272 complaints in our sample on gas vans mention stop/start or the auxiliary battery, heaviest on 2017-2019, at a median odometer near 24,500 miles among the 113 that give one.

What it actually is: two campaigns and a battery. Recall 19V-348 covers 198,731 2017-2019 Pacificas with stop/start built 11 October 2016 to 20 November 2018. Sealer from the harness factory "may accumulate on the wire harness tab which may cause a loss of clamp load in the battery ground joint over time," and a loose ground can cause "an intermittent loss of power steering assist with inconsistent driver steering effort and/or a loss of motive power." Separately, campaign Y65 covers about 165,409 2017-2018 vans with stop/start: a powertrain module reflash and, since April 2023, a health test of the auxiliary battery. FCA's dealer message says Y65 "will NOT cover the replacement of the auxiliary battery," but a failed one "can be covered on a separate warranty claim as goodwill per the Y65 initiative."

The cheap cause that gets skipped. Goodwill is discretionary, and nobody offers it unasked. When Y65 is performed, ask for the printed battery test slip: a failed slip attached to the claim is the difference between a free auxiliary battery and paying for it. Our battery drain guide covers the test.

Fix it yourself — the terminals and the test. With the van off, check that both main battery terminals are tight and clean and have any parts store load-test the battery, getting the printed result. The honest limit: the ground joint itself. 19V-348 calls for disassembly and a specified torque, and a DIY re-tighten does not close the recall or record the work.

Where this does not apply. A van without sales code ERC is outside both campaigns. The hybrid's 12-volt isolator post is a fire recall in item 4.

At the shop — say this: "Check 19V-348 and Y65 on this VIN. If you run Y65, print the auxiliary battery test, and if it fails, submit it as goodwill per the Y65 initiative."

A nine-speed clunk, a worn front joint and a failing sliding door motor can all sound like "a noise from the front" at the counter, and they are thousands of dollars apart. Record thirty seconds and Pulscar's AI compares the acoustic signature against catalogued failure patterns, then returns the likely cause, whether it is safe to drive, and the fair 2026 price. Free, no card, no subscription, about ten minutes. The report arrives by email as a PDF, so use the address you actually read. For the noises ranked by what they cost, start here.

4 · The plug-in hybrid battery that can burn with the ignition off — any mileage

The tell. Usually none, which is the point. Every Part 573 in this chain answers "Identification of Any Warning that can Occur" with one word: None. Of the 613 complaints filed under the plug-in hybrid name, 17 carry NHTSA's fire flag, and the owner accounts include vans that burned in a garage while charging.

What it actually is: one pack, four campaigns, four years. 22V-077, filed 11 February 2022, covered all 16,741 hybrids built 12 August 2016 to 7 August 2018 with the root cause unknown and "Remedy is under development." The eventual fix was battery control module software plus an inspection. Fires followed in vans that had received it, and in April 2024 the supplier found a torn anode tab in a cell. FCA wrote: "This discovery confirmed the Z11 remedy is not effective." 24V-536 recalled 15,910 of the same vans again, with the defect now named: "A folded or torn anode tab may result in the generation of lithium by-product over time. This defect, along with a second unidentified factor, may lead to an internal short." 24V-538 extended it to 3,606 2019-2021 vans built 30 April 2018 to 26 October 2021. Then 26V-362, filed 4 June 2026, covered 17,277 2020-2022 vans built 5 August 2020 to 2 May 2022 with cells from "an alternative assembly line," four fires, a cause still "undetermined," and no remedy yet for 2022 vans.

NHTSA opened RQ24001 in January 2024, noting that "the post-recall HV battery thermal event complaint rate now exceeds pre-recall levels." On 27 March 2026 it sent a second information request naming "all model year 2017-2026" plug-in hybrids as subject vehicles. It remains open. Beside the chain sit two smaller fire recalls on the 12-volt isolator post: 20V-334 on 23,079 2017-2020 hybrids and 23V-753 on 32 2023 vans.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The follow-up campaign, by number. A 2017-2018 whose 22V-077 reads "complete" can still have 24V-536 open, and the paperwork does not help: FCA's amended 22V-077 report says it was "superseded by 73B (NHTSA Recall ID 24V-538)," but 73B is the FCA code for 24V-536. Ask for both numbers. On a 2022 in 26V-362, register at recalls.mopar.com for the parts notice.

Where this does not apply. A gas Pacifica has no traction battery. A hybrid built after 2 May 2022 is outside all four campaigns, though not outside the investigation.

