A family gets a shock: their van costs $55,000 to repair

This text is a translation of an article from CTV News

“I end up with a brick in my driveway,” says Tanya Calvo of Carrying Place, a community near Brighton, Ontario.

Ms. Calvo owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited that has 230,000 kilometers on the clock and recently stopped running.

“We were driving on the road and the vehicle went into mode limp, We lost all movement of the vehicle and it came to a complete stop,” Ms. Calvo said.

The family took the van to the nearest Chrysler dealership and was told the hybrid battery needed to be replaced.

“They told us we needed a new lithium battery at a cost of over $26,000,” Ms. Calvo said.

Ms. Calvo received a quote indicating that replacing the hybrid battery would cost $26,730, including labor.

Worried about spending too much money, Ms. Calvo decided to go to another Chrysler dealership, where she received a completely different diagnosis.

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“They indicated that it was actually not the lithium battery, but the engine and transmission, that would cost over $28,000 to repair,” Calvo added.

Ms. Calvo received a written estimate indicating that it would cost $28,484 to replace the engine and transmission, but it did not specify whether the two repairs needed to be made.

“If we had to perform two diagnoses, it would cost us more than $55,000,” Ms. Calvo assured.

CTV News Toronto reached out to Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, and Ms. Asked if anyone could confirm exactly what was wrong with Calvo's van.

A spokesperson for Stellantis said: “We have successfully determined that the vehicle's high-voltage battery, which helps maintain propulsion, is working as intended. The confusion may be due to the need to replace the low-voltage battery that powers functions such as headlights and interior lighting. Mod limp Customer faced, this is a safety device, in this case the warranty is linked to the inapplicable or expired transmission function. We cover the cost of the final diagnostic process and are ready to repair the vehicle if necessary.

Ms Calvo was told she would have to pay for a new transmission to the tune of $11,467, but said she had lost confidence in the vehicle and had not repaired it.

“They want the vehicle removed from their fleet and I'm left with a brick that I have to dispose of,” Ms. Calvo explained.

Motors, transmissions and lithium batteries can be expensive to repair or replace, and in most cases, once your vehicle's warranty runs out, you'll be responsible for paying the cost. Invoice.