2021 Chrysler Pacifica problems & reliability
358 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica, alongside 7 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
8 complaints report injuries (11 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles were involved in 16 fatal crashes with 11 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 145 | 41% |
| Engine → | 139 | 39% |
| Power Train → | 118 | 33% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 74 | 21% |
| Unknown OR Other | 52 | 15% |
| Back Over Prevention → | 27 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 22 | 6% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance → | 15 | 4% |
| Steering → | 15 | 4% |
| Seats → | 11 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 50,000 miles (middle 50% between 14,800 and 75,000 miles), based on 25 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was restarted and driven to…”
Engine · filed Aug 4, 2026
“The vehicle has had a suspension problem since purchasing the dealership has not been able to determine the issue after replacing the axle,struts, low arm control,motor mount now the state the steering wheel rack”
Suspension · filed Aug 4, 2026
“We took our 2021 Pacifica Hybrid to the dealership for Recall 52D. The first charge at home after the recall melted one of the charging "pins" in the car, and on our home Level 2 charger. Our dealership now says it's the fault of our charger, and we'll have to pay $2000+ for a repair. Our charger handle is still fine…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Aug 3, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Loss of motive power due to an internal wiring connector short.
Recall Query RQ24004 · opened Feb 27, 2024 · open
- Transmission fault leading to loss of motive power
Preliminary Evaluation PE22008 · opened Jul 22, 2022 · closed Mar 27, 2024 · led to recall 23V010
Technical service bulletins
674 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The 10 most recent:
Passive Entry O/S Dr Handle Prior to replacing an inoperative passive entry door handle, perform Star Online S2623000040.
9100860 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 7, 2026
Hose and tube - egr coolant
113280 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 6, 2026
Backup Camera Poor Image Quality Inspection
S2208000045 REV.D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 26, 2026
Calibration Requirements For The Power Sliding Door Module (PSDM).
S2623000046 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2026
Power Liftgate Intermittently Inoperative. Will Not Open/ Close. Liftgate/Hatch Ajar Message Displayed. Rev A
S2623000041 REV.A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 19, 2026
Radio/ETM is Adding Approximately 27mA Draw to Vehicle When in Logistics Mode
S268A000014 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2026
Heater - electric coolant
112856 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 15, 2026
Heater - electric coolant
112857 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 15, 2026
Outside Power Fold Rearview Mirror Noise Or Loose At Pivot. Mirror Contacts Door Window Glass In The Folded Position.
S1623000028 Rev. K · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 12, 2026
Prior to replacing an inoperative passive entry door handle, perform Star Online S2623000040.
9100835 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 8, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica has 7 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Chrysler Pacifica?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 50,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.