2018 CHRYSLER PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID Structurebody Problems

The 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan has electronic sliding doors. The doors do not always shut when the button is pressed or handle is pulled. Sometimes it takes 4 to 10 tries to get the sliding door to shut and latch. The Chrysler owner's forum says this problem can be fixed by having the dealer reprogram the door software to make the door close with a little more force. This problem started at 36000 miles, I now have 46700 miles on the van. One owner van that I bough brand new in 2018.

THIS MORNING I ENTERED THE CAR WITH A PASSENGER AND NEITHER FRONT DOOR WOULD LATCH SHUT. THE DOOR WOULD REGISTER TO THE CAR AS CLOSED WHEN PULLED SHUT, BUT IT WOULD NOT PHYSICALLY LATCH. THE CAR WAS TURNED ON AND OFF, THE DOORS WERE LOCKED AND UNLOCKED, AND THE DOOR WAS REPEATEDLY OPENED AND SHUT, AND IT STILL WOULDN'T LATCH. AFTER ABOUT 4-5 MINUTES, THE DRIVER DOOR SUCCESSFULLY LATCHED. ANOTHER 5-10 MINUTES WAS REQUIRED ON THE PASSENGER DOOR BEFORE IT SUDDENLY STARTED LATCHING. THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS MANEUVER THAT PROCEEDED THE PROPER FUNCTIONING OF THE LATCH. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE 23F THIS MORNING AND DRY. IT WAS DAMP THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE FREEZING, BUT DID NOT RAIN OVERNIGHT. CAR WAS GARAGED INDOORS THE DAY BEFORE BUT LEFT OUTSIDE IN THE DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT. THERE WAS A SLIGHT SOUND OF FROST GIVING WAY WHEN THE DOOR WAS FIRST OPENED...

I OPENED THE HOOD TO CHECK SOMETHING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND AFTERWARDS THE HOOD WOULD NOT LATCH SHUT. NEITHER THE PRIMARY OR SECONDARY LATCH WOULD HOLD THE HOOD DOWN. SINCE I WAS TRAVELING, I LOCATED A TOOL TO TRY TO MANEUVER DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE LATCH MECHANISM TO ATTEMPT TO GET IT TO HOLD. IT WAS VERIFIED THAT THE CABLE TO OPEN THE LATCH FROM THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF OPENING AND CLOSING AND PUSHING ON VARIOUS LATCH PARTS, THE HOOD FINALLY LATCHED SHUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER UPON MY RETURN HOME, AND THEY REPLACED THE LATCH MECHANISM.

GAS DOOR OPENS VIA A PUSHBUTTON. PUSH THE BOTTON, AND IT CHECKS FOR PRESSURE IN THE SYSTEM, THEN RELEASES DOOR. WHEN CLOSED, AND THE STARTER ACTIVATED, DOOR RE-OPENS. MUST EXIT VEHICLE TO RE-CLOSE. IT STAYS SHUT UNTIL NEXT OPENED WITH BUTTON. CLOSE DOOR, HIT STARTER, DOOR RE-OPENS. DOES NOT REOPEN UNTIL NEXT OPENED WITH BUTTON. DEALER, FCA FIELD TECH UNABLE TO FIX, 45 DAYS IN SHOP. VEHICLE STATIONARY AT EACH OCCURRENCE.PCM, BCM, OTHER COMPONENTS REPLACED, WIRING HARNESS INSPECTED; SEE ATTACHED. ISSUE NOTED ON DECEMBER ROAD TRIP, TAKEN TO DEALER ONCE HOME. PLACED IN SHOP 8 OR 9 JANUARY 2019. GAS DOOR RELEASE DESCRIBED AND PROBLEM IS DESCRIBED IN ATTACHED DOCUMENT.

WHILE ON TRAFFIC 20-30 MILES JUST AFTER THE 34MILES BATTERY CHARGED RAN OUT AND WHEN THE CAR SWITCHED TO ENGINE MODE THE CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE I80 HIGHWAY. FOLLOWED ON SCREEN INSTRUCTION TO RE START THE ENGINE AND STARTED AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO AND RAN AT A SPEED BELOW 30MILES PER HOUR TO A CARPARK. AMBER ENGINE LIGHTED UP AND BURNING SMELL. I LEFT AND CHARGED IT IN THE CARPARK AND MANAGED TO GO HOME NORMALLY WHILE USING BATTERY CHARGE. WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SAID THAT ITS AN ONGOING ISSUE AND THAT CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS BROKEN AND COULD TAKE A WHILE AS IT IS ON BACK ORDER. SO I AM ON RENTAL NOW BUT DON'T KNOW WHEN WILL THE CAR BE FIXED. *DT *TR