CarComplaints.com Notes: Engine cradle rot is a serious problem in the 2004-05 Chrysler Pacifica. Chrysler admits they didn't apply enough coating to the vehicle's sub-frame during assembly, but only offered to cover a very small portion of the vehicles they messed up.

So what happens when your engine cradle rots? Well, the engine could fall out for starters. It could also cause problems with the suspension and other components but did I mention THE ENGINE CAN FALL OUT? The worst part is you might not know because there's no way to see the problem without getting under the car.

If you have a 2004-05 Pacifica, make sure to have your mechanic inspect your sub-frame for rust and corrosion.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 9
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
116,509 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Chrysler Pacifica engine problems

engine problem

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2004 Chrysler Pacifica Owner Comments (Page 1 of 8)

problem #141

Dec 112020

Pacifica

  • 150,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Driving down interstate when the cruise cut out and the engine skipped. Pulled over to check engine fluids and all were ok. No engine warning lights or any other indication of something being wrong. Continued at approx 70 mph when there seemed to be an internal explosion within the engine causing the engine to stop and all front airbags to deploy. Vehicle then caught fire and was totally destroyed.

- Luverne, MN, USA

problem #140

Nov 012020

Pacifica

  • 11,800 miles
The under carriage that holds engine in place is completely rusted through. I bought brand new tires from belle tire on September 9, 2020. By November 1 2020 I was observing extreme wear on the brand new tires. Went to my mechanic and was told the car is unsafe to drive due to the cradle rust rot, and the engine is about ready to fall out and would cause catastrophic emergency I and my family could die. Trying to find replacement and am being told it is such a problem that there is no parts available to fix this problem

- Hudsonville, MI, USA

problem #139

Oct 162020

Pacifica

  • 184,000 miles
I was driving on the highway, and my lights all lit up, car stalled, and my dash board said no bus

- Bennington, VT, USA

problem #138

Jul 102013

Pacifica

  • 170,503 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owned a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that when he purchased the vehicle the check engine warning light was illuminated, he had taken it to Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram brunswick Georgia (5400 altama ave, brunswick, ga 31525) for a full inspection. A week later while at a stop sign, the check engine and an unknow red warning lights illuminated a second time. There was smoke and fire coming from underneath the front hood area. The contact was occupying the vehicle as the driver and managed to exit the vehicle. The contact stated that the fuel line caught on fire and burned the vehicle causing to ignite into flames. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire and police report were filed. The vehicle was towed to a junk yard where it was being investigated. The vehicle was deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided a case number. The contact mentioned that there was a similar recall but the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 170,503.

- Brunswick, GA, USA

problem #137

Aug 202020

Pacifica

  • 65,000 miles
Its throwing a PCM code an the car is stalling so bad in the moddle of driving I have been stuck severeal times an I thunk there is a fuel leak I smeell gas so bed its throing PO300 code an wont chanfe even when I got all the parts I see there is a recall on my year of car can somwonw hwlp mw I cant keeo cutting off ill wreck

- Stoneville, NC, USA

problem #136

Jun 042020

Pacifica

  • 75,000 miles
Upon taking a the vehicle to a mechanic, I was informed the subframe which supports the engine is rusting to the point it will not hold the engine causing catastrophic failure. I have become aware Chrysler is aware of the future failure and will not fix it.

- Peoria, IL, USA

problem #135

Feb 052020

Pacifica

  • 149,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle decelerated independently and stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic on four occasions however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure or retrieve a fault code. Additionally, while driving at 40 mph, the vehicle decelerated without warning. The vehicle was towed to brookfield Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (1845 pipestone rd, benton harbor, mi 49022), to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the oxygen sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The oxygen sensor was replaced seven times however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.

- Hartford, MI, USA

problem #134

Jun 122020

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 167,000 miles
Vehicle was taken to service. Shop would not work on vehicle stating the deterioration of the subframe was to extensive and they would not work on it. Upon closer inspection showed the frame in a great state of decay, with some places only being held together with thin strips of metal. These vehicles were recalled in the past for defective frames however not all were recalled and this is one vehicle that was not. The motor in these vehicles will fall out and could cause an accident which could result in serious injury or loss of life. These frames are defective in workmanship from the factory and should be handled by the factory across all 2004-2008 Chrysler Pacifica's affected by defective equipment knowingly installed by the factory that will lead to an accident and cause serious injury or death. Thousands of these vehicles are on the road today with occupants unknowingly driving these vehicles which are "ticking time bombs".

- Staunton, VA, USA

problem #133

Mar 152020

Pacifica

  • 89,100 miles
Engine stalls for no reason indicated by engine codes. Vehicle was coming to a stop. Was backing up once. Just idling and stalled. Sometimes when driving it feels as if nothing is happening when I attempt to accelerate. Has done this before the date submitted. Different dates.

