2008 Chrysler Pacifica

THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. BATTERY AND CONNECTIONS WERE CHECKED. THE STARTER MOTOR AND SOLENOID ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THE STARTER ATTEMPTS TO ENGAGE BUT WILL NOT TURN THE ENGINE. AFTER RESEARCH I FOUND CHRYSLER HAS OFFERED A RECALL FOR SEVERAL 2008/09 MODEL CARS AND VANS FOR DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCHES. THE SAFETY HAZARD IS GREAT IF THE ELECTRICAL PORTION WOULD FAIL WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION.

WHILE DRIVING, SOMETIMES WITHOUT WARNING, THE CAR LOSES POWER(ENGINE SHUTS OFF) THE RADIO, HEATER/AC STILL WORK BUT NO POWER FROM THE ENGINE. SOMETIMES THE WHEEL AND BRAKES LOCK UP AND I CAN BARELY GET IT OFF THE ROAD. OTHER TIMES, I CAN POP IT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING AND RESTART IT. IT'S VERY SCARY AND I HAVE 3 KIDS IN THE CAR WITH ME DAILY. IT HAPPENS AT RANDOM TIMES, WHETHER I JUST PULL OUT OR HAVE DRIVEN SEVERAL MILES. IT HAS HAPPENED DRIVING SLOW AND AT FASTER SPEEDS. IT HAS BEEN LOOKED AT BY A CERTIFIED CHRYSLER DEALER. THEY DROVE IT UNTIL IT HAPPENED TO THEM AND DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING IT. THIS HAPPENS AT LEAST ONCE, SOMETIMES TWICE EVERYDAY. *TR

MOTOR MOUNTS RUSTED OUT & NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (100K MILES) EVEN THOUGH THESE DO NOT REQUIRE ANY TYPE OF MAINTENANCE ACCORDING TO THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE & BOOK. FURTHERMORE, I HAVE A LIFETIME POWERTRAIN WARRANTY BUT THE DEALER & CORPORATE BOTH STATE THIS REPAIR IS NOT COVERED. EVEN THOUGH I HAD A 100K MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND A LIFETIME POWERTRAIN WARRANTY AND HAVE RELIGIOUSLY SERVICED MY CAR AT CHRYSLER DEALERSHIPS, I WAS STUCK PAYING $1,000 TO REPLACE THEM. DEALER STATED THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE SO I HAD NO CHOICE. NHTSA SHOULD INSIST CHRYSLER REPAIR OR REIMBURSE OWNERS AS THIS IS A PERVASIVE ISSUE WITH THE PACIFICAS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW (AC DRIPS ON MOTOR MOUNTS WHICH CAUSES THEM TO RUST OUT).

MY CAR WILL UNEXPECTEDLY STALL OUT WHILE DRIVING THUS CREATING A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING INTERMITTENTLY FOR THE PAST 8 MONTHS. I HAVE HAD A LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP CHECK AND THEY THINK IT'S THE PCM OR FUEL PUMP AS HAD BEEN REPORTED IN OTHER MODEL YEARS. THEY RESET THE PCM BUT THIS DID NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM. CHRYSLER HAS RECALLED OTHER MODELS FROM 2004 AND 2006 FOR THIS ISSUE BUT WILL NOT AKNOWLEDGE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE 2008 MODEL. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY BEING USED IN BRUSSELS, BELGIUM AS I AM WORKING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE THERE. I CONTACTED THE EUROPE CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE BUT THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID SHE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY RELEVANT RECALLS PAST OR PRESENT. I HAVE SENT AN EMAIL TO THEM (COPY TO NHTSA) AGAIN REQUESTING FINANCIAL COVERAGE FOR THE NECESSARY REPAIRS AND I AWAIT THEIR RESPONSE. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS NOW?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHRYSLER PACIFICA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW CIRCUIT BOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

ANY TIME I WASH MY CAR, SOMEHOW I THINK WATER GOES IN TO THE SENSORS. AFTER THE CARWASH IF I TRY TO START IT, THE LIGHT FLICKER ON AND OFF AND IT REFUSES TO START. EVEN WHEN IT RAINS, THE WATER MAKES ITS WAY INTO THE SENSORS AND IT DOES NOT START. IT MAKES NOISE LIKE WHEN THERE ARE ELECTRIC SHOCKS. THERE HAS BEEN OCCASIONS IN WHICH IT DOES NOT DETECT THE KEY AND DOES NOT START.

