2017-2021 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid recalled due to battery fire risk

Chrysler has issued a safety recall that applies to nearly 20,000 examples of the plug-in hybrid Pacifica built between the 2017 and 2021 model years. The minivans included in the campaign could catch fire due to a problem related to the drivetrain’s high-voltage battery pack.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hasn’t released details about the recall yet, but Chrysler parent company Stellantis estimates that 19,516 units of the Pacifica plug-in are included in the campaign in the United States. Approximately 2,912 additional vans will be recalled on the Canadian market. There’s no word yet on precisely when the recalled vans were built, however.

Chrysler traced the fire risk to “a rare abnormality in individual cells of the model’s high-voltage battery pack.” More details aren’t available as of writing, so we don’t know precisely how the fire starts, but the company has already figured out how to solve the problem. It’s developing a software update that detects the abnormality before it starts a fire. Cars found to have a cell-related problem will receive a new battery pack.

The brand is aware of seven fires and four reports of customers experiencing symptoms consistent with smoke inhalation. It adds that it’s not aware of accidents related to the problem, and that all of the fires started when the car was turned off. The risk of a fire is reduced when the battery is empty, so Chrysler is asking owners of potentially affected vans not to charge. It also suggests parking outside and away from structures, such as houses, and other vehicles, though it stresses that the Pacifica models included in the campaign remain safe to drive. 

Chrysler will reach out to owners by mail. It notes that some of the recalled vans might have already been fixed (the hybrid Pacifica was recalled in 2020 and in 2022 due to fire risk). Later models aren’t affected because they “benefit from an improved manufacturing process.”