general problems of the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica - part 1

2018 Chrysler Pacifica phev subject to safety recall 73b (NHTSA 24v-536) for hv battery fire risk. Following the recall repair at fremont cdjr (newark, CA) in January-February 2025, this vehicle has experienced systematic cascading hybrid drivetrain failures across 5 repair visits totaling 57 days out of service: (1) can bus star connector failure — 10 modules with fault codes u0103/u0001; (2) hybrid control processor failure — required 14 flash attempts to program; (3) $1,786. 67 repair failed within 23 miles — cel and brake warning light appeared simultaneously; (4) complete transmission removal required to replace auxiliary transmission fluid pump (dtc p2797-00); (5) power inverter module replacement still pending. Vehicle also disabled itself completely while driving prior to March 2026, requiring 30 minutes rest before it could be driven. All failed components are part of the integrated hybrid drivetrain disturbed during the recall repair. Request investigation into whether recall 73b repairs are being performed correctly at authorized fca dealers and whether other owners are experiencing similar post-recall failures.

While traveling 350 miles from my home with my family of five, the vehicle experienced a sudden 'loss of motive power' event. The dashboard displayed the message: 'stop safely - vehicle will shut off soon. ' I lost the ability to accelerate and had to navigate to the shoulder in high-speed traffic. The vehicle is currently inoperable and the 12v battery has since died because the power inverter module (pim) has stopped maintaining system voltage. This vehicle had recall 03a (NHTSA 23v-010) performed on July 7, 2023, and the more recent recall y40 update performed on March 11, 2026. Despite having the 'latest software remedy' installed less than 30 days ago, the vehicle suffered the exact safety failure the recalls were meant to address. This proves that the software-only remedy is insufficient to prevent the hardware failure (internal transmission wiring short). A formal vehicle scan report performed at lake norman Chrysler (dealer 60945) on 3/30/26 explicitly shows 'distance travelled with light 146 miles' (page 14), documenting a sustained failure of the motive power system. Furthermore, the dealer’s own certified technician (j. Olmstead) provided a written action plan (page 9) recommending a full transmission and power inverter module (pim) replacement. Despite the documented 146-mile failure history and the technician's recommendation for hardware replacement under the xe1 warranty extension, the dealership service management is refusing to perform the repair, claiming they cannot 'replicate' the code as an active fault. I am currently stranded out-of-state with an unsafe vehicle that Chrysler is refusing to repair under the established safety warranty.

While I was driving the car started beeping and all dashboard lights started flickering. Transmission started stuttering and engine rpm fluctuating wildly. Fortunately I was in my neighborhood and was only going about 15 mph and was able to pull to a stop. The issue is with a faulty star bus connection near the glove box. After watching a you tube on the same issue, I learned to hit the area near the glove box to reset the star bus connection. This has happened before but usually on startup. Dealer not able to repair after $1600 charge. This is the first time it happened while in motion. Again. Seems to be a common enough issue that there are several you tube videos with thousands of views.

Have lost power steering intermittently while driving.

As I was entering [xxx] between [xxx] and [xxx] the check engine light came on and a warning about finding a service charging station. The accelerator then stopped working, the car stalled out and I was unable to drive the vehicle. Thankfully, I was able to navigate the car to the breakdown lane as it decelerated. I then had to get a tow to the dealership. The engine light came on several times over the last few months prior to this incident but the dealership at shoreline Chrysler Jeep Dodge were not able to fit in the car to diagnose the issue. Their negligence led to this dangerous situation. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owned a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while in reverse(r) and reversing into a parking spot, it was difficult to accelerate over a patch of ice. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle accelerated quickly and failed to stop while depressing the brake pedal and the vehicle drove through a fence and crashed into a brick building and stopped. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the u-connect phone feature disconnected independently. The failure had never occurred before. The contact stated that the u-connect failure might have been linked to the unintended acceleration failure. No injuries were sustained. A police report was not filed. The fence and a side of the brick building were damaged during the crash. The vehicle was initially towed to the residence before being towed to a collision center, where the vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance provider. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000.

