— A Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid battery fire recall involves more than 24,000 minivans after Fiat Chrysler (FCA) discovered seven battery fires during a review of warranty data.
The battery fire recall includes 2017-2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrids that should not be charged until they are repaired by dealerships.
In addition, owners of 2017-2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans are warned to park outside and away from anything that could catch fire.
However, Chrysler says the minivans can continue to be driven.
FCA didn't release specific details, but in January federal safety regulators opened an investigation of a previous Pacifica Hybrid battery fire recall from February 2022 which included 2017-2018 Pacifica Hybrids.
The seven Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid battery fires occurred when the minivans were shut off, with some fires occurring during charging.
FCA continues to investigate the root cause of the battery fires, but the automaker has determined the fires, "were linked to a rare abnormality in individual cells of the model’s high-voltage battery pack."
FCA's engineers are validating the recall remedy now, but it's known there is a software update to detect a problem with the Pacifica Hybrid battery. If the system detects anything abnormal, a dealer will replace the high-voltage battery for free.
According to Chrysler, there have been no crashes caused by the seven battery fires, but four customers complained of smoke inhalation symptoms.
The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid battery fire recall affects about 19,500 minivans in the U.S., 2,900 in Canada and about 1,700 outside North America.
Affected Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid owners will be notified by mail, but after July 24 an owner can input their vehicle identification number (VIN) at recalls.mopar.com.
Owners with questions about the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid battery fire recall should call 800-853-1403.
FCA's number for this recall is 72B.