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.
Steering sometimes catches momentarily at the 1 o'clock and 11 o'clock positions. Seems most common during turns at highway speeds. Been monitoring intermittent occurrences for about a year. On 11/26/2025, it occurred several times in close succession while making gradual turns going 35 to 40 mph.
At slow speeds while turning, the steering column shudders and vibrates. At higher speeds the steering seems to get tight and needs to be forced back in to the correct direction. This has been occurring for approximately 6 months. My car is out of warranty. It could become a dangerous situation.
The steering periodicall locks up. This doesn't happen offten and only lasts a second or two but at high speeds does give a scare to the driver. Also when turning the steering in a tight turn like in a parking lot, the steering jerks/wabbles.
When taking turns the steering "sticks" amd it takes extra physical force to "unstick" the car. While unsticking by turning the steering wheel harder than normal, it either crosses into uncoming traffic or runs off the shoulder. It unsticks but with the extra physical force, it generally causes you to over correct and/or swerve/veer all over the roadway. 2018 with 72k miles
PE25009 - My van has a fault in alignment with this investigation. On long turns with the wheel between 11 and 1 the steering feels heavy then it feels like the system overcorrects. It has done this intermittently for a few months now.
While driving at a steady 65 mph, I suddenly lost power steering, which severely reduced my ability to steer the vehicle. I was able to safely brake and pull over. After turning the car off for a few minutes, steering function returned to normal. A few hours later, during a second drive at approximately 35 mph, I experienced the same issue again while turning onto my street. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and required significant effort with both hands to maneuver the vehicle into the driveway. This sudden loss of steering control posed a serious safety risk-not only to myself, but also to other drivers on the road-and could have easily resulted in an accident. No warning lights or dashboard alerts were displayed at any point. The vehicle was towed from my home to the dealership. Upon inspection, the issue was reproduced, and it was confirmed that the power steering system had failed and required repair, along with related components. All necessary repairs were completed and paid for out of pocket.
Absolutely, [XXX] -?" here-??s a more natural, human-sounding version of your NHTSA report draft: --- Vehicle Issue Report: Chrysler Pacifica I-??m reporting ongoing issues with my Chrysler Pacifica that I believe could be safety-related: Clunking Sound: The vehicle makes a clunking noise when shifting gears. Steering Stickiness: The steering doesn-??t always respond smoothly -?" it occasionally sticks when turning. This makes the car go wider than intended during turns and lane changes, which feels unsafe. I-??m concerned they may point to a larger mechanical issue and could affect driver control. I-??d appreciate it if NHTSA could look into whether this is part of a known defect or something that needs further investigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My 2018 Chrysler Pacifica has ongoing electrical problems that match the same symptoms described in existing recalls, but my VIN is not included in those campaigns. The issues began around 08/30/22. The vehicle has experienced stalling, electrical shutdown, dashboard warning lights, loss of power steering issues, failure of the start-stop system, dead batteries, loud creaking, popping, squeaking noises from the front suspension, especially when turning, backing up, steering lock, or going over bumps. These events began in 2021 and continue despite numerous repairs at mechanics and dealerships. Despite repairs and inspections, the problems continue. I have reviewed NHTSA recalls and found recall numbers 18V524000, 20V334000, 19V143000 as well as battery ground recall for 2017-?"2019 models, and my vehicle-??s problems are identical to those safety issues. The dealer confirmed that my VIN is not covered, so I have been responsible for repair costs. These defects create a serious safety hazard, especially when the vehicle stalls or loses power while driving. It places my family and other drivers at risk of a crash. We have been stranded on highways and in the center of busy intersections due to loss of power. I strongly request that NHTSA investigate whether the existing recalls should be expanded to include additional VIN ranges, since many 2018 Pacifica owners (myself included) are experiencing the same electrical failures. I have had the vehicle inspected/repaired on: 4/15/21, 9/15/22, 10/2/23, 11/22/23, 8/10/24, 7/21/25, 8/7/25, 9/23/25 for battery ground, electrical module replacement, wiring repair, and strut repairs. The issues persist despite these attempts.
Problem: Steering wheel sticking in turns. I own a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The issue am facing with my car is that the steering wheel is sticking while trying to turn. This issue seems to be happening to so many Chrysler Pacifica owners.
Over the past two weeks, on three occasions, the steering "stuck" momentarily (for about a second each time) during low-speed small turns at around 15 mph. Once, a "Service Power Steering" message appeared for approximately 2 seconds, then disappeared; we did not see this message again. Yesterday, the steering locked completely when moving the vehicle from a parking space. We were unable to steer at all while trying to move the vehicle forwards or backwards out of the space at about 5 mph. Turning the vehicle off and on again did not resolve the issue. A "steering wheel and exclamation point" warning light appeared on console. Vehicle was towed. Dealer's service department will investigate.
Steering seems to catch at times, generally when the steering wheel is around 1 and 11 o'clock, steering wheel has to be turned harder to be straightened out which and lead to over correction and can possibly cause an accident, this has happened multiple times while driving
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to turn the steering wheel slightly to the left or the right, the steering wheel was sticking, causing the contact to use added force to straighten the steering wheel. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the electronic steering system had failed. The contact was informed that the steering system needed to be repaired, and the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,500.
The steering wheel sticks forcing you to almost have to jerk the wheel to stay in your lane. Seems to be highway only. Very dangerous This was not a one time occurrence. Happens every time the car is driven on the highway
Often when making a gradual turn such as exiting an interstate onto the off ramp, the steering wheel will stick/lock at the 3 o clock position. This requires considerable force to return the wheel to the 12 o clock and straight position. I took it into the dealership and they found nothing wrong but it seems like an issue with the steering rack. I've heard numerous reports of others encountering this as well and I want it to be known this is a common issue. There is no grinding, scraping or noise indicating something is broken but seems to be a manufacturing defect. It is extremely dangerous and can sometimes be rather difficult to correct the wheel.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at speeds above 30 MPH, after making a slight turn to the right, the steering wheel became sticky, and added force was required to turn the steering wheel back to center. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed of the NHTSA Action Number: PE25009 (STEERING). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the investigation. The failure mileage was 114,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Corpus Christi, TX, USA