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 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
89,113 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.

2005 Chrysler Pacifica body / paint problems

body / paint problem

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2005 Chrysler Pacifica Owner Comments (Page 1 of 5)

problem #93

Mar 122020

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 181,000 miles

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

Engine cradle sub frame rusted through on one side causing the car to pull to one side.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #92

Jan 042017

Pacifica

  • 270,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica. While driving various speeds and while depressing the brake pedal, the steering wheel would violently shake. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the subframe was corroded through to the point that the engine could fall out. The subframe needed to be replaced. The contact called the milford Chrysler dealer (located on 1470 boston post rd, milford, ct 06460) who stated that the VIN was not associated with a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 270,000.

- Westhaven, CT, USA

problem #91

Dec 242016

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 170,000 miles
The front cradle is so badly rusted it broke in three different places.. I was driving home when I made a left turn and noticed the steering was real tight and did not release back.. I traveled further down the road and noticed it was swaying and hard to keep straight.. when I made it home I used a flashlight because it was dark out and seen where it had snapped. Three different spots.. I'm mad because this was known issue and I was not notified by the dealership or Chrysler that there was a defect prone to that make and model. No average person checks the undercarriage of a car when the body looks so good.

- Burney, IN, USA

problem #90

Jun 292016

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 85,000 miles

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

I brought my cart to my mechanic for a routine service and when my mechanic put it on the lift, he called us shortly after, and wanted us to come in to see the vehicle on the lift.. the car's frame was rusting through on both the front and back. He told us it was unsafe to drive and that he saw this on other Pacifica's he serviced. He stated he never saw this occur on other brands now we have no vehicle to drive. The car is in good condition and has about 85,000 miles. If this car was driven on the highway, as we planned for the holiday weekend (July 4) without bringing it to a mechanic, we could have been killed. How does safety of passengers get compromised when it appears that 7000 cars were produced and hundreds of complaints with this specific problem on this model have been filed!.

- Morganville, NJ, USA

problem #89

Mar 232016

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 111,000 miles
My engine cradle is rusted/rotted out and completely unsafe to drive. I was told it can't pass inspection and will be approximately $2,000 to fix. My mechanic told me not to drive the car anymore, since the engine could fall out.after researching online, this is a very common problem with the 2005 Pacificas. Will there be a recall? would appreciate it if someone would get back to me asap, since I need my car to get to work. Thank you.

- Auburn, ME, USA

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problem #88

Mar 172015

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 52,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that when the vehicle was taken for a scheduled oil change, the technician noticed that the cradle and sub frame was severely rusted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a second diagnosis where it was confirmed that the sub frame was fractured and rusted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 52,000. Updated 03/08/16

- Bristo, PW, USA

problem #87

Nov 142015

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 80,500 miles

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

Rust through of engine cradle at various spots on engine cradle. I'm the original owner. The car has 80500 miles. Contacted fca via phone. Fca says my Pacifica does not fit the narrowly defined manufacture date of 02/28/2004 to 03/31/2004. My Pacifica was manufactured ON08/2004 and therefore does not qualify for extended warranty coverage. My local fca dealer gave me an estimate of about $ 2600 to replace. This problem was noticed during a routine oil change recently. I am the only one who drives the car on a limited basis with no passengers.

- Green Bay, WI, USA

problem #86

Apr 012014

Pacifica

  • miles
My mechanic informed me that the engine cradle on my car is completely rotted out and is a serious issue which is a fatality hazard. He gave me a copy of Chrysler "extended warranty period" written notice for this issue for Pacifica model years 2004-2005. I called them and they stated that I'm not covered because my car was built in 8/04 and not between 3/04-4/04. The notice does not state that the cars need to be built in a particular month. Their statement makes no sense to me and I think they are lying. All of the signs of their notice is what I have have been experiencing for over a year, the "corrosion resulting in drivability vibration and/or shake." Could you please help me I love my car but can't afford the repair cost and they need to stand by their awareness of the defect and written warranty coverge notice. The notice is labeled as "[xxx]". thank you. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Randolph, MA, USA