Vehicle went into limp mode twice. 1st time on 10/28/24, technician found fault for hybrid battery pack, Chrysler technical service bulletin said to clear fault then drive, if fault did not come back release the vehicle work order stated, bring vehicle back if it happens again and replace hybrid battery. 2nd time, 2/06/2026 vehicle went into limp mode again while driving. My safety and the safety of others was put at risk as I was driving on a highway at 65 mph and suddenly without warning and no braking involved went down to 20 mph. A very unsafe maneuver as the following vehicles had no indication I was braking or slowing down. The dealer has confirmed the limp mode incident but so far has been unable reproduce it. The vehicle and components have only been inspected by the dealer. The warning lamps and messages only came on as the event unfolded. A sudden and uncontrollable loss of power. The dealer states that they believe the hybrid battery pack is failing, but Chrysler, stellantis will not replace the hybrid battery pack unless the dealer can reproduce the incident. Extremely dangerous thing to try and recreate.

Battery drains between starts and has to be jumped in order to start. Takes several attempts before vehicle will start when jumping after battery dies. Often have to reset dash display or media hub as screens go blank after jumping. Has fairly new batteries. Certified mechanics confirmed parasitic drain. Possbly connected to media hub system.

On October 31, 2020 (before our purchase of the van) the previous owner had to take the van to Chrysler for hesitation in the transmission shifting. On June 14, 2021 (only two weeks after purchase), we had to drop it off for intermittent shifting issues with what seemed like skipped gears. No engine light came on, and the van was returned stating an inability to reproduce the issue. On February 7, 2022 we brought the van to Chrysler after taking it in a few times to carmax to resolve the the disabled "start/ stop" system. The light would intermittently come on indicating the system was unavailable, and shifting would be erratic. An inspection and recall work for the pcm was performed. In June of 2023, the uconnect system stopped working intermittently. The gears were still shifting roughly with the shift knob becoming increasingly more difficult to turn. An independent shop found no solution with an unknown timeframe on the delivery of a new transmission. In June of 2023 while driving, the van shut off completely while in motion. After a few minutes, it started up again and drove as if nothing was wrong. June 24, 2023, we took the van to Chrysler with the same issues. At the time there was still a back order of transmissions for the van. Upon contacting Chrysler, we found out that there was a recall effective on the new transmission and the company rush ordered the part to the shop. As well, the uconnect system was also addressed. The issue was fixed. After a few years of reliable service, the van functioned normally with rough shifting and start/stop system failures still an issue. In January of 2024, the van would not start at first try. Often my wife was able to get it started after sitting for awhile. In other cases, changing the key fob helped. Changing the aux battery repaired the issue temporarily. Now it won't start at all. The starter was misdiagnosed by an independent shop with Chrysler finding a failed transmission once again.

After safety recall 73b was performed on my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid on 11/24/25, the vehicle's check engine light illuminated. Code u0412 is identified as a 'stored' code upon pulling obd information. This is described as "invalid data received from battery energy control module 'a'" indicating failure of the high voltage battery pack and its control system. The hv battery is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of others are at risk because the recall was issued to prevent a battery fire. The symptoms my vehicle is exhibiting are precisely the kinds of faults the recall's software update is supposed to detect. The check engine light, appeared within days of the recall service. This strongly indicates the recall procedure, specifically the mandatory battery integrity test, was not completed correctly, and/or that there is a failure in the underlying recall procedure itself. This is a widespread issue, with numerous owners reporting the same post-recall failures to their dealership, online, and to Chrysler cares customer service without satisfactory resolution.

Vehicle was put into reverse and did not stop, it hit a pole. Then the driver tried to put in drive to get it off of the pole and it accelerated quickly and the driver could not stop the vehicle. There was little time to react as it hit the side of a building and airbags deployed. Driver stated that the car accelerated on it's own once it was put into gear.

At a stoplight the fcw ( forward, collision), warning dash light went on and engaged the brakes, thankfully, no movement was taking place. I had to put the car in park and then drive to be able to resume. This indicates that it could have occurred at high speeds, potentially causing a collision.

Power steering impaired while going about 35-40 mph around gentle curves. Carplay will no longer work with the usb port wired to phone.

While driving, the Pacifica lost all engine power in the middle of an intersection while traveling at 34 mph. All the dash lights blinked and sounded alerts. The car then showed u1267 and u0416 diagnostic codes.