At the shop — say this: "Check 22V-077, 24V-536, 24V-538, 26V-362 and 20V-334 by number on this VIN, and give me the completion date and battery inspection result for each one that applies."

Which Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid fire recalls apply to my van, and does a completed recall end it? Four campaigns cover the same high-voltage pack, and they are not interchangeable. Recall 22V-077 covered 16,741 vans built from August 2016 to August 2018, and FCA later wrote that its software remedy was not effective. Recall 24V-536 recalled 15,910 of those vans again with revised software and a pack inspection. Recall 24V-538 added 3,606 vans from the 2019 to 2021 model years, and recall 26V-362 added 17,277 vans from 2020 to 2022 whose cells came from a separate assembly line, with no remedy yet for the 2022 model year. Until each applicable remedy is done, the advice is identical: do not recharge, and park outside and away from structures. A completed first campaign is a reason to check the second, not a clean bill of health. Pulscar listens to the van; the free VIN lookup reads the paperwork behind it.

5 · Power sliding doors — 10,000 to 70,000 miles

The tell. The door reverses halfway, stops short of the latch, reads closed on the dash and is not, or ignores the button entirely. On early vans, a door that will not stay open and drifts shut on a slope. 139 complaints in our sample name a sliding door, 71 of them on 2017, at a median odometer near 19,500 miles among the 68 that give one.

What it actually is, and why the build date matters. Three different faults with three different bulletins. 23-015-17 Rev. A covers 2017 vans built 18 August to 26 September 2016, where the door "does not stay open or secured after opening" and "potentially may close if the vehicle is parked on a decline"; the fix is a hold-open cable. 23-016-17 covers vans built on or before 31 August 2016, where the upper hinge "becomes disengaged from the upper sliding door track." And 08-170-26, dated 21 April 2026, covers 2021-2024 vans where a door goes dead with code U0140-00, lost communication with the body control module; the note says "Doors will open manually," and the fix is reprogramming both door modules. We found no recall covering the sliding doors on this generation.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The reflash and the track, before the motor. A bulletin reprogram on the 2025 version is listed at 0.2 hours, and a gritty lower track makes a healthy motor stall and reverse. Our rattling noise guide covers the sounds a tired door makes first.

Fix it yourself — the track, not the drive. Vacuum and wipe the lower and centre tracks, then cycle the door and listen. The honest limit: the drive cable and motor. A door under cable tension can close with enough force to injure a hand, and the pinch protection only works when everything is assembled.

Where this does not apply. A van without power sliding doors has none of the electrical faults, and the 2017 hardware bulletins do not reach vans built after September 2016.

At the shop — say this: "Read the door module codes and check bulletins 23-015-17, 23-016-17 and 08-170-26 against this build date before replacing a motor."

6 · "Stop Safely — Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon": the hybrid transmission — 20,000 to 100,000 miles

The tell. A chime, a malfunction lamp, a turtle symbol and the message "Stop Safely — Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon," then reduced power and a shutdown. 210 complaints in our sample quote that message: 101 filed in 2024, 49 in 2025, 28 so far in 2026, and 18 on 2024 or later vans, outside the recall.

What it actually is: a recall whose remedy is the warning. 23V-010 covers 67,117 hybrids built 12 August 2016 to 27 December 2022, where "an internal transmission wiring connector short or rotor bearing installation defect could result in an unexpected engine shutdown." The remedy is software "providing messaging to the customer and sufficient drive time to exit traffic." NHTSA opened RQ24004 on 27 February 2024 on 132 reports, writing that the remedy "does not replace the defective hardware" and that FCA confirmed it "does not prevent a loss of motive power, but instead limits torque to the engine and after an unspecified number of miles or period of time, the engine will shut down." It is still open; its predecessor, PE22-008, closed in March 2024 and handed over to it.

The hardware repair lives elsewhere. Warranty Bulletin D-23-07, campaign code XE1, dated 5 April 2023, extended the eFlite transmission to 10 years with unlimited miles. Revision A, dated 12 June 2024, changed that to "Unlimited years / Unlimited miles from the vehicle's In-Service Date," and Revision B kept it. Bulletin 21-014-26 sets the condition: "Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle must exhibit/set" P0A3F-00, P0A43-00, P0A45-00 or P0C1A-00, and the repair "involves rebuilding the transmission."