problem #85

Apr 142015

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 138,600 miles
I took my 2005 Pacifica for a routine oil change last week, and our mechanic discovered a large area of the engine cradle was completely rotted away on the passenger side of the undercarriage. He said it's not safe to drive until something is done to fix it, because the engine could fall out of the car at any time. After doing some research online, we discovered that we are not the only ones who have this problem on this make and model. We took the car to our local Chrysler dealer, and they will have to install a new engine cradle at an estimated cost of $2300. I then contacted Chrysler customer care, and they took a stance of plausible deniability, telling me that this is a problem unique to my Pacifica. I explained that there is irrefutable proof that it isn't unique to my vehicle. All Pacificas are prone to this failure. When I asked about the extension Chrysler issued for the warranty on Pacificas because of this very issue and why owners were never notified, the representative did not deny there was an extension; however, he informed me that my car is too old and well past any warranty mileage (which it isn't at 138,600 miles). At that point the representative became rude. When I asked to speak with a superior, he informed me there was no one else I could speak to on this issue and there is nothing Chrysler will do to assist me in the matter. All in all, I'm (1) alarmed that Chrysler is not addressing this significant safety hazard in this model, and (2) frustrated that they refuse to do anything to correct the problem. I'd even be happy with a compromise, for instance, if they would supply the part and we would pay for the labor, but they shut the door in my face. Hoping the NHTSA can investigate and call them to account for such shoddy construction.

- Tustin, MI, USA

problem #84

Apr 082015

Pacifica

  • 102,530 miles
2005 Chrysler Pacifica engine cradle is rusted out and the engine could fall out of the car. I find the car to be unsafe to drive. That is the only thing is rusted out on the car, this needs to be fix by Chrysler.

- Battle Creek, MI, USA

problem #83

Apr 082015

Pacifica

  • miles

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

The engine sub frame has and is rusted out.

- Battle Creek, MI, USA

problem #82

Feb 212015

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 101,000 miles
Purchased a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica from private party. Was not told about frame being rusted right through. Went to drive the car and could not drive. Was so scared and I was not safe. Brought to mechanic and was told engine cradle was rotted and the car was not drive-able and is not safe. I called Chrysler and they refused to pay for the part to be fixed. I live in a high salt band state in NY and it should be covered as the letter that was sent out in 2011 stated it should have been covered. Now I have no vehicle and it would cost over $4500 to be fixed. Chrysler should have to recall these cars and fix the problem. We can die from this huge problem. The engine will just fall out of the car. I am really hoping that NHTSA will do something about this.

- Canastota, NY, USA

problem #81

Mar 122015

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • miles
Subframe cracked rust bolt motor mount missing unsafe to drive.

- Columbus , OH, USA

problem #80

Feb 172015

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 140,000 miles
We bought our 2005 Chrysler Pacifica from a private seller... two days later we brougth it into the shop to get a mysterious clunk checked out and found the engine cradle was almost rotted away. After owning the vehicle for not even 48 hours it is now unsafe to drive, I called into Chrysler customer service because I saw a recall that at one point covered this model and I was told, " I aplogize but there is nothing we can do". my question is... if at one point this vehicle was not safe to opperate because of the engine cradle rust problem, what changed to exclude this model? I have plenty of pictures that show I should not be driving this vehicle with my children in it.

- Wayland , MI, USA

problem #79

Jan 162015

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • miles
I was just informed by my mechanic today that the engine cradle in my 2005 Chrysler Pacifica is corroding. The cradle has to be replaced. I did a little bit of research on this issue and found that Chrysler issued an extended warranty for some 2005 Pacificas, but not others. Apparently, the process used to coat the piece was insufficient, which has lead to corrosion problems in an unknown number of vehicles. My vehicle was not included in the extended warranty, but I feel it should be, because we are clearly having the same problem as others who have been covered. In addition, this is a serious safety issue that should be addressed. We were told that the engine could fall out of the vehicle, which obviously could cause a serious, if not fatal, accident. I don't know what filing this type of complaint can accomplish, but I would hope that Chrysler can be made to take responsibility for this safety issue. I would also like a response from the nthsb so I know my voice was heard. Thank you.