I was driving and the van suddenly lost all propulsion. Brakes and steering and dash lights functioned, but there was a red turtle icon and error message about a system failure. The accelerator pedal did nothing at all. I was able to coast off the side of the road to a place to pull over, but that could have been a terrible accident if I lost power like that on I-95 or any other major highway. My husband came and we switch cars (kids, car seats, etc) and he was able to get the van to start after half an hour. It had check engine lights on for things, but the dealer said to bring it in because it was drivable again. Despite brining it in as told, with check engine lights on that they saw, they said they could not reproduce it and couldn't find codes for the check engine light (even though I pulled them from my own obd2 diagnostic plug tool and took photos of the codes) and eventually said I have to take the car back, despite no cause or resolution. These cars have known faulty battery issues and a large number have been replaced already, but Chrysler isn't authorizing dealers to do that unless they can reliably reproduce the failure. Very frustrating to see Chrysler not go the route of other manufacturers who sourced their batteries from the same plant and ended up proactively replacing them for consumers. While Chrysler's many recalls for the hybrid battery system software have probably made it detect faults earlier to try to prevent fires, they are still known to happen, but now in addition to a fire risk, we also have a car that has a much higher chance of just losing power while driving due to over sensitive battery monitoring, or a plain old faulty battery that just isn't faulty 'enough' for Chrysler to authorize a replacement. So frustrating and dangerous.

Vehicle lost all internal communications while driving. During this incident propulsion was lost, turn signals, hazards, power brakes, power steering, all electronics except speedometer failed. I was unable to put indicators on during this incident outting others at risk. It appears hazards and turn signals are can communication which is absolutely insane and a severe design flaw.

After safety recall 73b was performed on my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid on 08/25/2025, the vehicle's check engine light illuminated on 09/09/2025. I was inundated with multiple failure lights including; check engine, service electronic throttle control, service hybrid electric vehicle system, blind spot alert, and I felt like I lost power steering. I was unsure if the van was safe to drive, but was able to get it to the dealership. They were able to pull multiple codes. Including the one for the check engine light. They decided that the problem was related to the abs control module. They replaced it and the van has been fine so far. It seems these error codes are widespread after performing recall 73b. Many other customers are complaining of the same thing. I believe these errors are from the testing to the high voltage battery, and their 'software fix'. It's not safe to lose your power steering while driving. It's not safe to have multiple error codes continuously going off while operating the car. It's not safe to have a family car that we have been told twice to not park in the garage, charge, or park near a structure. This is their second attempt at 73b, and overall the second fire recall. My van and high voltage battery are definitely available for inspection.

My vehicle went in for recall 73b at the end of August 2025. Every since the recall it has been back to the dealer for multiple check engine lights, service hybrid system, abs system, battery heater fail, blind spot warning temporary unavailable, service shifter(would not go into gear), parking brake, stability control light, partial loss of power steering while driving, service electronic throttle control, and service airbag messages. The van has been to the dealership 4 times for these messages. They have replaced components, tried to find loose wires and connectors, replaced the 12v battery, and other fixes. The van will drive normally for a few weeks, and then they come back. On the latest visit (4th since 73b recall) it's been at the dealership for 31 days and counting. The dealership is waiting on Chrysler to figure out a fix for the van. The vehicle has over 50 stored messages. This recall was supposed to monitor the hybrid battery for early indications for a fire, but according to the original recall all batteries are assumed to have the manufacturing defect that leads to spontaneous fires. This van is unsafe, and we never know when it will work correctly. The van operated normally before the recall software was installed.

Vehicle will start but the shifter will work. It threw a check engine light and check hybrid system code. You cannot get the vehicle out of gear and the shifter will not light up. After shutting the vehicle off and on 3 times it erased and acted like it never happened. This is the third time it has happened. What’s bad you can drive somewhere and be stuck there for hours not knowing if you need a tow or it’s going to reset again. Don’t know if something my happen while driving as well.

My van completely shut off, and all lights on the gear shifter stopped working. Yes, it is available for inspection until the gear shifter is replaced, as recommended by the dealership. The van lost power just as I lifted my foot off the brake to proceed into an intersection. This sudden shutdown created a traffic backup behind me and could have put me and others in danger had I entered the intersection. The issue has only occurred once for my husband while driving but has not been officially reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center. Yes. I took the van to the dealer, who suggested replacing the battery and the shifter. I replaced the battery and ordered the shifter, but the second failure occurred after the new battery was installed. In addition, I’ve noticed a continuous clicking sound coming from the van after it is turned off, which does not stop for approximately 5 minutes. There were no warning lights or messages before the failure. After the van shut down, the “start assist” light came on, and it did not turn off until about four days after the battery replacement.

