2023 Chrysler Pacifica power train problems

“While driving on a highway during rush-hour traffic, my car had an alert that said “ stop safely vehicle will shut off soon” I quickly pulled over on the side of the highway and my vehicle completely stopped working within a minute. This all happened in about 30 seconds. I would step on the gas and it wouldn’t go even though the car was still on and in drive. It was extremely scary to lose driving speed while driving so fast on the highway out of nowhere. I feel very lucky that my children were not in the car considering it’s a minivan and that I was able to get over to the side of the road. I am worried that if this happens to somebody else they might not be as lucky it was extremely scary. It was during rush-hour traffic with semi trucks on the highway. I did not feel safe in my car with the speeds and size of the cars flying by me so I got out of my car and stood on the other side of the guard rail.”

“All relevant recalls on the vehicle have been previously performed. On 8/25/2026, after starting the vehicle it displayed a warning message to "Stop Safely - Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon." That message was able to be cleared after four cycles of turning the engine off and re-starting. After driving the vehicle for approximately 5 miles, while the car was in motion, the message returned to "Stop Safely - Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon." The van was pulled over and turned off and cycled back on in an attempt to clear the warning as it was less than 2 miles to go until home. The message cleared and was able to be driven the rest of the way home. It currently has a yellow, illuminated powertrain malfunction light. Plan is to have the vehicle towed to Chrysler for diagnosis and repair.”

“The contact owns a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle on a slight incline and exiting the vehicle, the vehicle started rolling backwards while the driver’s side door was still open. The contact attempted to activate the parking brake; however, the parking brake failed to function. The contact attempted to press the START/STOP button to turn off the vehicle but was knocked down by the door and was ran over by the front driver’s side wheel. The contact sustained several fractured ribs, punctured lungs, internal bleeding, bruises to the right shoulder, a wound to the right ankle, and carpal tunnel to both wrists, and cervical disk displacement. Medical attention was provided for the injuries. There was no warning light illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the Auto Park feature was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.”

“The vehicle experienced a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power while driving in active traffic due to a severe hybrid powertrain malfunction. Immediately prior to the failure, the dashboard displayed a critical warning message: "Stop Safely – Vehicle will shut off soon." The vehicle then lost all propulsion, leaving it completely disabled and forcing an emergency maneuver to the shoulder. This dangerous stalling event occurred twice. The safety of my family was put at extreme risk as we were trapped in a dead vehicle in active traffic lanes, creating a severe rear-end collision hazard. The malfunctioning system involves the hybrid propulsion system, specifically the Hybrid Control Module (HCPM) or internal transaxle wiring. This issue began immediately after a dealership performed the mandatory 44D Emissions Recall software flash repair. The vehicle is currently with Dealership for more than a week for diagnosis. The problem has not yet been permanently repaired by the manufacturer, but diagnostic trouble codes should be stored in the vehicle's computer modules.”

“The vehicle has experienced three separate incidents involving a sudden, unexpected loss of motive power at speed accompanied by a warning message ("Please pull off the road safely, vehicle will shut off soon") and a turtle icon ("Red Turtle of Death") on the instrument cluster. Two of these incidents occurred on major highways at speeds exceeding 60 mph. Incident History: February 2026 (Heavy Melting Snow, Boston, MA): Vehicle experienced complete loss of propulsion while driving on a city street. Dealership (McGovern Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram) held the vehicle for nearly a month under Diagnostic Trouble Code P167B ("Controlled System Shutdown"). Replaced occupant restraint module, which did not resolve the issue. Vehicle eventually resumed operating on its own. Recent Incident (Heavy Rain spray, Highway >60 MPH): Sudden loss of motive power on high-speed road. Instrument panel displayed turtle icon and forced an emergency pull-off. After cycling ignition, drive capability returned. OBD-II scanner returned code P0000 (generic placeholder concealing proprietary Chrysler hybrid/BPCM/PIM isolation fault codes). Two Days Later (Dry Conditions, Highway >60 MPH):…”

“The contact owns a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, shuddered, and then stalled. The message to "Stop - Pull Over Safely" was displayed on the instrument panel. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was an intermittent drive motor position sensor failure inside the transmission, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.”