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Was Your Battery Replaced Under Recall?

Z11 RECALL REPAIR THREAD & BATTERY REPLACEMENT POLL

38K views 294 replies 56 participants last post by  PacDave 
#1 · (Edited)
Creating this thread to document the following:
• the process from the time you call the dealer for service;
• the outcome for each Z11 PacHY recall and whether your battery gets replaced or not.

For those who had a battery replaced, can you also list the dealership who worked on your vehicle?

EDIT: Added the Recall Service Procedures:

RCRIT-22V077-7110.pdf (nhtsa.gov)

I called my dealer and they hadn't yet heard that parts were available. They are looking into it and will call me back.
 
#2 ·
Coincidentally, I already had a service appointment schedule for October 12. I called this morning to see if they would also be able to assess the Z11 recall and they said they would. I was told the documentation for the fix came in only yesterday (September 29). I was told it would take a fair amount of time as they'll need to fully charge the battery and then run diagnostics. The tests will determine whether the High Voltage Battery Pack Control Module software update is sufficient or if a new battery is also warranted. They said the batteries are available but are ordered on an as-needed basis. Not sure how long a battery replacement would take. I'll try to post updates here.

One question I forgot to ask was whether the battery's warranty would be extended whether it was replaced or not. I recall reading somewhere that an additional two years would be added. I like the idea of getting a fresh battery, but also don't want to be wasteful if the current one is guaranteed safe and working.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Thanks for this information. Will be very interested to hear about the outcome for you.

My dealer didn't provide any of this detail. Any further information on how exactly these tests determine which batteries need replacing and which don't? Wonder if it really is a case by case basis or if it corresponds to build dates. Impossible to say yet but with more crowd-sourced information maybe we can arrive at some answers.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I dont have much hope for Chrysler engineers after seeing the attached PDF.

31:

Font Musical instrument Output device Brand Machine




REALLY???? :rolleyes: :cautious: oy vey......
 
  • Haha
Reactions: mp24453
#9 ·
Dropped my car off this morning. I was told evaluation will be completed by this Monday. They said they had only tested one other hybrid so far and it tested ok. The Service instructions appear to be pretty precise as to sequence and time (step 43) alloted. I had asked if I could get copies of the VSR & ECU before and after reports which are to be provided to the STAR center for the HV Battery authorization. For me, I would like to know the criteria they’re using to evaluate the reports, I think having copies would be useful if you can get the master which they’re measured against. The service desk as expected said all I get is a doc saying Z11 recall service completed. I am going to pursue obtaining those reports because at least in my mind, it’s a paper trail, provided you can get the master, otherwise what do get after seven months, a piece of paper saying your battery checked out? Unless my thinking is wrong and unrealistic, I’d like something with more proof than a completed job order.
“If no DTCs are present, remove the wiTECH micro pod II device from the vehicle, return the vehicle to the customer. What is a DTC?


Safety Recall Z11 – Plug-in Hybrid Electric
 
#14 ·
Interesting. So it would seem all this software flash does is it adds some monitoring for a suspicious (but not necessarily abnormal) condition, and disables charging, or even driving the car entirely, thereby forcing a tow to a dealership again for another unspecified repair (possibly hv battery replacement).

I wonder how many such faults we will start seeing after this "remedy", and how many of those will turn out to be false positives.
 
#21 ·
Another thing about this whole thing is that once battery thermal runaway has started, there is nothing that battery management system, or its software, can do to prevent it.

Thermal runaway can be prevented by a better heat dissipation design, better quality control of individual cells, by changing parameters of battery charging and discharging, or by trying to raise a fault a few cycles away before the runaway may actually happen.

This fix apparently attempts to do the latter. I.e., stop new cycles well in advance of the danger zone. When the fire is not imminent. Otherwise it would be useless. I am guessing it is hard to do without a fair amount of false positives, and with a good reproduction rate in subsequent testing. (That is, subsequent battery test at the dealer is not necessarily going to confirm the condition even if it already started to develop.)

