10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
8,517 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.

2018 Chrysler Pacifica drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2018 Chrysler Pacifica Owner Comments (Page 2 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #78

Jan 042023

Pacifica

  • miles

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

Pacifica Hybrid Limited found completely dead in our driveway and unresponsive to the remote. I manually unlocked the driver door, no usual dash indications, opened the hood and found the 12v battery system at 2.9v. It would not start & no responses or indications. There had been no warnings or indications of any problems prior to this. The car prevented my 6 A charger from charging the battery while it was connected to the car. I jump started the car with a known good battery, removed the jump, and allowed the engine to charge the car battery some. I decided to take no chances and replace the 12v battery. I turned the car to the OFF state via the dash push button. The car was never moved out of P park. I left it to go purchase a new 12v battery. I returned 2 hours later with a new battery to find the car in the street and having knocked over my neighbors 700-800 lb brick mail box. A police report was filed, pictures taken, and I jump started the car with the new battery. It started normally and I backed it up under its own power into my driveway where I replaced the 12v battery without incident. The car has operated normally with no warnings or indications of a problem before and since the incident. The car on its own and while OFF, unlocked the transmission park pawl allowing the car to roll 80 feet down a very mild slope and across the street to crash into my neighbor-€™s mail box when the 12v battery failed. There was no occupant, and no key fob was present. My quick search has found at least 3 other incidents with this same model, where the 12v battery failed and the car, on its own, unlocked the transmission allowing it to roll away. Of the 4 incidents I am aware of, 3 resulted in collisions and property damage. NHTSA 11173732 Pacifica Forum post: 597914, member: 76986 Pacifica Forum post: 543399, member: 66469 It-€™s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed by this defect. Chrysler is aware. The car and battery are available for inspect

- Friendswood, TX, USA

problem #77

Nov 112022

Pacifica

  • miles
On three recent, separate occasions, the vehicle has lost acceleration while making a left hand turn from a stop (date listed for this incident is most recent). No visual or aural warning indications have displayed on the dash during or proximate to these incidents, but the car felt like it went out of gear while making a normal left turn. Pushing or releasing the throttle only affected engine RPM, not any acceleration, so it felt like we were only coasting. It lasts longer than a normal shift, more than a few seconds, before power is sent to the wheels again. On two of the occasions there was oncoming traffic approaching the intersection. If the power had died any sooner in the turn I'm not sure I would have cleared the intersection in time with what little speed I had gained, increasing the risk of collision. I am taking the car to the local Chrysler dealership tomorrow for inspection and hopeful diagnosis/repair. I can't replicate the issue on demand, but after 3 separate occasions, it is an unmistakable feeling. Based on the clunky, jerking shifting into gear that sometimes occurs with the vehicle outside the above-described incidents, I believe it might be transmission related, but I can't be sure.

- Batavia, IL, USA

problem #76

Nov 252022

Pacifica

  • miles
At 63000 miles engine misfire occuered needing to replace the head gasket causing leaking coolant into the combustion chamber causing a misfire. Very concerning considering relevtivly low milleage and potential ongoing engine concerns. Wife and children were driving when check engine light went on, resulting in misfire causing car to shutter and stiring wheel shake. Car is curently being serviced at the dealer. There were no early indicators prior to this incident.

- Matthews, NC, USA

problem #75

Nov 162022

Pacifica

  • miles

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

I was driving on the highway when the check engine light came on and it started running rough. I pulled off the highway and into a parking lot. When I slowed down, I heard a clanging that sounded like metal on metal. After parking, smoke started pouring out from under the hood and it erupted in flames. The vehicle was destroyed.

- Midlothian, VA, USA

problem #74

Oct 122022

Pacifica

  • miles
Check engine light p0303 cylinder 3 misfire. Dealership mechanic diagnosed as blown head gasket.

- San Diego, CA, USA

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problem #73

Sep 152022

Pacifica

  • 67,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed onto the expressway and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle suddenly lost power and would not increase speed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on two separate occasions at the same location. The local dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 67,000.