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The code, captured the day it happens. Clearing it with a parking-lot scan tool, or restarting until the message goes, deletes the evidence the extension requires. Already paid? The owner letter points to www.fcarecallreimbursement.com.

Where this does not apply. A gas van's nine-speed is item 2 and has no extension. A 2024-2025 hybrid built on or before 22 April 2025 has bulletin 21-037-26 describing the same codes and a rebuild, without the XE1 label.

At the shop — say this: "Print the stored transmission codes before anything is cleared. If P0A3F, P0A43, P0A45 or P0C1A is set with the lamp on, claim this under XE1."

Why can a free Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid recall leave the transmission fault in place? Because recall 23V-010 was designed to manage the failure, not prevent it. The dealer updates inverter software so that, when the internal wiring short or bearing fault occurs, the van warns the driver and allows time to leave traffic before the engine shuts down. NHTSA's recall query RQ24004 exists because the hardware behind that warning is unchanged. The actual repair sits under warranty extension XE1, which since June 2024 has run for unlimited years and unlimited miles on hybrids built through 27 December 2022, and it is triggered by a lit malfunction lamp plus one of four stored codes. A completed recall with no code on the day means no rebuild, so the record you keep when the message appears is what converts it into a free repair. Pulscar can tell you whether a new noise sounds like the drivetrain before you book.

7 · Steering that sticks near one o'clock — 30,000 to 100,000 miles

The tell. In a long, gentle bend the wheel seems to catch and needs extra effort, then the assist snaps back and the van turns more than you asked. 107 complaints in our sample describe steering that sticks, catches or notches, 98 of them on 2017-2018 vans, and 79 were filed since January 2025. Twenty-six complaints in the sample cite PE25-009 by number, so the recent rise partly reflects owners learning the investigation exists.

What it actually is, and what has not been decided. NHTSA opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25-009 on 5 September 2025 on 94 owner reports of a "sticking sensation during gradual turns, particularly when the steering wheel is positioned near the 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock position," followed by "a sudden reactivation of EPS assistance, which may result in an oversteer condition." It sent FCA an information request on 23 March 2026, and responses were posted in May. There is no finding and no recall. A separate, settled fault can feel similar: 19V-348's loose battery ground causes "an intermittent loss of power steering assist," and that repair is free.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. 19V-348 completion on a 2017-2019 with stop/start, before anyone discusses a steering gear. Then an NHTSA complaint with the VIN: an open investigation counts reports, and an owner who only tells the dealer is not counted. Our heavy steering guide separates the other causes.

Where this does not apply. The investigation names 2017-2018 vans only. A 2024 van with a lit EPS lamp and code C2217-00 falls under bulletin 19-007-25, which replaces the steering gear on vans built 30 April to 21 December 2024.

At the shop — say this: "Confirm 19V-348 on this VIN and print any steering codes. If none is stored, note my description of sticking near one o'clock on the repair order, with the date."

8 · The brake booster, and the extension that has mostly run out — 40,000 to 80,000 miles

The tell. The pedal turns hard and the van needs a deliberate shove to stop, sometimes with a hiss under the dash. 46 complaints in our sample describe a hard pedal or a failed booster, 23 of them on 2019 vans. A small count, and worth saying plainly.

What it actually is. A vacuum booster that loses assist. Bulletin 05-006-22, dated 16 November 2022, lists the symptoms word for word, "The brake pedal is hard to push" and "A loss/degraded power brake assist feeling," replaces the booster, and grants "a Warranty Extension to 5 Year/150K mile" from the in-service date. The arithmetic is unkind: a van first sold in mid-2019 left that window in mid-2024, and one complaint in our sample describes exactly that.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The in-service date, before the diagnosis, because it decides who pays. Then the booster check valve and vacuum hose, estimated at $115 to $132, before a booster. The brake warning guide covers the lamps that come with it.

The confirmation test. Engine off, pump the pedal five times, hold it and start the engine. A pedal that sinks slightly has vacuum assist; one that stays rock hard does not.

Where this does not apply. The bulletin says it "does not apply to the PHEV." Gas vans built outside May 2018 to May 2019 are outside it.

At the shop — say this: "Check XA7 on this VIN and read me the in-service date. Test the check valve and hose before quoting a booster."

9 · Curtain airbags, a control arm and the campaigns nobody mentions — any mileage

The tell. Mostly a letter. The exception is 19V-143, found through "an increase in warranty claims for buzz, squeak, and rattle."