So this in my view is not as good a solution as a better thermal dissipation design and battery cell quality control.
 
#22 ·
So this in my view is not as good a solution as a better thermal dissipation design and battery cell quality control.
There’s nothing to say that either of these things would help. Thermal events are going to happen with batteries. Just like ICE vehicles sometimes start on fire. The idea is to minimize those events as much as possible. I don’t think we have any evidence that a better thermal design would help in this scenario. The thermal design of this battery is very similar to other batteries. There’s 2 plates below the battery modules that have coolant running through them, which is basically how all pouch battery systems are controlled. As for cell quality control, again you’re always going to have some bad apples. We don’t know if these pouch cells have the same defects as the Bolt batteries did. Again we don’t know if it’s the cells themselves that are starting the whole event or not. The cells could be innocent, but something is heating them up enough that a thermal event is started and then it’s game over. No cooling system would be capable of handling something like that. Unless they actually find the root cause it’s going to be a bit of a mystery.
 
#26 ·
As others said, it is clear this is not a remedy, rather an attempt by Chrysler to reduce the chance, buy more time, and avoid costly battery replacement for all the recalled vehicle (which may or may not solve the problem). So, I will never be confident that a fire won't happen. But on the positive side, once the recall is over the liability is not on our shoulders anymore if we charge it and a fire happens. We still have to accept some risk, but at least I won't be concerned about insurance not paying for the damages if a fire occurs.
 
#29 ·
I have a conspiracy theory here! Our van started shutting down after fully charging on three separate occasions starting in July of this year. All three occasions, the car was towed to the dealer where they would reset the high voltage battery which would make the car operable once again but not solve the real issue. This started happening the same week our vehicle was brought back home from a routine maintenance and service visit from the dealer. Is it possible that the dealer installed a "beta" version of this recent software update that addresses de Z11 recall? The real downside to all of this for us was that the dealer and Chrysler simply gave up trying to fix our van. They never gave us a diagnosis nor any kind of explanation as to what the issue was, not even a loner car. Long story short, our van has been sitting at the dealer's shop for 46 days now and we are waiting for a Lemon Law resolution. We loved our 2018 Pacifica Hybrid but it deeply disappointed us at how the whole situation was handled in our case.
 
#36 ·
This is their checklist.

✓ Proactively reach out to customers regarding recall repair scheduling (utilize Open
Recall list)
✓ Schedule repair considering repair requires 1.5 days and access to a charging port
✓ If requested, dealer to provide pickup of Pacifica PHEV and/or delivery of loaner
✓ Dealer to provide alternative transportation (in alignment with Goodwill Alternate
Transportation guidelines on Warranty Bulletin D-22-01 Rev C unless otherwise
indicated)
o Alt 1) Courtesy Transportation loaner - something comparable as able
o Alt 2) Rental Vehicle
o Alt 3) Existing Rental - If consumer is already in an approved rental maintain
through remedy fix
o Alt 4) Ride Share, Dealership Pickup and Delivery, or Shuttle Service (to and
from Dealer)
✓ Every Pacifica PHEV will be returned with a full charge
✓ Every Pacifica PHEV will be retuned with a full tank of fuel
✓ At time of scheduling, ask customer if they would like there Pacifica PHEV returned
with exterior and interior wash
o Receive complimentary exterior car wash
o Front interior carpet will be vacuumed
o Front wiped out (dash, steering wheel, and armrest)
✓ Ensure protective covering have been removed from seat and footwells
✓ Car will be returned with customer preferences of seat position, radio station, and
temperature settings returned the same as when the vehicle was brought in
✓ Any other customer concerns on repair orders have been completed
✓ Dealer to follow up with customer within 72 hrs. post recall completion
 
#38 ·
I recommend that people talk to their service advisor about these expectations when they make the Z11 service appointment and when they drop it off. Especially the loaner. My dealership said this service didn’t rate getting a loaner and gave me blank stares when I showed them this document, they had never seen it.


