NHTSA complaint #11339417

Owner complaint summary

THIS INVOLVES A 2019 CHRYSLER PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID. WHILE TRAVELING AT 80 MPH WITH DYNAMIC CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL PROPULSION. THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WAS OFF, AND NO POWER CAME FROM THE ELECTRIC MOTOR. THE AIR CONDITIONING ALSO TURNED OFF. DESPITE PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, THERE WAS NO POWER AT ALL. THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY COASTING, AND LOST SPEED RAPIDLY. DESPITE LOSING PROPULSION, I NEVER FELT LIKE I LOST BRAKES OR STEERING. DESPITE THIS, I FELT VERY UNSAFE AS I WAS TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSTATE WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE DISPLAY ALTERNATED BETWEEN TWO MESSAGES. ONE STATED I NEEDED TO SHIFT TO 'P' AND PRESS THE START BUTTON (THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN MOTION). THE SECOND MESSAGE STATED THERE WAS A FAULT IN THE HYBRID CHARGING SYSTEM. ONCE STOPPED ON THE SHOULDER, I SHIFTED TO PARK AND PRESSED THE START BUTTON WHILE PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL (THE NORMAL PROCESS TO START THE VEHICLE). THE DASHBOARD, INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM, AND WINDOW CONTROL APPEARED TO POWER-CYCLE, BUT NEITHER THE VEHICLE NOR THE AIR CONDITIONING WOULD START. THE DASHBOARD CONTINUED TO DISPLAY A MESSAGE SAYING A CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURE HAD OCCURRED. AFTER 45 MINUTES OF REPEATEDLY TRYING TO START THE CAR BY PRESSING THE BRAKE AND PUSHING THE START BUTTON. I TRIED JUST PRESSING THE START BUTTON WITHOUT PRESSING THE BRAKE. THE CAR SHUT ALL THE WAY OFF, AND AFTER WAITING A MOMENT, I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR BY PRESSING THE BRAKE AND THEN PUSHING THE START BUTTON. ONCE STARTED, THE VEHICLE THEN RAN NORMALLY EXCEPT FOR A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. FIVE DAYS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, A CHRYSLER DEALER PERFORMED THE REPAIR FOR RECALL NHTSA 19V-886, AND THE INITIAL INSPECTION FOR RECALL NHTSA 20V-334.