Electrical adaptive, cruise control, forward collision warning, and shifter all malfunctioned. It is available for inspection. There was failure to accelerate at an intersection which almost caused vehicle to be rear ended. The error codes have been pulled and shown by o’reillys auto parts. The vehicle is pending inspection by an independent mechanic. The adaptive cruise control the Ford collision, warning and service shifter warning lamps all appeared shortly before this problem occurred.

While slowing to a stop at a traffic light, the engine stalled unexpectedly. The start/stop system did not restart the engine when I released the brake pedal. Accessories (radio, lights, etc. ) remained powered, but I could not shift the vehicle into neutral. After approximately 20 minutes, I was able to restart the engine; however, the transmission remained unresponsive and the engine could not be shut off using the ignition button. I was unable to shift to neutral or turn the steering wheel. Message on dash indicated shifter module required service, and indicated that the vehicle was not in park when attempting to turn off vehicle. The vehicle was only turned off by disconnecting the 12-volt battery. The vehicle was towed to a Chrysler dealership and diagnostics completed, showing error codes with the shift module. They were unable to recreate the problem and advised replacing the shift module. When inquiring about recall v53, the dealership service department indicated that this recall had been repaired on the vehicle in 2020. These symptoms match those described in Chrysler recall v53 (NHTSA campaign 19v-348) for 2017–2019 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles equipped with start/stop systems, which involves a loose battery ground connection. My VIN is not currently listed in the recall as it was reportedly corrected in 2020, but the issue created a hazardous situation by stalling in traffic, disabling shifting, and preventing engine shutdown. This could have resulted in a crash if traffic conditions were different. Please investigate whether additional 2018 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles not currently included in recall v53 should be covered or if this is a recurring safety issue with the engine start-stop (ess) on 2017-2019 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles.

Check engine light came on the day after the automatic start/stop light came on. Engine code read cylinder 4 misfire. We switched all the spark plugs and changed the cylinder 4. A couple days later check engine light came back on brought the vechile into bergstrum. They put in a name brand cylinder 4 plug and spark plug, 2 weeks later the light came back on, same exact issue. They are now claiming it’s an engine issue potentially. Sounds like this is a big problem for 2018 Chrysler Pacificas.

Quirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep ram of dorchester refused to perform recall 73b/24v-536 on my restricted-title Pacifica (reconstructed), citing Chrysler policy. That policy doesn’t exist in the recall bulletin. I need the bpcm software update and any necessary battery replacement under the recall.

The hybrid battery system is malfunctioning. I am not at risk. I am repeatedly getting u0412 error code, indicating a problem with voltage in the hybrid battery system. It only happens intermittedly. I have taken it into the dealer when the check engine light is not on (unfortunately), and they did not find any issue. One time while driving at highway speed, I did get an immediate red message saying "check hybrid system". It went away with the check engine light remaining on for about an hour. This has occurred after (and I think because of) the 73b recall.

Component/system failed: electric power steering (eps). The system intermittently fails during normal driving, showing a "service power steering" warning. Diagnostic codes include u113e (lost comm w/ eps), c2217 (sas not calibrated), c2210 (eps internal fault), p058c (low voltage), and p1009 (hybrid module mil request). The issue began immediately after a Chrysler recall service where the main charging unit was replaced. Vehicle is available for inspection. Safety risk: loss of steering assist creates a serious hazard, especially during turns or at low speeds. The steering becomes extremely heavy without warning, increasing the risk of collision or inability to maneuver safely in traffic or parking situations. Dealer confirmation: yes. A Chrysler dealer confirmed the eps fault and quoted $5,500 to replace the entire steering rack. No electrical diagnostics were completed, despite the issue starting after recent electrical recall work. Inspections by others: the dealer has inspected the vehicle. Chrysler corporate has been contacted but has not yet resolved the issue. No inspections by police or insurance. Warning signs: the issue started right after the dealership performed recall work. “service power steering” message appears, and diagnostic trouble codes are present. The error is intermittent and can clear after restarting, only to return later.

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.

On Thursday, July 3, we were on our way out of town and had just gotten on a highway when I smelled something burning, saw smoke (we thought was steam at the time) coming from the hood and heard the engine making a grinding, or rattling noise so we pulled over immediately. My husband got out of the car to start to take a look when another vehicle who had just passed us backed up and motioned frantically saying “your car is on fire!” so we got out and looked under the front of the car and sure enough, there was liquid spilling onto the ground and fire coming from underneath. So we quickly got away from the car and called 911. Another gentleman who had been going west also stopped to make sure everyone was okay and was also calling 911. Within 10-14 minutes the front of the car was totally engulfed in flames.