I got mine back, no new battery, just the software update and zero of the “nice” things that corporate told dealers to do like an exterior wash, fully charged battery or a full tank of gas.
 
#40 ·
Just called my dealer for the Z11 recall (after they didn't call me back as promised yesterday). Was told that they just found out this morning that the recall is now 1 hour max, for the software installation. The vehicle will be returned, in an hour, if no error codes show up after software update. If error codes are shown, will need to schedule another appointment at another time.

No "charging and full diagnostic assessment of the high voltage battery". No loaner. They didn't care what the recall notice I just received said, this was their latest information.

Has anyone else heard this? Or am I getting dealer run-around?
 
#43 · (Edited)
I took my 2021 in for an oil change yesterday (it'd been a year) and to knock out the recall for the 2nd row seat latches (mine wasn't affected though--but to check it off).....little did I know that I think I was eligible for this recall until the guy told me.
I think it's this software flash recall anyways (the paperwork is at home).......but I never had an issues and they flashed the car yesterday and I need to pick it up today.

EDIT: It was the Z76 "recall"
 
#44 ·
I took my 2021 in for an oil change yesterday (it'd been a year) and to knock out the recall for the 2nd row seat latches (mine wasn't affected though--but to check it off).....little did I know that I think I was eligible for this recall until the guy told me.
I think it's this software flash recall anyways (the paperwork is at home).......but I never had an issues and they flashed the car yesterday and I need to pick it up today.
This would be news. Check which module was flashed on the work order paper. Also the recall should also show up as completed if you search with your VIN here: Lookup FCA Vehicle Recalls by VIN | Official Mopar® Site
 
#49 ·
Just saw a FB post of one in Georgia that needed a battery pack replacement. First I've heard. Another post also mentioned their dealer said they got a battery pack failure so that makes 2. Wonder what it is that the software is looking to diagnose as needing a replacement. Also requested vehicle year and mileage.
 
#53 ·
My experience has been FAR from smooth (it's not over yet). I took the van in on Wednesday the 12th. I had service scheduled prior to the Z11 remedy, but called once I saw it was available and they confirmed they would perform it in addition to the other services the vehicle needed (a couple of software flashes, coolant top-offs, alignment, etc.).

First, they did not have a loaner vehicle even though they stated they would when I called to add the Z11. Not a big deal as they found one after a half hour or so, but not a good start. They did seem to be aware that the remedy would take 1.5-2 days, so I was somewhat confident they knew what they were doing (I had never been to this service center before). They called the following afternoon to say the vehicles was ready and I scheduled to pick it up the next morning.

When I did pick it up, I noticed the battery was at 0%. This didn't seem right as I had briefly read through the remedy procedure and thought at least part of the process involved a fully charged battery (I did not reference this manual at the time). I DID know they were supposed to return the vehicle with a full charge and a full tank of gas, though. I let this slide and went down the road to the dealer's sales office where I plugged into a level 2 charger and purchased an extended warranty for the vehicle (yeah, they got some money out of me).

After returning to the van (it had only charged to 27%), I opened the hood and found they had NOT filled the coolants (one was well under the minimum line). At this point I decided to return to the service center to get the fluids topped off and inquire about the depleted battery. I asked whether the Z11 procedure was performed completely and was told the final test was performed with the battery at 87%. I said that's impossible as the van had only been driven 7 miles (presumable to check the alignment) since I dropped it off. I was then told it was my word versus the technician's (not good customer service there). After further inquiry, they agreed to keep the van, charge it, and perform the final test in front of me if I returned later that evening. Sounded good to me.