- Holyoke, MA, USA

problem #132

Aug 302019

Pacifica

  • 202,102 miles
Vehicle.just quit running.and wouldn't start.again. The vehicle was in motion

- Elkin, NC, USA

problem #131

Aug 052018

Pacifica

  • 160,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving on a city street and I was turning at a stop light when my car made a very strange sound. I could not steer the car so I pulled over and upon looking underneath the vehicle and under the hood the motor had shifted due to a rotting cradle mount.

- Tea, SD, USA

problem #130

Aug 082018

Pacifica

  • 129,700 miles
K-frame is rotted out not safe to drive engine could fall out

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #129

Jul 112018

Pacifica

  • miles
Have 2004 chysler Pacifica having issues with fuel system truck drives then sputter shuts off take long time starting up also over heats no reason trucks shifts into gear 2 but don't go speed think I'm going transmission slips can be riding up street shuts off on me shifts into drive with RPM saying 2

- Saginaw, MI, USA

problem #128

Jun 242018

Pacifica

  • 150,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica. While driving approximately 55 mph in the rain, the instrument panel lighting and the ABS indicator began to flash. In addition, the windshield wipers stopped working, the vehicle suddenly jolted forward, and stalled. The next day, after restarting the engine, the vehicle operated normally. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified. The failure mileage was 150,000.

- Baltic, CT, USA

problem #127

Jul 012013

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • miles
2004 Chrysler Pacifica. Consumer writes in regards to safety recall that was never repaired which resulted in vehicle fire. Consumer sent additional correspondence. The manufacturer was notified, but had not offered any assistance.

- Brunswick, GA, USA

problem #126

Mar 042018

Pacifica

  • 117,000 miles
We own a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica with around 117K miles on it. My daughter drives it. While changing the engine oil on it last weekend, I noticed severe corrosion (perforation actually) of the vehicle engine cradle. The passenger side of the cross member is rusted completely through on the bottom and the driver side is about 70% rusted through. As this cross member is what holds the engine in the vehicle and acts as the base of the front suspension, I don't believe this vehicle is safe to drive anymore. Should this structural component fail during highway driving, I believe the vehicle would become unstable and uncontrollable which would be a hazard to the driver, passengers and other motorists. Yes, we live in Wisconsin (part of the salt belt), but this amount of corrosion on such a crucial structural component is crazy! the vehicle has only been on the road for 14 yrs and for only 117K mi. I would understand if the body started to deteriorate in that amount of time, but not a supporting frame member. I don't believe the engine cradle was properly treated against corrosion, or the design of the cradle made it susceptible to excessive localized corrosion and the manufacturer should be held liable for repairs.

- Sherwood, WI, USA

problem #125

Dec 192017

Pacifica

  • miles
Chrysler dealership serviced my car with a oil change. I was told my car was unsafe to drive due to motor mount rusted. I had to sign a papers that this car is unsafe to drive, they can't release the car to me. Frame is rotted and unsafe to drive. I didn't expect this and wasn't ready to buy another car. I don't know if this problem was a recall for Chrysler Pacifica. Thankfully I was told before something happened.

- Wyandanch, NY, USA

problem #124

Jul 222017

Pacifica

  • 170,000 miles
I have Chrysler Pacifica 2004. Have taken good care of vehicle, no accidents. Vehicle began shaking violently when driving down road. I have brand new tires. Had them rebalanced couple of times. Still vibrating violently. My mechanic could not find any problems except that engine cradle for engine is badly rotted out with rust. I looked on line for problem and see that Chrysler had not properly coated the engine cradle and has led to frequent problems and dangerous driving conditions, due that the engine could fall out of vehicle. This is of no fault to owner. I didnt feel safe driving a vehicle that the motor could fall out of. This is a safety issue that Chrysler should be responsible for. A consumer should not have to worry that there seat belt or air bag might fail and they definitely shoudnt have to worry about there engine falling out of there car while driving down the road, which could lead to a wreck or fire. Thank you for your time and consideration.

- Fairmountcity, PA, USA

problem #123

Aug 252017

Pacifica

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact arrived home and was notified by an eyewitness, approximately 15-20 minutes later, that smoke was coming from the vehicle. The contact observed major smoke and flames underneath the front of the vehicle. The fire department was called and determined that the fire started from the engine area. A fire report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. There were no injuries. The vehicle was still parked outside of the owner's home. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. It was not determined whether or not the vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

- Kokomo, IN, USA

problem #122

Jul 092017

Pacifica

  • 150,000 miles
Engine cradle rusted out to the point the engine dropped. My daughter was driving home from work on I94west out of milwaukee when she heard a clunk. She was able to dive to our restaurant and park. I had the vehicle towed to an auto mechanic and that is when he told me that it engine cradle was rusted out.

- Vernon, WI, USA

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