Imagine driving on the highway and suddenly your car just stalls – no power steering; no blinkers; you can’t accelerate to get out of the way of oncoming traffic. This scenario is reportedly playing out nationwide and now, we’re hearing from one mom who said it happened to her.
Adam and Allison Cohen purchased their minivan for the same reason most parents do -- safety.
“We just fell in love with it, the features were beautiful,” said Allison Cohen.
But on two separate occasions, they say their 2017 Chrysler Pacifica lost power and stalled while Allison was driving one of their children.
“Your car is basically off, you don't have power steering, you can't accelerate and I was in the middle of an intersection in my neighborhood and my car just stops,” said Allison.
The Cohens are among more than 50 Pacifica minivan owners who have filed complaints with the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. They are car owners who say they vehicles stalled while in drive. One driver recorded the incident after he safely pulled over. He says his 2017 Pacifica stalled in the fast lane on a busy San Francisco freeway.
Last month, The Center for Auto Safety, along with the Cohens, filed a petition with NHTSA to investigate the Pacifica for stalling issues.
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“What we want to see Chrysler do is get these cars off the road, give people a car on loan, and figure out what the problem is and fix it,” said Jason Levine with the Center for Auto Safety.
The Cohens refuse to drive their Pacifica, which now is parked at a local dealership.
“I don't have the luxury to be patient and waiting for them to take action, and Chrysler wasn't doing anything about it, and that's when we decided to do something more,” said Adam Cohen.
NBC reached out to Chrysler. In a statement, the company says: “It’s unaware of any injuries or accidents associated with these complaints. In most of the complaints, customers were able to restart their vehicles immediately thereafter, and the condition did not reoccur.”
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has opened a review of a petition to investigate the Pacifica stalling claims. The Cohens say Chrysler did offer to buy back their Pacifica. The driver who recorded the incident from San Francisco says Chrysler extended the same offer to him as well.
