Consumer advocacy group calls for recall of best-selling Chrysler Pacifica minivan amid complaints of stalling

— -- A consumer advocacy group is calling for a recall of all 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivans because the federal government has received more than 50 complaints that say the vehicles’ engines stalled during operation.

In addition to its plea to Chrysler, the Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, will file a petition with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Monday asking the agency to open a defect investigation, the group said.

The automaker is aware of the complaints and routinely monitors the performance of its vehicles, company spokesman Eric Mayne said. Like the federal government, Fiat-Chrysler has received no reports of injuries or crashes due to the alleged problem.

Fiat-Chrysler, an Italian-American corporation, has sold 150,000 of the 2017 Pacificas, making it the best-selling minivan in its class, according to the group. The vehicle has won various awards for safety, including one from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.

Owners are able to file complaints with the Department of Transportation via the NHTSA website, but the government does not verify every complaint. The Center for Auto Safety is asking federal regulators to open an investigation and seek more information about the complaints and from the automaker.

“At U.S. DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), safety is the top priority. NHTSA will carefully review the Center for Auto Safety’s petition and then take any appropriate action,” the agency said in a statement.

The Center for Auto Safety is also calling on Chrysler to give out loaner vehicles until the manufacturer is able to identify and remedy the problem.

The owners complain that the minivans, some with as little as a few hundred miles on them, have been stalling at various speeds, from stopped and idling to more than 60 mph, and that dashboard warning lights go on seemingly at random.

“The danger goes beyond what happens to families in the stalled minivan during the loss of power, as drivers of disabled vehicles are often hit and killed by other cars after they have pulled over to the side of the road,” said Jason Levine, the Center for Auto Safety’s executive director.