What it actually is. 26V-189 covers 2022-2026 Pacificas built 10 May 2022 to 8 August 2025 whose curtain airbags "may not retain sufficient pressure during deployment," a failure of the federal ejection standard; NHTSA's own June 2025 tests on a 2025 Pacifica found the airbags did not pass. It replaces 25V-302 and 25V-573, and the record says vehicles repaired under those "will need to have the new remedy completed." The first quarterly report shows 86,979 of 293,264 remedied. 19V-143 covers 2018 vans, hybrids included, built 1 November 2017 to 28 February 2018, where the right front lower control arm may separate from the steering knuckle. 18V-395 covers 2017-2018 vans built 15 June 2016 to 6 April 2018 whose manual park release plug comes out without a tool, a roll-away risk. 17V-542 covers eight-passenger 2017-2018 vans where a second-row buckle can unlatch the left outboard belt. 24V-240 is a 2024 traction control that does not work with cruise control engaged; 22V-181 a 2021-2022 second-row seat latch; 18V-493 61 vans with badly assembled front halfshafts.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The lookup, again, because populations like these never make the news. On a 2022-2025, confirm it is 26V-189 that shows complete, not only 25V-302. The clunking noise guide covers what a loose front joint sounds like.

Where this does not apply. Every campaign here is defined by a build window, often measured in weeks, so a model year match means nothing on its own.

At the shop — say this: "Run this VIN against every open campaign, not just the powertrain ones, including 26V-189, 19V-143, 18V-395 and 17V-542."

10 · The hybrid battery that wears out, and the extension that pays for it — 60,000 to 150,000 miles

The tell. A malfunction lamp, a shrinking electric range, sometimes "Service Hybrid System." Public complaints are few: 41 in our sample describe a hybrid system fault or electric mode unavailable, and a handful quote battery deterioration codes.

What it actually is. Cells that lose capacity, and an extension few owners know. Warranty Bulletin D-25-16, dated 10 September 2025, extends the high-voltage pack on select 2017-2021 hybrids built on or before 21 October 2021 to "Unlimited years / Unlimited miles" from the in-service date, when the lamp comes on with P0EDD-00, P0BBE-00 (Hybrid Battery Pack Voltage Variation) or P1C5E-00 (Battery State of Health Failed). Its own caveat: "Any warranty qualifying issues outside of these specific DTCs will continue to be covered per the HV battery standard warranty coverage." Bulletin 08-299-25 Rev. A tells the dealer to replace the pack. Separately, 26V-362's report promises a battery extension for affected vans "experiencing messaging related to the defect," with the same unlimited terms.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The exact code, and whether it is the pack at all. Owners in our sample quote P0A7F, a deterioration code that is not on the XT1 list, and P0E15, a battery coolant heater fault; one complaint describes paying $1,356 for that heater out of warranty. Neither is a new pack, and neither is automatically XT1.

Fix it yourself — the record, not the repair. Note the electric range after each full charge, with date and outside temperature, for a month. The honest limit: everything orange. The traction pack and its cables are high voltage, and a hybrid-trained technician is the only person who should open anything behind them.

Where this does not apply. A gas van has no traction battery, and a hybrid built after 21 October 2021 is outside XT1.

At the shop — say this: "Print the hybrid battery codes with the lamp on. If P0EDD, P0BBE or P1C5E is set, claim the pack under XT1 per bulletin 08-299-25."

The price ladder: read it from the bottom up

Why is the hybrid battery the line to stare at on a Chrysler Pacifica price ladder? It is the most expensive single part on the van, and whether you pay for it is decided almost entirely by paperwork. A dealer pack replacement is estimated at $16,951 to $17,122, and independent specialists advertise packs from about $7,499. Yet on hybrids built through 21 October 2021, warranty extension XT1 replaces the pack with no time or mileage limit when one of three specific codes is stored, and the fire campaigns inspect the pack and replace it when needed, free. The same van can sit at either end of this ladder depending on one printed code and one campaign lookup. Read the ladder from the bottom up and the defence against its worst line sits in the free rows at the top. Pulscar tells you which family of noise you are hearing before that conversation starts.

Your number, by which Pacifica you drive

Two rows invert this guide rather than refine it. A gas 2021-2025 deletes items 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10, and its most urgent open item is an airbag, not the drivetrain. A 2022 hybrid goes the other way: the model year most lists call safe is the one with the only fire recall that has no remedy.

