Consumer Safety Group Urges Investigation into 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Minivans for Stalling Issues
Consumer Safety Group Urges Investigation into 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Minivans for Stalling Issues
Home / blog / consumer-safety-group-urges-investigation-into-2017-chrysler-pacifica-minivans-for-stalling-issues
The Center for Auto Safety (CAS) has called on federal officials to recall 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivans because of complaints from drivers over stalling incidents that leave them unable to accelerate or decelerate or use power steering. According to an article on ConsumerReports.org, more than 50 vehicle owners have reported stalling issues to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). CAS has delivered a petition to the federal agency asking for a recall of the minivans to fix the problem.
Serious Stalling Issues
Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA show that incidents involving these vehicles have occurred at varying speeds, from those traveling 40 mph on a municipal road to 60 mph in a tunnel or still idling. FCA acknowledged these complaints to Consumer Reports and said that so far, it hasn’t received any reports of accidents or incidents relating to the problem. It also stated that the airbags and seatbelts were never compromised during any of the incidents, and that vehicle owners were able to restart their vehicles soon after the stalling without the condition recurring.
The Pacifica is recommended by Consumer Reports and is ranked among the top three minivans. So far, FCA has issued recalls for one other vehicle recently, the 2013-2016 Fiat 500e cars, due to stalling problems. CAS’ petition is filed on behalf of Adam Cohen, a Pacifica owner whose wife experienced stalling twice when she was driving. She didn’t crash because on both occasions she was able to successfully maneuver the vehicle until it coasted to a stop, according to the report.
Why Vehicle Stalling is Dangerous
Vehicle stalling is no light matter. It can cause serious safety issues and is certainly a crash risk. Even if it does not result in safety features being disabled, when a vehicle stalls in moving traffic and systems such as the brakes and steering fail, it makes getting out of the way of traffic pretty difficult. NHTSA has said it will review the petition and take necessary action.
The petition must initially go through technical review by NHTSA and then it might get a public hearing. If the agency approves the petition, a formal investigation would be launched into the alleged auto defect. The investigation could then move into the next phase, which is “engineering analysis.” Once that is completed, the agency might issue a recall.
It is the responsibility of automakers to issue timely recalls of vehicles that pose safety risks for consumers. If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective auto, it is important that you get in touch with an experienced auto defect lawyer who will fight hard to help you secure the compensation you need and rightfully deserve.
