NHTSA Complaint #11057493 — 2017 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

VEHICLE PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2016 FOR $44,000 FROM SAFFORD OF FREDERICKSBURG. ON OCTOBER 14, 2017, I WAS DRIVING WITH MY WIFE, THREE CHILDREN AND MOTHER-IN-LAW AND EXPERIENCED A LOUD MALFUNCTION THAT RENDERED THE CAR INOPERABLE. LUCKILY WE WERE NOT ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE TIME AND THE VEHICLE WAS EVENTUALLY TOWED TO SAFFORD OF FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA FOR REPAIRS. THE RIGHT FRONT AXEL HAD RUPTURED (TOTAL MILES ON THE CAR WERE 8,311 AT THAT TIME). THE SERVICE AGENT (JIM BOGAN) NOTED THAT THIS HAD BEEN FLAGGED ON OTHER OCCASIONS AS IDENTIFIED ISSUES AT OTHER SERVICE DEPARTMENT REQUIRING THE NEXT "GENERATION" OF AXEL ASSEMBLY PARTS FOR THE REPAIR. SHORTLY AFTER RECEIVING THE VEHICLE, WE RETURNED TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP TO ADDRESS A LOUD GIRDING NOISE ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH THE RIGHT FRONT AXEL. IN EARLY DECEMBER, 2017 WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED ONCE AGAIN TO SAFFORD OF FREDERICKSBURG WHERE THEY AGAIN HAD TO REPAIR THE RIGHT FROM AXEL. INTERMITTENTLY AND OVER THE PAST YEAR WHILE THESE ISSUES WERE OCCURRING, WE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE ELECTRONIC ISSUES WITH THE SLIDING DOORS AND REAR LIFT HATCH AS WELL. THE UCONNECT ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM WILL ALSO MALFUNCTION FROM TIME TO TIME. SEVERAL SOFTWARE UPDATES HAVE BEEN INITIATED, ADDRESSING WINDOW AND TRANSMISSION CONCERNS ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT. YET, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY, WHERE IDLE AND TRANSMISSION FUNCTIONING OFTEN APPEARS COMPROMISED (ROUGH IDLE, ROUGH SHIFTING, SUDDEN RPM INCREASES AND ACCELERATION BURSTS WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE). I FEAR THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE FOR MY WIFE AND THREE YOUNG CHILDREN.