Best and worst Chrysler Pacifica years to buy, and what the lists get wrong

Search for Pacifica years to avoid and the answers converge: skip 2017 and 2018, buy 2019 or later, and for the hybrid choose 2022 or newer because of the battery recall. It is built on complaint volume, and it is not wrong about that.

What the complaint counts say. In NHTSA's database, 2017-2025 Pacificas carry 4,259 complaints: 1,593 on 2017, 1,087 on 2018, then 354, 226, 391, 321, 192, 67 and 28 for 2019 through 2025. The launch years are noisy; the 2021 bump is a facelift year, and newer vans have had less time to collect complaints.

Where the lists mislead. On the hybrid, "2022 or newer" walks straight into 26V-362, the only fire campaign here whose remedy was not available when it was filed. Meanwhile a 2018 hybrid with 24V-536 completed can carry two extensions, XE1 and XT1, that a 2024 hybrid does not. On the gas van, most of 2017's reputation is software, fixed free by recall.

The honest ranking, by what it costs you.

• Best position: a gas 2021-2024 with every campaign closed, 26V-189 included where it applies. Most of this list does not apply to it.
• Often better value: a 2017-2018 gas van with 18V-049 and 19V-348 done, bought for less because of its reputation.
• Buy with the paperwork printed: a 2019-2021 hybrid with 24V-538 and 26V-362 closed and XE1 and XT1 on file.
• Buy with your eyes open: a 2022 hybrid inside 26V-362, and any hybrid while RQ24001 remains open.

Against the rivals. Our Honda Odyssey guide counted 3,172 complaints across 2018-2025 and its own sliding door and camera campaigns, but the Odyssey has no plug-in hybrid, so it has no counterpart to items 4, 6 and 10. The three-row alternative many families cross-shop is the Kia Telluride.

What actually happens at the shop, checkpoint by checkpoint

Checkpoint 1 — the campaign question. "What shows open on this VIN, and specifically 24V-536, 24V-538, 26V-362, 23V-010 and 26V-189?" All free.

Checkpoint 2 — the extension question. "Does VIP show XE1, XT1, XA7 or Y65 for this van?" Extensions are not on the recall lookup.

Checkpoint 3 — the code question. "Which exact codes are stored, and print them before anything is cleared." On items 6 and 10 this decides who pays.

Checkpoint 4 — the diagnostic fee. "What is the charge, and does it credit toward the repair?" What a diagnostic should cost has the detail.

Checkpoint 5 — the software question. "Print the PCM, TCM and hybrid module software levels."

Checkpoint 6 — the authorisation ceiling. "Call me before anything over this figure." The dispute guide covers what to do when it is ignored.

Three diagnostic traps that cost Pacifica owners the most

Trap 1: the fire recall that was already done. The situation: a 2018 hybrid whose owner has a 2023 invoice for the battery recall. What the shop says: "Your battery recall is complete. You're all set." What is really happening: the 22V-077 remedy was found "not effective," and 24V-536 recalled the same vans for new software and an inspection. Price versus bill: $0 for the second campaign, against a dealer pack estimated at $16,951 to $17,122 if a damaged pack is found later outside any campaign. Your protective question: "Is 24V-536 complete on this VIN, by that number, with a date?"

Trap 2: the code that cleared itself. The situation: a 2020 hybrid that showed "Stop Safely," lost power, restarted, and reached the dealer running normally. What the shop says: "No codes today. We did the recall update, so it's fixed." What is really happening: the recall adds the warning; the rebuild under XE1 needs a lit lamp and one of four stored codes. Price versus bill: $0 under XE1 with the code on file, against an uncovered rebuild the bulletin allows 8.1 hours of labour for, plus the kit. Your protective question: "Print any stored or history codes, and write my description of the message on the order with today's date."

Trap 3: the steering gear that was a ground wire. The situation: a 2018 gas van whose steering goes heavy for a moment, then returns. What the shop says: "Your power steering rack is failing." What is really happening: on a 2017-2019 with stop/start, 19V-348's loose ground causes "an intermittent loss of power steering assist," fixed by cleaning and re-torquing a joint. Price versus bill: $0 for the recall, against $3,342 to $3,593 for a steering gear. Your protective question: "Is 19V-348 complete, and which steering code is stored?"

Three quotes, decoded

These are composite scenarios, not individual customers — the mileages, quotes and outcomes are typical of the pattern each item describes, assembled so the arithmetic is visible. We do not publish invented testimonials, so nothing below is a specific person's story.