Vehicle engine shuts off while driving down the road. Will start up after a few minutes. Traction control light and auto start stop light will come on. Random right wheel noise will come and go. Have had multiple mechanic shops check vehicle with no findings. Vehicle loses all power when shuts down.

Hello: my 2018 Pacifica hybrid was just recalled, and serviced, yet the hybrid battery only last a few miles before needing to be recharged. Also, when in reverse the back up camera doesn’t always come on and doesn’t beep when approaching an obstacle. It will also stay on while driving forward.

The shifter nob will not turn on and move out of park. When I open the glove box and tap on the can-c bus star connector the nob will then turn on. Other issues also with electrical throughout van dealing with the can-c such as driving and then it shifts very hard. And door not closing on the side.

I was traveling at south bound on toll 130 going 80mph (which is the speed limit on that road) when my Pacifica immediately slowed down and my accelerator gave out. In addition to my dash flashing that the cruise control was no longer available, but the van also said "service charging system" and "shift to p to start", the engine light and batter light both came on. I am sure that I almost died as I was in the middle lane and cars were whipping around me since I had slowed down so much, there was an 18 wheeler behind me and one of my righthand side, which is the shoulder I was trying to get to. I was finally able to coast to the shoulder and came to a stop, put the car in park and turned it off. I immediately started researching what the problem could be and I was alarmed to find out that this is an issue that others have had and that Chrysler has failed to issue a recall. . . I was able to start the car once more and get on to a little back road, after pushing through a barricade off the toll just for safety's sake, and my van broke down again, this time on a little 2 lane road, which thankfully had a little bit of a gravel shoulder. This time, my van took quite a bit longer to get started, but I was not safe where I was. I started it once more and was able to get to a wal-mart parking lot where my brother-in-law picked me up so that I could have a chance of making it to see my grandmother who was on her deathbed, I missed my window of opportunity to make it to see her, she died that afternoon. I had to pay an additional tow fee to get the vehicle moved from the parking lot to a Chrysler dealership since it was so far from where I usually go.

I had my chrsyler Pacifica since Nov 2018 . Recently I heard a noise and dealer suggested change in transmission . Ever since I have problem with car stopping im middle of road , towed 5 times to dealer and dealer says he fixed it but still same problem with vehicle stalling happen. Yesterday (05/20), delaer informed that vehicle stalled in road while they did test drive after they fixed the problem. I am scared to drive this car anymore. Dealser did not want to loan their car as well anymore , I am without car for more than 30 days during this all 5 incidents .

Car will not start with push button and/or key fob push. Problem started 10 months ago with dead stop/start battery. Both batteries were replaced and then two months later stop/start system failed at stop lights. Car would stall once break was released to go. Had car serviced, starter replaced. Next day, car stalled and would not restart in parking lot, service department could not find any problems and no error lights found so the solution was to turn stop/start system off. A few months later car would not start on first try, took several pushes and sometimes a keyfob push. Sometimes "no key fob detection" light. Car was sent to service center again and they could not find any problems. At this time car only starts on 2nd push. Problem has worsened over the last 5 months, car takes at least 5 tries to start or doesn't start at all. Additional observations: brake gets very tight and pressurized after the first attempted start, steering wheel is locked.

After safety recall 73b was performed on my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid on 02/03/2025, the vehicle's check engine light illuminated and it began experiencing charging failures. The component that has failed is the high-voltage (hv) battery pack and its control system. Diagnostic scans performed by a Chrysler dealer on [date of diagnosis] confirmed trouble codes, including u0412, which indicate a critical fault within the battery system. The hv battery is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of others are at risk because the recall was issued to prevent a battery fire. The symptoms my vehicle is exhibiting are precisely the kinds of faults the recall's software update is supposed to detect. By refusing to provide the full remedy, the manufacturer has left an unresolved fire hazard. The problem was confirmed by dealer diagnostic reports. However, both the dealer and Chrysler have refused to replace the defective battery under the recall. Their denial is based on [indicate reason for denial]. The first warning signs, including the check engine light, appeared within days of the recall service. This strongly indicates the recall procedure, specifically the mandatory battery integrity test, was not completed correctly by the dealership. This is a widespread issue, with numerous owners reporting the same post-recall failures online and to Chrysler cares customer service.