Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans recalled over battery fires

Stellantis is warning the owners of more than 2,900 hybrid minivans in Canada to stop charging their vehicles and park them outdoors, away from buildings and other cars, due to the risk of battery fires.

The automaker said Thursday that it’s recalling 24,111 Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrids with the model years 2017-21 globally after a company review of warranty data revealed seven instances of battery fires. All the fires occurred while the vehicles were turned off, though in some cases minivans were charging. Four customers reported symptoms of smoke inhalation.

Stellantis said the fires are linked to a “rare abnormality” in individual cells of the model’s high-voltage battery pack, and that its engineers are working on a solution involving a software update designed to detect the abnormality.

“If found, dealers will replace the vehicle’s high-voltage battery free of charge,” the company said in a statement shared with CTVNews.ca Thursday.

The minivans can still be driven, Stellantis said, but the risk of fire is lower when the battery charge level is depleted. Models released after 2021 are built with a different manufacturing process and are not affected by the recall.

The company said it will let owners know by mail when they can take their vehicles in for service. After July 24, customers can also enter their VIN at recalls.mopar.com or checktoprotect.org to see if their vans are part of the recall. They can call the company’s customer service line at 1-800-853-1403 with any questions or concerns.