Scenario 1 — the overlap. Take a 2021 hybrid built in spring 2021. 24V-538 covers vans built through 26 October 2021 with suspect packs; 26V-362 covers vans built from 5 August 2020 with cells from the alternative line. Ask for both by number: it may be in one, both or neither, and each has its own remedy. Lesson: two campaigns can claim the same VIN, and one completion date does not close the other.

Scenario 2 — the code worth a battery. Take a 2019 hybrid at around 90,000 miles with a lit lamp and a pack quote near $17,000. Ask for the code before the quote: P0EDD, P0BBE or P1C5E on a van built before 22 October 2021 makes it an XT1 claim. A different code sends you back to the standard warranty terms. Lesson: on a conditional extension the code is the repair, and it costs nothing to read.

Scenario 3 — the stall with nothing to find. Take a 2017 gas van that stalls at low speed and a quote for an hour or two of diagnosis. Check 18V-049 first: FCA's report says the stall sets no code, so an unrecalled van can be charged for hours that find nothing. Ask for the software level instead. Lesson: when the document says there is nothing to scan, paying for a scan is the expensive step.

Your situation right now: four playbooks

"Hybrid with an open fire campaign." Stop charging, park outside and away from structures, and book the remedy. On a 2022 in 26V-362, register at recalls.mopar.com.

"'Stop Safely' just appeared." Pull over where it is safe, photograph the cluster, and get the codes printed at a dealer before anything clears them.

"Gas 2017-2018 whose steering sticks." Confirm 19V-348, then file an NHTSA complaint with the VIN while PE25-009 is open.

"Just bought one and nothing is wrong." Run the VIN, photograph the door jamb, confirm EH3 or not, and ask a dealer which extensions show on the van.

After the repair: verify, then prevent

Verify within a week. Campaign number and completion date on the invoice; for fire campaigns, the inspection result; for XE1 or XT1, the qualifying code.

Keep the paperwork that proves scope. Extensions are claimed against a condition, not a date, so the code list from the day of failure is worth more than the invoice total.

Photograph the door jamb once. The build date decides five items.

Record the before and after. Thirty seconds from the same position is the cheapest proof of repair there is. The recording guide has the protocol, and our analysis of noise words in NHTSA complaints shows which ones precede an expensive repair.

Your action plan: 10 minutes, today, this week

Next 10 minutes — free:

1. Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and write down every campaign, open and completed.
2. Photograph the door jamb build date and check the window sticker for EH3.
3. On a hybrid, compare the build date with 2 May 2022, 21 October 2021 and 27 December 2022.

Today:

4. If any fire campaign shows open, stop charging and park outside.
5. Call a dealer and ask which extensions show on the VIN.
6. On a 2017-2019 gas van with stop/start, confirm 19V-348.

This week:

7. Photograph the cluster every time a warning appears, with date and odometer.
8. On a hybrid, log electric range after each full charge.
9. Bank a thirty-second recording of a healthy van, so any change is a comparison.

Sources and documents

Primary documents only. Every population, production window, date and quoted phrase above was taken from the document itself, downloaded from NHTSA's server and read as text; pages that extracted badly were rendered and read as images.

