Ontario family shocked van repair would cost more than $55,000

An Ontario family said they were shocked to learn that repairing their 2018 van would cost them more than $55,000.

"Going forward I’m just left with a brick in my driveway,” said Tanya Calvo of Carrying Place, a community near Brighton, Ont.

Calvo owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited that has 230,000 kilometres on the odometer and recently it stopped working.

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"We were driving down the road and the vehicle went into limp mode and we lost complete mobility of the vehicle and it came to a complete stop,” said Calvo.

The family had the van towed to a nearby Chrysler dealership and were told the hybrid battery needed to be replaced.

"They stated we needed a new lithium battery at a cost of just over $26,000,” said Calvo.

Calvo received a quote showing the hybrid battery replacement including labour would cost $26,730.

Concerned about spending that much money, Calvo decided to go to a different Chrysler dealership and said she got a completely different diagnosis.

Tanya Calvo said her family was told their 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited would cost almost $55,000.

"They actually quoted that it was not the lithium battery, but it was the motor and the transmission which would cost over $28,000 to repair,” said Calvo.

Calvo received a written estimate that it would cost $28,484 to replace the engine and transmission, but said it wasn’t clear if both repairs needed to be done.

“If we were to go forth with both of the diagnostics it would cost us over $55,000," said Calvo.

CTV News Toronto reached out to Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, to ask if there was someone there who could diagnose exactly what was wrong with Calvo's van.

A spokesperson for Stellantis said, “We have succeeded in determining this vehicle’s high-voltage battery, which helps manage propulsion, is functioning as intended. There may have been confusion because the low-voltage battery, which powers features such as headlamps and internal lighting, needs replacement. The ‘limp-mode’ experienced by the customer, which is a safety feature, is in this case related to transmission function for which warranty coverage does not apply, or has expired. We will cover the cost of a final diagnosis procedure and stand ready to repair the vehicle, as needed.”

Calvo was told she would have to pay for a new transmission at a cost of $11,467, but said she has lost faith in the vehicle and won't go ahead with the repairs.

"They would like it taken off their lot and I’m left with a brick to dispose of myself,” said Calvo.

Engines, transmissions and lithium batteries can be very expensive if they need to be repaired or replaced and in most cases once your vehicle is out of warranty you'll be responsible to pay the bill.