In January 2023, Chrysler recalled more than 67,000 Pacifica Hybrid minivans from the 2017 through 2023 model years because the gasoline engine could shut off in the middle of a drive. The cause, per the recall filing, was a transmission wiring connector that could short and kill power without warning. The fix was a software reflash of the inverter module that would alert the driver before the engine died, buying them just enough time to pull off the highway.
A number of owners did not feel reassured.
Thirty of them filed a class action lawsuit arguing that a software warning is not a fix, adding that it’s instead a warning that the fix failed. They wanted Chrysler to buy back every one of the 67,000 affected vans at Kelley Blue Book value as of the day before the recall was announced, alleging that the company was playing “Russian Roulette with the lives of their vehicle occupants.”
This week, a federal judge ruled on the case. The verdict was mixed, and both sides will find something to be unhappy about.
What the Judge Actually Ruled
Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey issued a 187-page opinion, per reporting by CarComplaints, that was vaguely indecisive.
For the plaintiffs, the case will continue. Grey ruled that the owners “have suffered an injury in fact” on the grounds that they overpaid for vans whose resale value cratered once the recall hit. None of the 30 named plaintiffs has actually experienced such a shutdown, but their claim is financial, not due to them being put out by the actual issue during a drive. They argue the stigma of the recall and the inadequacy of the fix wiped out thousands of dollars of resale value per vehicle.
For Chrysler, and this is the bigger win for the marque, the nationwide class is gone. The judge refused to let the suit proceed on behalf of every 2017-2023 Pacifica Hybrid owner in the country. What’s left is 18 state-specific sub-classes, which sharply reduces the payout cost if Chrysler loses.
Grey also rejected the plaintiffs’ claim that Chrysler knew about the shutdown defect before selling the vans. Chrysler’s own recall filing disclosed 323 total reports across four years, 16 customer complaints, 242 warranty claims, 59 field reports, and 6 customer assistance records, out of 67,118 vehicles built.
The judge called that “not more than a blip on FCA’s complaints and repairs radar,” and used it to dismiss the presale-knowledge idea. Presale knowledge is what separates a standard defect case from a fraud case, and fraud is where the big damages live – something that the brand has managed to avoid.
Why This Still Matters for Chrysler
The sticker-price return the plaintiffs wanted is now off the table, and the buyback of 67,000 vans isn’t going to happen. But a surviving class action across 18 states is still a liability Chrysler has to fight, and the Pacifica doesn’t have room for much more bad news. And, to be honest, neither does Chrysler itself.
The Pacifica is the company’s only volume product right now, with new models reportedly in the pipeline but not yet hitting dealers. The Pacifica Hybrid itself has been recalled more than once for more than one reason (fire risks in 2020 and 2022 before this year’s shutdown issue), plus a separate NHTSA investigation opened in early 2024 into non-hybrid 2020 Pacificas reportedly experiencing similar mid-drive shutdowns. For a model carrying the entire brand right now, this isn’t good…
Chrysler’s legal department will be working this one for a while yet.