- Livonia, MI, USA

problem #72

Oct 022022

Pacifica

  • miles

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

While driving home with my pregnant wife and kids, our van seemed to cut off and coast. I got no response from the accelerator pedal, and there was a message on the dash saying "Shift to P to Start". The check engine light also illuminated. Luckily, we were able to coast and pull over in a neighborhood. I was able to shift to Park and restart the van and finish the drive home. However, the same issue and message appeared while I was parked in my driveway. The van is currently at a local Chrysler dealer for further inspection and diagnosis.

- Starkville, MS, USA

problem #71

Sep 212022

Pacifica

  • miles
2018 Pacifica Wheelchair Accessible Van has on several occasions without warning, decelerated and stalled. Displays Place into Park and restart. Van starts sputtering & decelerates. After pulling over, waiting a few minutes it does start again. We've had the van over a year without any issues until now. We did have it at a dealership for a week. They were unable to find anything wrong with it. Very frustrating as we use this van to transport our disabled daughter. Recently we received notice of Class Action Lawsuit for this problem. Doesn't help me right now.

- Madison, OH, USA

problem #70

Sep 122022

Pacifica

  • miles
Van started running slightly rough in the mornings if the engine was cold. CEL eventually came on with a P0304 DTC. I replaced the igntion coils and spark plugs since the van was right at 80,000 miles. Seem to run fine for a day after, then issues came back. Took it to the dealership for more in-depth troubleshooting and repair. They failed to do anything after almost two weeks except that now my van wouldn't start. Took the van to a non-dealership affiliated repair shop and they said the starter had failed, but the engine passed the pressure check of the head. Waited almost another two weeks for a new starter, mechanic got it back together, found some coolant coming out of the exhaust manifold and recommended adding leak stop that there might be a small casting issue with the engine. They added leak stop and returned the van to me stating they think there was a small hole in the engine from casting and that coolant was getting by and causing the misfire. Subsequently, the coolant would then travel to the catalytic converter where it would burn off but caused the cat to be much hotter than normal and that was in-turn frying the starter which is pressed up right next to the cat. The van continued to run rough for a couple days before it finally wouldn't start again and now i'm having to have it towed back to the shop. I suspect the issue may a issue with a warped head or something even worse. A cursory search of both online forums and NHTSA reports that this is not a one off or new issue and only seems to be getting worse and more prolific as the average age of the fleet pushes towards 80-100K+ miles. Modern vehicles should be able to go 150-200k miles before head gasket issues become a serious concern.

- Newcastle, CA, USA

problem #69

Sep 122022

Pacifica

  • miles
Sept. 12, 2022 - Ever since we have owned this vehicle, we have experienced this issue with the cruise control. Speed increases while driving downhill highways and sometimes on pretty level highways. When I decrease the speed on the controller, it sometimes maintains the speed for several seconds (slow to respond) in order to slow down while coming up behind another vehicle. I therefore need to break or turn off the cruise control. Very unpredictable. Also, speed changes a lot which sounds like shifting gears back and forth while going uphill. I had contacted the dealer originally and was told this is normal. This is ongoing. Happens every time when driving on the highway. Safety concern. The other issue we had experienced while driving on a city street, we got some odd sounds, what sounded like it was coming for the transmission. Like shifting sounds. and on another couple of occasions, we got a kind of (clunk) noise. Not sure-€¦hard to explain. Only happened a few times over the last several months. and was brief. This in not ongoing, but a concern for failure and or safety. No warning lamps or messages

- Eureka, CA, USA

problem #68

Aug 132022

Pacifica

  • miles

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

The engine overheated while driving and required immediate attention, leaving me and my family stranded on the highway. The original code that tripped the check engine light was for a misfire in Cylinder #3, upon further inspection at the dealership it was concluded that the issue was a blown head gasket, causing the engine to overheat and fail. This was confirmed by the dealer. I have sent the issue to the manufacturer as well. There are a number of these issues in public forums. It is apparently a well known defect.

- Coleman, MI, USA

problem #67

Aug 032022

Pacifica

  • miles
2108 Hybrid Pacifica stalled a couple of times on freeway on our recent trip. Here are the details : About 2 hours after driving on freeway. - then, dashboard showed few errors and eventually showing "service charging system" - then displaying "shift to P to start" and "D" symbol is flashing. - after this, pacifica van lost power ( pushing accelerating do nothing ) but steering, brake seems OK and I had to steer the car to freeway shoulder and then turn off the car and start again after a few minutes and can start the car again but "engine check light" is on for at least 24 hours after. - After starting again, then a half a hour later, it happened again with same symptoms as above. The car has about 40,000 miles and running in gas mode only. These are very dangerous situation and luckily this time, I had time to steer the Pacifica to a complete stop.

- Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, USA

problem #66

Sep 012021

Pacifica

  • miles
I have owned van for 1 year and taken it into the shop 6 times for blown head gasket, leaking coolant, over heating due to leaking coolant, and now it needs a new ignition coil and spark plug due to coolant leaking. Check engine light pops on every time and the van notifies me that the engine is over heating. Must pull over on the side of the road to let car cool down. Problem has been confirmed, taken to car dealer at every instance. After issue has been taken to dealer and "fixed" check engine light returns after 4-6 weeks, every time. Paperwork can be provided on request.

- Morton, IL, USA

problem #65

Jul 292019

Pacifica

  • 26,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle hesitated to respond and then surged forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving however, the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer three times where an unknown computer software was updated; however, the failure reoccurred intermittently. Additionally, the contact stated that while his wife was coming to a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact-€™s wife noticed that the gear shifter had moved from drive(D) position into park(P) inadvertently. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.

- Grand Blanc, MI, USA

problem #64

Nov 012021

Pacifica

  • miles
My transmission jerks when shifting to first gear and sometimes when I'm going slow it feels like it is not getting gas and won't go then it will kick in and take off with acceleration that is more then it should be. The garage reset it back to manufacturer settings, but it only lasted a couple of months and it is doing it again. I'm afraid it will cause an accident.

- Erie, PA, USA

problem #63

Jul 012021

Pacifica

  • miles
While traveling at 75+ mph on a multi-lane highway the vehicle shut off displaying warnings "Shift to P to Start" "Service Charging System" "Sliding Door Open" "Forward Collision Warning Unavailable" and large red turtle icons. With the van shut off the only option available was to coast to side of the road/shoulder while trying to avoid other high speed vehicles and while the other vehicles attempted to dodge me. The vehicle has been at the dealer 5 times. Various codes are always available but they are unable to recreate the problem. The first visit the 12v battery was replaced. The most recent visit (the van is still at the dealer) the dealership and the manufacturer tore apart the van and checked parts for 5 weeks and could not identify anything wrong. I have pictures and lists of conditions, codes and problems. There is no warning when this happens, the vehicle merely chimes and lets the driver know that it's no longer on.

- Holly Springs, GA, USA

problem #62

Jun 262022

Pacifica

  • miles
Van showed the message "Stop safely the vehicle will shut off" and stopped on the road. It was immobile for close to 30 mins. I was able to start and drive back home. It again stopped on the road on the way to the dealer. I have seen number of complaints on this van on the internet. My van is still with the dealer and they could not fix the problem in the past 15days

- Cary, NC, USA

problem #61

Jul 012022

Pacifica

  • miles
Honestly it-€™s been one thing after another, including engine, power train and electric issues

- Newcastle , CA, USA

problem #60

Jul 072020

Pacifica

  • miles
Vehicle shifts really hard. It did on date listed but has ever since. The dealership identified problem and ordered parts but never called back when parts were ordered and is now past warranty to get it fixed.

- Caledonia, OH, USA

problem #59

Mar 312022

Pacifica

  • miles
While driving the vehicle in rush hour traffic the engine slowed and would not accelerate when the gas pedal was applied. The light for the parking break went on along with the battery light. The vehicle appeared to be breaking on it-€™s own. A message was displayed though I do not recall what it was. Maybe a message to park? I attempted to switch to an outer lane and coast toward the side of the road until the vehicle stopped. I was partially blocking one of the two lanes in a no parking area. I turned the vehicle off and several times attempted to restart it. It would not initially shift into park. When it finally did I repeatedly attempted to start it. The display worked though the vehicle would not shift into drive, reverse, or neutral. The light for each gear flashed. I attempted for some time and at one point it did go into neutral. I attempted to restart and put it in drive then it would not go into neutral. I contacted the local Chrysler dealer who gave me the number for roadside assistance. I contacted the police to notify them as the vehicle was disabled in the road partially in a driving lane. I contacted Chrysler as this has happened previously. I have repeatedly had it serviced for similar problems with it unexpectedly turning off or not starting.

- Kenosha , WI, USA

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