general problems of the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica - part 1

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving 35 mph and turning the steering wheel to the left or the right, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The power steering engaged and jerked the wheel to the left or the right of center. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 154,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the steering wheel seized. The message “no letter d” or “p for park”, was displayed and flashing on the instrument panel. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. After several minutes, the contact was able to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the nhsta hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

I do all routine maintenance on my car and do my standard oil changes on time. I only have 80k miles on my car and may now have a head gasket issue. I have seen many online posts that there are many users that have experienced this issue and some looking to possibly do a class action law suit. Has this issue been looked into as a potential recall? when speaking with the dealership I advised that my check engine light had come on and I took it to my local repair shop and the code indicated it was either a coil or spark plug that needed to be replaced. My repair shop checked and it was the spark plug that needed replacing. The car was fine for 2 weeks then the engine light came on again. When speaking with the dealership they said that yes the code will usually first present as a coil or spark plug and the engine light stops blinking since it assigned a code. So that is why my engine light went off but now came back on. I am not sure why this should not be addressed by the manufacturer if so many people are having this issue with a head gasket issue with such low mileage. This repair is going to cost 1k-4k to fix which is ridiculous in an engine that is maintained and has only 80k miles.

After the latest 73b recall, the engine light sporadically turn on. In one occasion, while cruising at low speed ~25mph in the electric mode, the vehicle switched to gas engine mode even there was 16 electric miles on the battery. This issue was not there prior to the recall. Need investigation on the software reliability and the underlying battery issue.

Blown head gasket.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while his wife was attempting to park the vehicle with the brake pedal depressed, the engine unexpectedly began to rev. The vehicle then accelerated inadvertently, resulting in a collision with a pole in front of the parking space. There was no damage to the pole. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a collision center, and the insurance company declared it a total loss. No police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 76,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the vehicle stalled with the message "service now” flashing on the instrument panel. After waiting for approximately 15-30 minutes, the vehicle was restarted and resumed normal operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was discovered that the oil filter adapter was cracked, contributing to the failure. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 18v049000 (electrical system, engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

While stopped in traffic, the car started shifting from drive to neutral and parking, the lights of the shifting wheel started blinking, and it was not possible to turn off the engine. After ~20 minutes, it stopped doing that and I was able to turn it off. 10 minutes later I started the engine and I was able to drive home but the steering wheel was very hard to move and the check engine light and there was a message in the cluster to take the power steering assist and the electronic stability control system to service, but while stopped in the driveway with the engine on, it did exactly the same and I wasn't able to power off the engine. I wasn't able to start the engine again after that, the lights of the shifting whell kept blinking. I took the car to an independent mechanic and he was able to start the engine, but power steering is so hard to move.

The check engine would blink and the engine would shutter for a few minutes when the van would start. It would drive around normal. A few days later the van would not start at all. We checked both batteries and they were not the issue. We then towed the van to a Chrysler dealer who checked the starter and alternator, those were both good. They stated the engine was seized and quoted $15,000 for a new motor. . The van has 120,000 miles on it. The van is worth less than the quote we received.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal clanking sound coming from underneath the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the valve gasket covers, the intake manifold gasket kit, oil filter housing, front brake pad and rotors, all the motor mounts, and the front sway bar links needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

On Thursday may 30th was the first incident of the vehicle shutting down we were able to start it back up almost immediately within seconds on the 2nd occasion I was on a street with cars behind me going down to make a turn the stop start did not engage but we were still a ways away from the stoplight and suddenly the engine stopped no signs other than just stopping I could not start it back up I look down there was no indication of any issue other than a stalling so put it in part turned it off turn it back on no start try it again didn't work could not turn it over to neutral to get off the road police came while I had somebody disconnect battery and reconnect it to try to get it started again there was no less battery power on the engine it took 15 minutes or more to get it started once able to get started we brought it back home it was Sunday the 1st of June 2025 so there were no mechanics available still unknown as to what caused the malfunction no indicator lights other than during the issue with a lightning bolt and during the outage the check engine light was on no lights currently on. The danger was to myself and two children in the vehicle and too many other vehicles behind me that could have crashed into me or cause incident being in the road working on the vehicle having to go around us waiting for green lights or a miss trying to get around us and avoid other traffic.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. Additionally, there were several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the engine seized. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle started. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and the failure reoccurred. The contact's husband started the vehicle, and the vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated that while attempting to leave the independent mechanic, the vehicle failed to start. The dealer where the vehicle was purchased, was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to have the vehicle towed to the dealer and was provided a diagnostic fee. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

The coolant leaked into the engine and blown the headgasket. This has been confirmed by pepboys who work on my car. It has not been inspected by manufacturer or others. It started by causing the ignition coil to fail and the engine would start rough and check engine light would come on. Started around 5/1/2025.