I went home in another rental (a Dodge Charger, argh...). I then reread the remedy procedure several times and realized there was NO WAY they completed the procedure. Even if they performed a test in front of me, there was still a third and final test that needed to be performed after a 3 hour rest period. It was clear at this point that not only did they not complete the procedure, but that they weren't even familiar the process. So, I printed out the entire 30 page procedure, drove back to the service center (30 minutes each way), pointed out the exact steps proving they didn't perform it, and demanded my vehicle back.

(When I returned this final time, the van was plugged in and charging, but there were no cones or warning signs around the vehicle as stated in step 25.)

The president and namesake of the dealership called me later that same evening to apologize. Apparently somebody finally realized I was correct that the procedure had definitely not been completed and the incident was reported and escalated up the ladder. He agreed with me that this was a big deal and a major mistake and offered to do whatever he could to make it right. I agreed to bring the vehicle back with the understanding that the procedure will be supervised by several technicians and managers and whoever is available. My feeling is if anyone else brings their van to this dealership, I don't want them to go through what I did, so let's make them learn how to do it right.

So very sorry for the length of this post. It seems others are having similarly frustrating experiences. Had I not followed through and read through the procedure myself (thanks to this forum), I never would have known my vehicle's battery wasn't tested. I'll return with a hopefully shorter post to update whether I'm getting a new battery or not.
 
#54 ·
Your experience mirrors many based on the numerous similar posts over on the Pacifica Facebook page. It's unfortunate how poorly trained and behind the curve most dealership service departments are when it comes to recalls, especially involving the hybrid. Thanks for documenting your experience.
 
#58 · (Edited)
Took our van in on Friday.. no loaner/rental. They got it around 8:40 am and it was in for the front making noise, VRM dead, clicking in the dash, and the Z11 recall. They called me at 3:28 PM the same day telling me the Z11 was done and that I could get it as the parts for the front end(they claim just a single strut) and VRM would take till late next week + the clicking in the dash they opened a star case. So they "did the recall" all in the span(if they worked on it all day) in less than 7 hours along with all the other stuff(which the recall clearly states it is supposed to sit). So my guess is it was not performed properly at all. I brought it up with them twice and the guy I guess got annoyed with me the second time and told me "the service manager himself signed off on it". I'm guessing it was the service manager who walked out at that time to but I just stopped trying to argue with them and asked about the strut and how others (firestone) had told me they thought it was the control arm and why they thought it was just a strut.

Anyways long story short I got it home and charged it. Here is the weird thing.. A check engine light comes on when it's turned on without the brake and it begins to start flashing constantly for like 10 seconds then stops and turns solid. If you start the van though it doesn't have a check engine light. If you read the codes with Alfaobd it doesn't show any codes logged even when it's actively flashing and I can replicate it. Van still lets me drive it as well.

Oh yeah.. also no free fuel, carwash, vacuum, but they did have it charged to 88%
 
#62 ·
Just dropped mine off at the dealer today for the recall analysis. They did seem knowledgeable on how long the recall would take and that it was important. My 12v battery had died due to sitting for so many months without moving. The service rep let me know that by the letter of the recall, the 12v battery was not covered. I reached out to my recall case agent and they were able to approve coverage for the 12v battery and email the service team.

I am still less than thrilled with the fix. To me, this hasn't solved the root cause of the fires. It just puts a different system to try and alert and prevent the condition. With my kids bedroom right over the garage, I don't know that I want that extra risk...so continuing to pursue a buyback as the preferred outcome for me. They had previously denied my buyback case several months ago, but opened a new case when I expressed concern that the fix does not solve the fire issue. They are supposed to get back to me in 2-4 business days. I will continue to post updates on the buyback progress and the fix through my local dealer.
 
#63 ·
My van was the first one my dealer did, but my service advisor described the complexity of the procedure and said all the techs had read it together before attempting it. I got my car back at 99% battery. There was a note left in the car that said “do not unplug-test in progress.”

No check engine lite and no other explanation from the dealer.

No car wash, gas, loaner or any other bonus. I bike myself to work from the dealer.
 
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