I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER IN 2009 WITH 38K MILES ON IT. SINCE THEN, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE MOUNT THREE TIMES! RECENTLY , THE CAR HAS BEEN OVERHEATING WHILE DRIVING WITH SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AT FIRST, I HAD SOME HOSES REPLACED. THE MECHANIC HAS NOW ADVISED THAT IT NEEDS A RADIATOR REPLACEMENT. I HAVE CALLED AROUND AND DEALERSHIPS SAY THAT IT IS HARD TO GET TO THE RADIATOR ON THIS CAR DUE TO ITS DESIGN, SO THE COST IS $1600. AT THIS POINT, I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. I HAVE READ THROUGH THESE COMPLAINTS AND CHRYSLER HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE ENGINE MOUNT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE AT LEAST 2011, AND STILL NO RECALL! SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THE OVERHEATING ISSUE. I AM BAFFLED BECAUSE CHRYSLER HAS JUST BROUGHT OUT A NEW VERSION OF THIS CAR FOR 2016, WITHOUT ADDRESSING ANY OF THE KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE CAR!

ACCELERATED ENGINE FRAME CORROSION: THE FRONT SUB-FRAME(ENGINE SUPPORT CRADLE) IS CORRODED SO BADLY, THE POWERTRAIN CREATES EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION, INCORRECT SHIFTING, VEHICLE FLEX, AND EXCESSIVE ENGINE TRAVEL. THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE FOR HIGHWAY USE. IN ADDITION TO STEERING AND SUSPENSION RELATED SAFETY LIABILITY, THE ENGINE/POWERTRAIN IS KNOWN TO 'DROP' OUT OF THE VEHICLE AT ANY TIME WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. IF THIS SHOULD OCCUR AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THERE WOULD BE A TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT SERIOUS OR FATAL INJURIES COULD ENSUE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AFFECTING ALL YEARS/PACKAGES OF VEHICLE MANUFACTURE FOR THE CHRYSLER PACIFICA, REGARDLESS OF ACTUAL DATE OF PRODUCTION. A SINGLE PRIOR RECALL ADDRESSING THE ISSUE WAS INITIATED IN 2010 FOR A VERY NARROW SELECTED PRODUCTION DATE RANGE(02/23/14 ' 03/31/04) WELL AFTER THE VEHICLE LEFT PRODUCTION(2008). THIS AFFLICTED SUBFRAME PART WAS NOT ALTERED DURING MANUFACTURE TO CORRECT THE ISSUE/DEFECT DURING ITS PRODUCTION RUN. CHRYSLER EMPLOYEES ACKNOWLEDGE THE CORROSION PREVENTION PROCESS/COATINGS USED WERE NOT SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT ACCELERATED CORROSION OF THE ASSEMBLY. CHRYSLER WILL REFUSE TO ADDRESS THOSE SERIOUSLY AFFECTED. ONCE THE ISSUE WAS FOUND (IN MY CASE ONE YEAR AGO), THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER REPRESENTATIVE. WHILE THE DEALER WANTS TO RESOLVE THE CONCERN FOR THE CONSUMER, THE CORPORATE DIRECTIVE DECLINES THE REPAIR AS NOT REQUIRED. OF NOTE: THIS IS UNRELATED TO STANDARD RUST CORROSION ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH TYPICAL AUTOMOBILE AGING. MY VEHICLE ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED AND HAS MINIMAL CORROSION ISSUES ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE VEHICLE. DOCUMENTED EXAMPLES OF ISSUE: HTTP://WWW.CHRYSLERPROBLEMS.COM/TRENDS/CRADLE-ROT/ HTTP://WWW.THEINDYCHANNEL.COM/NEWS/CALL-6-INVESTIGATORS/CHRYSLER-CORROSION-CAR-OWNERS-WANT-ANSWERS-ON-CORROSION-PROBLEM