2021 Chrysler Pacifica: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica
On the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica, the failure owners report most often is alternator or charging system failure, with 154 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 25,000 miles. Overall it scores 78 out of 100, severe risk for a 2021.
Severe risk for a 2021 — 69th riskiest of the 231 2021 vehicles we can rate. 673 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 54 named failure modes on the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica, and the three most-reported carry 42% of everything filed.
Alternator or charging system failure leads with 154 reports and about 3.0 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other engine problem follows with 66 reports, median 30,000 miles.
Other electrical problem follows with 60 reports. 1 of those report mention a fire.
By system, the reports fall mostly into electrical (241), engine (116) and transmission (86).
When these failures get reported
39 of the reports on the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 25,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 59% by 50,000 miles and 87% by 100,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 36% of the dated reports.
54% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 54. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 19 mention a crash, 1 a fire and 9 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 3.88, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: alternator or charging system failure at $450–$1,600, other engine problem at $300–$4,000, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000 and other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
32% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 154 | 2 | — | 24k | — | 3.0 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Other engine problem | engine | 66 | 4 | — | 31k | — | 1.3 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 60 | 0 | — | — | — | 1.2 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 57 | 3 | — | 9k | — | 1.1 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 28 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.5 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 25 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.5 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 25 | 5 | — | 63k | — | 0.5 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Software fault or failed update | software | 21 | 2 | — | 23k | — | 0.4 | $0–$600 | Moderate |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 16 | 1 | — | 69k | — | 0.3 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 15 | 3 | — | 8k | — | 0.3 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure | transmission | 11 | 3 | — | 400 | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,400 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Infotainment screen failure | infotainment | 10 | 2 | — | 54k | — | 0.2 | $400–$2,600 | Low |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 8 | 2 | — | 42k | — | 0.2 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 8 | 1 | — | 3k | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $200–$900 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 7 | 1 | — | 950 | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Radiator or coolant leak | cooling | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $350–$1,900 | High |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure | body | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,500 | Moderate |
| Lifter, cam or cylinder-deactivation failure | engine | 3 | 3 | — | 100k | — | 0.1 | $1,800–$7,000 | High |
| Differential or transfer case failure | drivetrain | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $900–$4,200 | High |
| Fuel gauge or level sensor failure | fuel | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Complete engine failure or seizure | engine | 2 | 1 | — | 60k | — | 0.0 | $4,500–$12,000 | Critical |
| Transmission will not engage a gear | transmission | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $1,500–$6,000 | Critical |
| Fuel leak or fuel odor | fuel | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Lane keep or steering assist fault | adas | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,600 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Head gasket failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $1,400–$4,000 | Critical |
| Excessive oil consumption | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $900–$6,500 | High |
| Oil leak | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Water pump failure | cooling | 1 | 1 | — | 12k | — | 0.0 | $500–$2,200 | High |
| Thermostat failure | cooling | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$900 | Moderate |
| Wheel bearing or hub failure | drivetrain | 1 | 1 | — | 20k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 63k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Engine sensor failure | electrical | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $180–$900 | Moderate |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 108k | — | 0.0 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 50k | — | 0.0 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 1 | 1 | — | 76k | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Tire blowout or tread separation | wheels | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | Critical |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 29 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica draws about 13 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 92nd percentile of complaint rates among 2021 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 51,671 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2021 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
Recalls on the 2021 model year
NHTSA has issued 7 recall campaigns covering the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica, affecting an estimated 67,456 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover electrical system:propulsion system:traction battery, equipment adaptive/mobility:wheelchair restraints/securement and air bags:side/window:curtain. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
17,277 vehicles 2026-06-04- Defect
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles. The battery pack may cause a vehicle fire, even when the vehicle is parked with the ignition in the "Off" position.