We are the original owners of this vehicle, which has been consistently and properly maintained. Recently, the vehicle stalled unexpectedly in the middle of the highway and would not restart, creating a significant safety hazard. The check engine light illuminated, and the vehicle could not be shifted into neutral, preventing it from being safely moved out of traffic. After the vehicle was towed to the dealership, we were informed that the starter had failed due to coolant leakage from a compromised head gasket. This coolant intrusion damaged the starter, rendering it inoperable. The dealership advised that while the starter could be replaced, it would likely fail again unless the underlying head gasket issue is addressed. We have since learned that this is a known and recurring issue with certain Chrysler models. Unfortunately, Chrysler has not issued a recall, nor have they provided vehicle owners with any formal notification or long-term solution to this potentially dangerous defect.

Had to have plastic oil filter housing and oil cooler replaced due to warping from the engine heat and leaking into engine bay causing a burning oil smell throughout the entire vehicle. Was replaced by meineke car care with an aftermarket aluminum constructed part. Constantly having transmission issues since the vehicle hit 70,000 miles. Now at 139,000. Fluid flush and fill done and transmission fluid was ridiculously thin and dirty despite it being known as a sealed transmission and being told by Chrysler that no fluid changes should ever need to be done for the transmission. Seems as though the transmission may be slipping, and is shifting very hard after having the fluid changed.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an engine misfire with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a misfire in cylinder #3. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the vehicle was undrivable. The dealer declined to release the vehicle without repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,600.

Unknown.

-stalled while driving -loud clanking upon start -no diagnostic info was accessible -replaced Cadillac converter, was glowing red -once replaced still hot, 10,000-20,000 degrees -.

The check engine light came on. Upon using a code reader, a code for a misfire in cylinder 3 populated. The ignition coil was replaced for cylinder 3. About a month later, the check engine light came back on and all 6 spark plugs were replaced. My vehicle had some rough starts periodically. As time went on, the rough starts turned into serious shaking. The check engine would come on and be gone in a day or so. Every time the code reader read cylinder 3. After months of trying to trouble shoot and do what we could, we took it to a mechanic where they informed us that my vehicle had a blown head gasket. They revealed to us that this is a very common problem with the particular engine, 3. 6l pentastar. This is a problem that they have seen for years in this particular engine. The mechanic had to send part of my engine out to a machine shop to be re-drilled properly in order to fix the issue which was very costly. The safety of my family was put at risk as the gasket blew while we were driving down the freeway unsure if we were going to make it home. My vehicle has not been inspected by anyone other than ourselves, the mechanic and the machine shop.

2017 Chrysler pacific diagnosed with leaking head gasket at ~65000 miles. Initially diagnosed from a check engine light code for a cylinder misfire. My private mechanic said that he has done 4 of these in the past month (Jan 2025). He said this is a costly repair that should not happen with this low of mileage. In exploring the problem, it appears that it is a known issue.

Unknown, engine light came on flashing while driving. Car has been repaired by the dealership a few weeks ago and replaced the fuel pump.

I noticed when I am driving the van would lose power and or the the transmission would shift very hard and stall the car engine would then take off very fast or slow. I reported the car to the dealership that I purchased the car from and to the customer service at the Chrysler Pacifica corporation no one will help me I told them that the car was very dangerous while driving.

My car will start, I will start to drive and when I am driving a “electrical stability” label will pop up on the dash and then the battery icon and check engine icon will show up on dash. My radio screen will go blank and then the car will shut off completely. It will then pop up on the dash and say stop safely vehicle with shut pff soon.

Blown head gasket and oil cooler leak.

My car shut down on highway and the dealership said it was the terminals on the battery being dirty it happened agin so I had the battery changed then it did it again and the dealership changed one spark plug , one coil pack then it happened again changed all spark plugs and coil packs my car did it again and now I’m being told I’m probably going to need a new engine I notified Chrysler telling them this has happened several times and they said there was nothing they could do.

