2024 Chrysler Pacifica: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, engine, and electrical. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2024- Owner complaints
- 52
- Recalls
- 7
- Crashes reported
- 2
- 2 injuries
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2024 Chrysler Pacifica: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Cold start, engine bay, and underside
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/5
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 2024 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 2024 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.
Sudden shutdown while driving
15–18,000 miles
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2024 Chrysler Pacifica, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Transmission19No crashes
The van shuts itself off while moving. A "Stop Safely, Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon" message appears, sometimes promising two minutes, but the engine often cuts within seconds. That leaves the van coasting in highway lanes with no acceleration. Most reports involve the Hybrid, and many start in the first weeks of ownership, some on the drive home from the dealer. Restarting after a wait often works, with the check engine light left on, and the failure tends to come back. Dealers often find only a stored code. Some replace the transmission and the problem returns. A few owners also report delayed shifts from the rotary gear selector.
Engine7No crashes
Sudden stalls in traffic follow a "Stop Safely, Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon" warning, often with little or no real warning time. Vans stop in passing lanes, construction zones and busy six-lane roads. Some restart after several minutes with the check engine light on. Others need a tow. Repeat failures are common, and dealers often say they found nothing wrong. Several reports come from rental vans with failures between roughly 9,000 and 12,791 miles. Others happen on the first drive home.
Electrical7No crashes
The same sudden shutdown shows up here. The warning flashes, the van loses power and can stop responding entirely, and one report describes the steering wheel locking. Some vans start only after a wait or a reset routine, and one failed with under 1000 miles on it. A second pattern involves the rear sliding doors. They show a door-open warning while driving and cycle with relay clicks, and owners link them to battery drain. Other reports describe a clicking no-start, all power doors failing, and a reduced-power turtle warning.
Airbags5No crashes
Most of these complaints are about waiting for parts, not about air bags failing. Owners say they received a recall notice covering the side curtain air bags. Dealers then tell them the repair parts are not available, with one quoting a 6-week backorder and refusing a loaner. None of these owners say an air bag failed. One separate report describes a rear seat belt that did not work on a van sold with a reported minor accident. That owner suspects the prior collision damage was worse than disclosed.
Steering3No crashes
A dead zone appears at highway speed, so turning the wheel between 11 and 1 o'clock does nothing. When the van finally responds, it jerks from side to side. This complaint comes from a Pinnacle AWD that has had the problem since new and now has 9,600 miles, and it is filed twice. The other complaint is the familiar sudden power loss, this time in the middle of a U-turn off a freeway ramp. The engine and battery lights came on and the van was left stranded across a traffic lane.
Brakes2No crashes
Brake problems overlap with other failures. One report describes power steering and brakes cutting out for a second just before the shutdown warning appears. Another describes the electronic parking brake locking on in a van with only a few hundred miles. The dealer replaced the brake actuator. Afterward the SafeHold feature kicked in at random when pulling away from stop lights and stop signs. It shifted the van into park and set the parking brake in traffic until the driver restarted the van.
Automatic emergency braking2No crashes
The automatic braking system brakes hard with no reason. In one report, the van stops abruptly at about 55 MPH on the same highway several times while adaptive cruise is off. The dealer was able to repeat the problem but had not found the cause. Another report describes Lane Sense pulling the car to the left. Later, adaptive cruise control shut off and service warnings appeared for automatic emergency braking and an ACC fault.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints Pacifica owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
While traveling at highway speeds, the vehicle cut the engine and displayed a message that the vehicle would shut-down in 2 min. The message was inaccurate, as the vehicle immediately cut the engine. The first time it happened, the vehicle coasted to a stop in the middle of HOV lane. The second time it happened, I was in the right lane and the vehicle was able to coast to the shoulder.
Filed with NHTSA, August 2024
Just bought the car from Bill Luke dealership and was driving it home. Within 15 miles of driving it from the dealership while on the highway the engine just stalled and quit on us. We managed to somehow pull to the side of the road. It was scary to dodge the cars behind us. The car just came back from Chrysler dealership after it needed a idcm to be replaced.
Filed with NHTSA, December 2024
Vehicle shut down without enough notice IN TRAFFIC and could not be started for several minutes, causing a safety hazard for me and backing traffic up. Once I was able to restart, check engine light was illuminated. This was a rental and on the way to their location, the vehicle failed as described at least 5 more times.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2024
How the 2024 compares with other Pacifica years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2024 ranks seventh for owner complaints among 9 Pacifica years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Transmission1970
- Engine738
- Electrical769
- Airbags55
- Steering327
- Brakes210
Recalls to confirm (7)
Recall repairs are free at any Chrysler dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
25V877000Equipment Adaptive/mobilityDec 2025
Vantage Mobility, LLC (VM) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Honda Odyssey, 2021-2025 Chrysler Pacifica, and Toyota Sienna vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. 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: Dealers will inspect and replace the retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters was mailed January 27, 2026. Owners may contact Vantage Mobility customer service at 1-800-488-9082.
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.
25V759000Equipment Adaptive/mobilityOct 2025
Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Chrysler Pacifica, 2022-2025 Toyota Sienna, and 2022-2026 Honda Odyssey vehicles equipped with wheel chair restraint retractors. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
Risk: An unlocked wheelchair can move during transit or during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 23, 2025. Owners may contact Q'Straint's customer service at 1-800-987-9987 or Braun's customer service at 1-800-488-0359.
25V471000EquipmentJul 2025
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles. The vehicles were built with an incorrect radio, which can cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers replaced the radio, free of charge. All affected vehicles have been repaired. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2025. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 57C.
25V381000Seat beltsJun 2025
Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Chrysler Pacifica, 2022-2025 Voyager, and 2024-2025 Toyota Sienna Hybrid vehicles. The occupant restraint tie-down puck fasteners may have been improperly tightened.
Risk: A restraint tie-down puck with loose fasteners may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten the fasteners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed mailed July 7, 2025. Owners may contact Braun customer service at 1-800-488-0359.
25V302000AirbagsMay 2025
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Pacifica and Voyager vehicles. The right and left side curtain air bags may have insufficient pressure retention from improperly sealed seams. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation.".
Risk: An air bag with insufficient pressure retention increases the risk of ejection and injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the side curtain air bags, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning October 14, 2025. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's numbers for this recall are 06C, 54C, 55C.
24V199000AirbagsMar 2024
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) (Stellantis) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Ram 1500, Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Wagoneer, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Chrysler Pacifica, Ram 3500, Ram 3500 cab chassis, Ram 2500, Ram 4500 cab chassis, Ram 5500 cab chassis, 2023 Jeep Gladiator, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with a GVWR less than 10,000 lbs., and Chrysler Voyager vehicles. The steering column control module may not be welded properly, which can prevent the driver's air bag from deploying in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.".
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy in a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the steering column control module, as necessary free of charge. Some owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2024 through June 20, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's numbers for this recall are 14B, 33B, 34B, 35B, 36B.
Also looking at these instead of a Pacifica?
Cars shoppers compare with the Chrysler Pacifica, with their own 2024 checklists.
2024 owner complaints, side by side
- Audi Q526
- 2024 Chrysler Pacifica52
- Mercedes-Benz GLE59
- Lexus NX129
