160k Chrysler Pacifica owners to receive recall notices

Fiat Chrysler has said the company will be mailing out recall notices to more than 160,000 Pacifica owners this week. The recall revolves around certain minivans from the 2017 model year whose engines can stall, even when fully and steadily engaged. Fiat Chrysler dealers will begin offering free repairs next week.

The recall was announced in January, weeks after a Virginia Family, alongside the nonprofit organization, Center for Auto Safety, petitioned the government to seek a recall of the vans. Allison Cohen, of Leesburg, Virginia, spoke with an NBC affiliate in Virginia, describing an instance when her van stalled while she was in the middle of a busy intersection in her neighborhood. Cohen was one of over 50 Chrysler Pacifica owners who filed a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

NHTSA began an investigation of claims that the Pacifica minivans were stalling while being driven in December 2017.

Fiat Chrysler said that in rare conditions, a computer that controls the engine can incorrectly determine the operating status which can cause the engine to turn off. The automaker says it knows of one possibly related crash but of no injuries sustained as a result of the issue. In a statement, Fiat Chrysler said,

The Company is working closely with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and this recall is being conducted in accordance with regulation. The Company is unaware of any injuries related to this campaign. The Chrysler Pacifica minivan remains the most acclaimed vehicle in its class, having earned more than 70 top safety, quality and design ratings from numerous consumer-advocacy groups and automotive news organizations.

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