This vehicle has been totaled about a week ago. I meant to report this earlier but since we're moving (military) I never had the chance. Around April 2023, I noticed my Pacifica had a misfire. I assumed it was plugs and wires so I replaced them - check engine for misfire went away. A few weeks later same thing happened. This time, I was loosing coolant. Took it to a Chrysler dealer top have it properly diagnosed fearing the worst - they told me without even looking at it that this particular year of pentastar on the Pacifica has blown head gaskets and that they change them all the time. I decided to repair the head gasket myself and I did so and drove the vehicle up until last week when it was totaled. There are many others experiencing this same issue with the Pacifica and Chrysler needs to do something about it as it typically happens around 75-85k miles. Mine was no different.

2017 through 2024 Pacificas with the 3. 6 pentastar engines have problems that in case of coolant leaks in the system, it leads to a engine coolant reservoir low level which allows air to enter the system and causes unrepairable damage to the engine that needs it to be replaced. Root cause is fac / stellantis / Chrysler failed to install a simple and cheap engine coolant reservoir low level warning sensor which would save the majority of the people with blown head gaskets all this grief and expense. The 3. 6 pentastar engine uses aluminum heads with an open skirt design which means that the cylinder heads are weak and prone to warping under any overheat condition.

The incident first occurred in our 2017 Chrysler Pacifica while my wife was driving our kindergartener to school. The vehicle stalled in high flow traffic almost causing her to get rear ended. Dash said to shift to park and turn van off. Was unable to get it restarted and had traffic blocked in the left lane for almost an hour waiting on a tow truck. Took it to the dealership and they told her it was a bad battery. Paid almost $400 to replace the battery, and today (11/16/2024) it just did it again while pulling into a gas station, still halfway in the road. Van said “shift to park to start engine. ” shifted and engine shut off but was able to restart it this time. Was unable to move shifter dial and sudden loss of power almost caused 2 wrecks so far within 2 months of each incident. Each time we were told there’s nothing wrong and that the recall that was causing this issue was already fixed. This needs to get dealt with before someone gets seriously injured.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed a burning odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. In addition, the contact was informed that the engine was operating on five cylinders instead of six. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that previously the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle had been taken to an independent mechanic several times. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a plastic piece that was missing from the engine. The contact stated that the independent mechanic reset the vehicle and the check engine warning light was off. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica touring l with 3. 6l engine. Odometer 78623 miles. Noted rough idling of engine for a few seconds when started. Later in day, at low speeds, check engine light came on solidly (no flashing) for a few seconds and then turned off. Early next morning took van to reputable local mechanic who has maintained the vehicle according to Chrysler recommendations. They pulled error code p0305 cylinder misfire. They removed and inspected spark plug which showed minor deposits. Looked in cylinder with bore scope which showed orange-redish discoloration on piston. Put new spark plug on #5 and swapped coil #5 with coil #3. Coolant was low but no coolant leak was discovered. Van never had an overheating episode. All maintenance was performed according to Chrysler recommended schedule, first by local Chrysler dealership, and then by this same mechanic shop. Diagnosis, warped or fractured cylinder head resulting in coolant leak into cylinder. Pictures were taken by shop and available on request.

Our vehicle started to shudder when we started. We took it to the dealership, who initially was unable to identify an issue. They then, a day later, identified that the head gaskets needed replaced. This required a significant repair. Reviewing online, there appear to be hundreds, if not thousands, of similar issues when this type of vehicle reaches approximately 70,000 miles. Our vehicle is a little beyond 70,000 miles. We have also had some other issues, including about 1. 5 years ago where the vehicle would randomly turn off while driving. We did take this in for a repair.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 168,854.

Numerous issues: 1. Multiple misfire codes, check engine 2. Loss of coolant, no indication of leaks 3. Faulty thermostat. Loss of a/c and heat 4. Bottom of both sliding door panels corroded, with paint loss 5. Uconnect system malfunctioned, not working at all **repairs have costs thousands already. And based on the other complaints, probably much, much more. Something is obviously wrong here, but Chrysler is not doing much about it unfortunately.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica with 103,000 miles experienced a blown head gasket.

Engine coolant leaks inside the engine cylinder #5 without warning and cracked the engine block cylinder head #5. This has happened 2 times on this vehicle replacing the engine once. Vehicle has been maintained in accordance with manufacture recommendations.