NHTSA Complaint #11171384 — 2017 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

INITIALLY, WHILE DRIVING, A BRIEF WARNING MESSAGE WOULD FLASH ON THE DRIVER'S INFO CLUSTER THAT THE "POWER STEERING WAS UNAVAILABLE" AND THEN THE WARNING WOULD GO AWAY VERY QUICKLY. HOWEVER, THE WARNING BEGAN COMING ON MORE FREQUENTLY, ALWAYS WHILE DRIVING, AND IT WOULD STAY ON, RESULTING IN A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THIS WAS VERY FRIGHTENING SINCE IN THE LARGE VAN IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WHILE DRIVING AT BOTH HIGHWAY AND SIDE-STREET SPEEDS. WHEN THE ENGINE WOULD BE TURNED OFF AND THEN RESTARTED, THE MALFUNCTION WOULD RESOLVE, HOWEVER, IT BEGAN HAPPENING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY, SOMETIMES MULTIPLE TIMES DURING A SHORT DRIVE. IT WAS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AS THE POWER STEERING COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY GONE OUT AT ANY TIME, SUCH AS A HIGHWAY CORNER, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL. THE CAR IS NOW IN THE SHOP WHILE THEY ARE TRYING TO FIND A REPAIR FOR THE PROBLEM BUT AS OF NOW THEY ARE SAYING IT IS ELECTRONIC AND NOT MECHANICAL.