- Consequence
- A vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles, and to park outside and away from structures, until their vehicle is repaired. Dealers will update the high voltage battery pack control module software. In addition, dealers will inspect and replace the battery pack assembly, as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning June 23, 2026. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is 52D. The Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall…
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY:WHEELCHAIR RESTRAINTS/SECUREMENT:LATCH/ANCHOR:
86 vehicles 2025-12-17- Defect
- Rollx Vans (Rollx) is recalling certain GMC Yukon, Sierra, Chevrolet Express 2500, Ford Transit, E-250, Toyota Sienna, Sienna Hybrid, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Voyager, Pacifica, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ram Promaster vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. Please refer to Rollx's recall report for specific model year information. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
- Consequence
- An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Rollx will work with Q'Straint to inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2026. Owners may contact Rollx's customer service at 1-800-956-6668.
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY:WHEELCHAIR RESTRAINTS/SECUREMENT:LATCH/ANCHOR:
1,019 vehicles 2025-12-17- Defect
- Vantage Mobility, LLC (VM) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Honda Odyssey, 2021-2025 Chrysler Pacifica, and Toyota Sienna vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
- Consequence
- An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters was mailed January 27, 2026. Owners may contact Vantage Mobility customer service at 1-800-488-9082.
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN
26 vehicles 2024-10-24- Defect
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Pacifica and 2020-2021, 2023 Voyager vehicles. An improperly secured connector for the side curtain air bags may prevent the air bags from deploying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 214, "Side Impact Protection" and 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
- Consequence
- An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will secure the connector, free of charge. All vehicles have been remedied. Owner notification letters were mailed October 22, 2024. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is A8B.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
1,033,433 vehicles 2024-06-13- Defect
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Dodge Durango, 2021-2023 Chrysler Pacifica, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, 2022 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, Chrysler Voyager, 2022-2023 Jeep Compass, Grand Cherokee, Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, and Ram Promaster vehicles. The radio software may prevent the rearview image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Consequence
- A rearview camera image that does not display decreases the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the radio software or the software will be OTA, "Over-The-Air," free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning July 9, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's numbers for this recall are 66B and 79B.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:CONNECTORS/PLUGS/RECEPTACLES
67,117 vehicles 2023-01-17- Defect
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric vehicles (PHEVs). An internal transmission wiring connector may short circuit, resulting in an unexpected engine shutdown.
- Consequence
- An unexpected engine shutdown can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the Power Inverter Module (PIM) software and, if necessary, update the instrument panel cluster (IPC) and the electronic control module (ECM) software, free of charge. FCA US will notify dealers and begin notifying owners on or about: 03/21/2023 for 2021 model year vehicles, 05/02/2023 for 2019-2020 model year vehicles, and 06/15/2023 for 2017-2018 model year vehicles. FCA began notifying owners on February 23, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 03A.
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY
1,160 vehicles 2022-03-24- Defect
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Pacifica and 2021 Voyager vehicles. The second-row seat-to-floor mounting latch may bind and stick open, preventing the seat from properly securing to the floor. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
- Consequence
- An unsecured seat increases the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the second-row seat cushion frame, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 7, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is Z22.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2021 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2021 compares with the other years
Severe risk for a 2021 — 69th riskiest of the 231 2021 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Across the 15 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2008 comes out best at 60 and 2018 worst at 84, with 2021 itself at 78.
If the model year is negotiable, 2008, 2024, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2006, 2025 and 2023 score lower than 2021 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2016–2021 generation specifically, 2021 is the strongest year at 78 and 2018 the weakest at 84.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2016-2021 generation, 2021 Chrysler Pacifica scores best at 78 and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica worst at 84.
What this page cannot tell you
673 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 673 reports, 39 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 6% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica?
The most-reported failures are alternator or charging system failure (154 reports, median 25,000 miles), other engine problem (66 reports, median 30,000 miles) and other electrical problem (60 reports). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica reliable?
It scores 78 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 69th riskiest of the 231 2021 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2021 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Chrysler Pacifica is best?
Within the 2016–2021 generation, 2021 scores best at 78 out of 100 and 2018 worst at 84. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed