2020 Chrysler Pacifica: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 201 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, transmission, and steering. The 10 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2020- Owner complaints
- 201
- Recalls
- 5
- 1 urgent
- Crashes reported
- 7
- 4 injuries
One recall on this model year told owners to park outside until the repair was done.
Do not buy until you have dealer paperwork or a recall lookup showing it was completed for this VIN.
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/10 checked
2020 Chrysler Pacifica: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Walk-around and cabin
Engine off, key in hand0/2
Cold start, engine bay, and underside
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/2
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/3
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Which Pacifica is it?
EPA figures for each version of the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6-cylGas | AWD, FWD | 20–22 mpg |
| 3.6L 6-cylPlug-in hybrid | FWD | 520 mi range |
- The 2020 Chrysler Pacifica was sold in two versions. Confirm which one this is from the window sticker, the engine cover, or the VIN report before you compare prices.
- On the plug-in hybrid, watch for the car moving off on electric power at low speed and for any hybrid system warning on the dash.
- Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A Pacifica that averages well under the EPA 20 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.
Check the odometer against these mileages
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Power steering rack failure
50,000–65,000 miles
Head gasket coolant leak
58,000–60,098 miles
Hybrid shut-off while driving
58,000–62,000 miles
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Electrical60No crashes
The most common report is a sudden shutdown while driving. A "stop safely, vehicle will shut off soon" message appears, power drops, and the van stalls at a light or on the highway. Some vans shift into park on their own, set the parking brake, or lose the hazard lights and the ability to go into neutral. Owners often link these episodes to weak or failed 12-volt or auxiliary batteries, and dealers often find no fault. Two reports describe fires: smoke from the floor battery while the van was plugged in at home, and a cabin fire near the second row.
Transmission491 crash
The van loses power while moving. Warnings for the charging system, battery, or shifter come on, then the van says it will shut off and stops, sometimes at highway speed. Other owners describe lurching from a stop, hard shifts, and the van putting itself in park with the parking brake set. Hybrid owners report fault codes for the drive motor position sensor. Dealers often cannot reproduce the problem, and a few vans need a new transmission. One crash happened when the van rolled backward after warning lights came on and the engine ran rough.
Steering281 crash
Power steering cuts out without warning, often after a "service power steering" message, and the wheel turns heavy or locks. The assist can come back suddenly in the middle of a turn and cause oversteer. A second pattern is a wheel that sticks during gradual turns and resists returning to center, along with a shudder at low speeds. Dealers often quote a full rack replacement at $4,100 to $4,500, and some cannot reproduce the sticking. Failures appear between 14,400 and 65,000 miles. In one crash with an injury, the van veered left on its own.
Engine18No crashes
Coolant leaks into the cylinders and causes misfires, rough running, and limp mode. The repair is a new head gasket or cylinder head. These failures cluster around 58,000 miles, and one engine had more trouble soon after the head gasket repair. Other reports describe the engine stalling with no warning, either at stops or at highway speed, and hybrid vans losing all power after a shut-off warning. A burning oil smell traces back to leaking seals on the oil filter housing and valve covers. On one van, the alternator mounting bolts sheared off, tearing the belt and knocking out power steering.
Brakes73 crashes
The brakes do not slow the van as expected. Owners describe a delay, a pedal that sinks to the floor, or a brief lunge forward before braking returns. One owner suspects the handoff between regenerative and regular braking on the hybrid. Other reports describe a hissing brake booster, a pedal that pumps up and down, and false automatic braking alongside forward collision warning errors. Three of the seven complaints involve crashes, and two people were hurt. Dealers often cannot reproduce the problem.
Seats7No crashes
The second-row captain's chairs stop locking. A spring-loaded release cable inside a plastic housing breaks, so the seatback swings freely and the seat slides on its track. Often both chairs fail, sometimes on the same hot day. The failure can go unnoticed while a child seat holds the seatback in place. Owners report that replacement cables are back-ordered and cite a dealer quote of $3,600 per seat. One complaint describes fixed second-row headrests that do not match the owner's manual and keep forward-facing car seats from fitting properly.
Wipers and visibility4No crashes
The windshield fogs up in the rain. The defroster only helps on full heat and the highest fan setting, and drivers have had to pull over until the glass clears. The side windows can fog as well. The other reports involve the wipers. On one van, the wipers quit whenever the garage door opener stops working. On another, the driver-side wiper arm seized at about 13,500 miles and damaged the body. With only four complaints, fogging is the only repeated pattern.
Suspension4No crashes
These four complaints do not share a single pattern. One describes a lower control arm that starts squeaking and then fails, with the owner worried about losing steering. Another describes a van that sways at highway speed with stability and crash warning lights on, and the problem came back after a sensor replacement. The remaining complaints filed here describe engine and timing chain trouble and a sliding door that opens while driving and does not reverse when blocked. Those problems belong to other systems.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints Pacifica owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Problems with the entire dashboard electrical system going out and not coming back on for approx. 2 hrs. Until vehicle sits. Everything including the heat/AC, radio, nothing worked. Secondly the engine is and has been running rough even though oil changes performed every 4-5,000 miles full synthetic. Engine feels as if it needs an engine service or something. Vehicle has some jolting and stubborn acceleration at time as well.
Filed with NHTSA, April 2023
On two instances when traveling on the expressway, the car lost acceleration entirely and the dashboard provided an error message "service charging system". The car slowly decelerated and had to be pulled over to the side of the road, across several lanes of traffic, creating an extremely dangerous situation. Once the car was turned off and turned back on, it appeared to work normally. This happened once on March 1 and once on March 6.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2022
All of a sudden while driving 40 miles per hour, “service charging system” warning showed up on dash, asked to put car in park and unable to accelerate. Car stopped working in the middle of a busy road, unable to be restarted for 10 min.
Filed with NHTSA, November 2022
On 11/05/2023 at approximately 12 pm while getting onto the highway of 183 in Austin Texas @ Lamar increasing speeds from 45 to 65mph the engine shifted hard 3x. The engine surged then a hard shift. This occurred 3x. I’m certain you understand the complexities of austin Texas traffic. No matter the time of day. Imagine those complexities with a car that was poorly made by a company that has never been held accountable.
Filed with NHTSA, November 2023
1) A/C in the dash has loud non-stop clicking noise. Was replaced and has started up again. 2) Auto start/stop sensor in the cam went out. 3) Power steering rack went out when driving. Bought the car used from a Ford/Chrysler dealership with 65,000 miles. We have had the car for 3 months and they have had it in the shop for about 2 months
Filed with NHTSA, August 2025
My 2000 Chrysler Pacifica has only 65,000 miles on it I heard a popping noise when I turned the steering wheel took to Chrysler dealer to have it checked they said my steering box and stabler bars are worn out to fix it $4,100. No way should they be worn out with only 65,000 miles
Filed with NHTSA, June 2023
We were traveling 70 mph down a steep incline and suddenly the vehicle, a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, displayed the warning "Pull Over - Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon" and immediately the vehicle lost all motive power. I was able to pull over to the side of the road safely. This is the second time this has occurred. The first time a Chrysler dealership did not fix the problem. The code pulled was P0A43 related to the 03A recall.
Filed with NHTSA, July 2024
The car was running great, but then I had the check engine light on. When I checked the vehicle with an OBDD2, I got P0303 (misfired cylinder 3). A mechanic expert and I checked the vehicle for a possible blown head gasket, low compression, and defective spark plugs, and all was good. The car is a 2020 Chrysler pacifica and should have problems of this kind
Filed with NHTSA, December 2024
How the 2020 compares with other Pacifica years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2020 ranks fifth for owner complaints among 9 Pacifica years, close to the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Electrical6063
- Transmission4966
- Steering2824
- Engine1837
- Brakes79
- Seats73
Recalls to confirm (5)
Recall repairs are free at any Chrysler dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
24V538000Fuel systemPark outsideJul 2024
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles. The battery pack may cause a vehicle fire when parked, even with the ignition in the "Off" position.
Risk: A vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles, and to park outside and away from structures, until they are repaired. Dealers will update the high voltage battery pack control module (BPCM) software. In addition, dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace the battery pack assembly. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 6, 2025. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is 72B. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 22V-077.
25V876000Equipment Adaptive/mobilityDec 2025
Rollx Vans (Rollx) is recalling certain GMC Yukon, Sierra, Chevrolet Express 2500, Ford Transit, E-250, Toyota Sienna, Sienna Hybrid, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Voyager, Pacifica, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ram Promaster vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. Please refer to Rollx's recall report for specific model year information. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
Risk: An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Rollx will work with Q'Straint to inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2026. Owners may contact Rollx's customer service at 1-800-956-6668.
24V793000AirbagsOct 2024
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Pacifica and 2020-2021, 2023 Voyager vehicles. An improperly secured connector for the side curtain air bags may prevent the air bags from deploying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 214, "Side Impact Protection" and 226, "Ejection Mitigation.".
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will secure the connector, free of charge. All vehicles have been remedied. Owner notification letters were mailed October 22, 2024. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is A8B.
23V010000ElectricalJan 2023
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric vehicles (PHEVs). An internal transmission wiring connector may short circuit, resulting in an unexpected engine shutdown.
Risk: An unexpected engine shutdown can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the Power Inverter Module (PIM) software and, if necessary, update the instrument panel cluster (IPC) and the electronic control module (ECM) software, free of charge. FCA US will notify dealers and begin notifying owners on or about: 03/21/2023 for 2021 model year vehicles, 05/02/2023 for 2019-2020 model year vehicles, and 06/15/2023 for 2017-2018 model year vehicles. FCA began notifying owners on February 23, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 03A.
20V191000Backup cameraSep 2020
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Cherokee, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Renegade and 2019 Dodge Challenger vehicles equipped with 8.4" or 12" radio displays. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors.".
Risk: The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will update the radio display software, free of charge. Optionally, owners can choose to remotely update their software via an Over-The-Air (OTA) update available as of May 1, 2020. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W30-W37.
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2020 owner complaints, side by side
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- 2020 Chrysler Pacifica201