- Schwenksville, PA, USA

problem #78

Aug 012011

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 100,000 miles
I originally replaced the motor mounts on this vehicle in August of 2011. I am having to replace them for the second time now, January 2015 (mileage 215,000). I should not have to replace motor mounts more than one time in the lifetime of the vehicle. I have had the vehicle properly maintained by the same mechanic for several years.

- Harrisonburg, VA, USA

problem #77

Jan 062015

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 48,742 miles
Took our 2005 Chrysler Pacifica in for oil change and they informed us that the engine cradle is rotting out and that our engine could fall out and that would result in a bad accident. We called Chrysler and they would do nothing!!! we found out that many other people who own this same car had the same problem on the internet because the Chrysler manufacturer of this car did not coat the frame correctly when it was built. This was Chrysler mistake when this car was made and it is no fault of the owners that purchased these cars to have this terrible costly and dangerous problem. This should be under a recall but it is "not" and now it will cost us $3000 to have it repaired to make our car safe. We are the original owners of this car and it has always been keep in a garage. There is only 4800 miles on this car and this should never have happened. We are retired on a fixed income and this put us at a hardship. We feel we have to have this repaired to protect us, our family and other people on the road. We feel this should certainly be addressed and that the Chrysler manufacturer should recall and stand behind all 2005 Pacifica cars. Many people who own this car might never know this is happening and it is dangerous to have these cars on the road as this could cause a serious /fatal accident to many people! help!

- Mundelein, IL, USA

problem #76

Jan 032015

Pacifica

  • miles
I'm was driving my 2005 Chrysler Pacifica when I noticed that my car had been shaking, I brought it to a independent automotive shop, the problem the mechanic stated was that the sub-frame/engine cradle was rotted with rust, and wasn't safe to drive, bc the engine could literally fall out, I did some quick research on the issue, and to my findings this seems to be a problem for many people, with 04-05 Pacificas, I found a letter that other people posted from Chrysler online that stated, that 04-05 Pacificas warranty would be extended to 10 year or 150,000 miles which ever came first, I contacted Chrysler in reference to this letter, they recognized the letter, but claimed my vehicle wouldn't qualify, because it does not meet the dates from 2/23/04-3/31/04 of manufactured, there are thousand of complaints that are on line from people in the same situation as me, this is completely a safety issue, the risk people are taken, some don't even know that your engine could literally fall out, at high speeds this could result in death or serious injury.

- Troy , NY, USA

problem #75

Dec 172014

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • miles
Rusted out engine cradle. I took my vehicle in for a oil change. The tech told me and showed me the rusted out engine cradle. He also informed me not to drive this vehicle any where but home.since the dealership was a few miles away I drove it there for an inspection. After a day without a vehicle, the dealership called to tell me it would cost around $2700 or more to replace the rusted out engine cradle. No why am I going to pay that kind of money on a vehicle that only has 60,000 miles on it.I called Chrysler customer service, gave them all the information. They would not cover any of this due to I am the 3rd owner( whatever that has to do with it!) and its out of warranty! the second owner was my step dad who bought this vehicle at the dealerships used car lot where I took it to get it inspected. Even this dealership would not work with me.I feel that Chrysler should pay for this repair on a vehicle with only 60,000miles on it.

- Sterling Heights, MI, USA

problem #74

Dec 152014

Pacifica

  • 114,000 miles
I was doing my oil change, when I noticed that my engine cradle was rusting through. I immediately called, both local Chrysler dealers, was told that although Chrysler is aware of the problem I was not covered. I called Chrysler directly, it was explained to me that although my state is listed in the extended warranty, but because it was originally sold in a state not listed, I was not covered.

- Racine, WI, USA

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