1. NHTSA RQ24001 — hybrid battery fire, remedy effectiveness of 22V-077, open. Opening resume (PDF) · second information request, 27 March 2026, subject vehicles "all model year 2017-2026." IR (PDF)
2. NHTSA 22V-077 / FCA Z11. 16,741 vehicles, production "AUG 12, 2016 - AUG 07, 2018." Original Part 573 (PDF) · amended 12 December 2024 (PDF) · completion report (PDF)
3. NHTSA 24V-536 / FCA 73B. 15,910 vehicles; "This discovery confirmed the Z11 remedy is not effective." Part 573 (PDF) · completion report (PDF)
4. NHTSA 24V-538 / FCA 72B. 3,606 vehicles, production "APR 30, 2018 - OCT 26, 2021." Part 573 (PDF) · completion report (PDF)
5. NHTSA 26V-362 / FCA 52D. 17,277 vehicles, production "Aug 05, 2020 - May 02, 2022." Part 573 (PDF) · dealer instructions (PDF) · interim owner letter (PDF) · completion report (PDF)
6. NHTSA 20V-334 and 23V-753 — 12-volt isolator post. 23,079 and 32 vehicles. 20V-334 (PDF) · 23V-753 (PDF)
7. NHTSA 18V-740 and 17V-371 — early hybrid campaigns. 10,260 and 1,375 vehicles. 18V-740 (PDF) · 17V-371 (PDF)
8. NHTSA 23V-010 / FCA 03A. 67,117 vehicles, production "AUG 12, 2016 - DEC 27, 2022"; records XE1. Part 573, 30 January 2025 (PDF) · annual report (PDF)
9. NHTSA RQ24004, open, and PE22-008, closed. RQ24004 opening resume (PDF) · PE22-008 closing resume (PDF)
10. FCA Warranty Bulletin D-23-07 (XE1). 5 April 2023, "10 years / unlimited miles." PDF · Rev. A, 12 June 2024, "Unlimited years / Unlimited miles." PDF · Rev. B, 18 March 2025. PDF
11. FCA TSB 21-014-26 (XE1) and 21-037-26. 21-014-26 (PDF) · 21-037-26 (PDF)
12. FCA Warranty Bulletin D-25-16 (XT1) and TSB 08-299-25 Rev. A. D-25-16 (PDF) · 08-299-25 Rev. A (PDF)
13. NHTSA 18V-049 / FCA U01 and DP17-003. 153,859 vehicles. Part 573 (PDF) · DP17-003 closing resume (PDF)
14. FCA TSBs 21-027-17, 21-043-20, 21-031-24, 21-040-25; campaign ZD3; recall 18V-492. 21-027-17 · 21-043-20 · 21-031-24 · 21-040-25 · ZD3 · 18V-492
15. NHTSA 19V-348 / FCA V53 and campaign Y65. 198,731 vehicles, production "OCT 11, 2016 - NOV 20, 2018." Part 573 (PDF) · Y65 instructions (PDF) · Y65 goodwill message (PDF)
16. FCA TSBs 23-015-17 Rev. A, 23-016-17, 08-170-26 — sliding doors. 23-015-17 · 23-016-17 · 08-170-26
17. NHTSA PE25-009 — steering, open; TSB 19-007-25. Opening resume (PDF) · information request (PDF) · 19-007-25 (PDF)
18. FCA TSB 05-006-22 and Warranty Bulletin D-22-15 (XA7). 05-006-22 (PDF) · D-22-15 owner letter (PDF)
19. NHTSA 26V-189, replacing 25V-302 and 25V-573. 293,264 vehicles. 26V-189 (PDF) · completion report (PDF) · 25V-302 (PDF) · 25V-573 (PDF)
20. NHTSA 19V-143, 18V-395, 17V-542, 24V-240, 22V-181, 18V-493. 19V-143 · 18V-395 · 17V-542 · 24V-240 · 22V-181 · 18V-493

What we looked for and did not find. There is no recall, investigation or warranty extension covering shift quality on the gasoline nine-speed, and none covering the sliding doors on this generation. The "10 years" figure sometimes quoted for the Pacifica transmission is the April 2023 wording of D-23-07; it covers only the hybrid, and the June 2024 revision made it unlimited. Shop estimator pages were read through their search-result summaries, so every price marked ⚪ is an estimate.

Sounds: the noise index, clunking, whining. Money: dealer versus independent, transmission cost, warranty extensions. Sister guides: Honda Odyssey, Kia Telluride, Jeep Cherokee.

Methodology. Document numbers, populations, production windows and defect wording were taken from Part 573 reports, dealer instructions, owner letters, completion reports, service and warranty bulletins and ODI resumes, downloaded from NHTSA's document server and read as text. Owner-reported figures come from NHTSA's public complaint files for the Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid, model years 2017 to 2025, downloaded 12 September 2026 with complaints received through 8 September 2026: 4,259 complaints, 613 of them filed under the hybrid name, 171 carrying a crash or fire flag, and 1,482 giving an odometer reading. Topic counts were produced with our own narrow regular expressions on the complaint text and spot-checked by reading samples. A broad match for hybrid battery or fire words returns hundreds of complaints, most describing the recall letter rather than a fire. Complaint text is an owner's account, not an audited invoice. Prices are US ranges; dealer pricing typically runs 30-50% higher. Recall and extension eligibility depends on your VIN and build date.

Prices verified: September 2026 · Technical documents verified: September 2026 · Reviewed quarterly

Had a battery or transmission repaired under XE1, XT1 or one of the fire campaigns? Email [email protected] with the model year, build date and odometer — owner data is how these ranges get sharper.