general problems of the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica - part 1

Back up camera freezes or shuts off almost causing collision.

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.

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.

Mid February 2025, while driving through a university campus 25 mph the vehicle died. All dash indicators went out, lost engine power, no warnings or indicators displayed on instrument panel. I held onto the steering wheel until stopped in the street without hitting college students or cars. Shifted to park. Turned off and tried to start but the dash remained out and no engine start. Turned engine off again. Removed key fob. Got out of vehicle and waved traffic to go around. Got back in and started with success. Days later dash displayed hybrid charging maintenance required. Took vehicle to dealer and reported problems. I reported the issue on Chrysler web page. Dealer told me that the problem is a failed hybrid battery. Waiting for under warranty hybrid battery repairs.

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 .

Vehicle states "stop safely vehicle will shut off soon" with a red turtle logo. I have restarted the vehicle, and the warning persists. I am bringing in the car to the dealer next.

I bought my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica limited about two years ago. It’s been the worst decision I’ve ever made. I have just about a 3% rate and with the amount of issues these things have I’m so far upside down it’s not even funny. This car with all of it's known issues is depreciating faster than I can pay for it. I currently have about 129,000 miles on it. I couldn’t get rid of this thing if I tried. The Chrysler dealership I service it with said they would give me 4000. 00 if they were willing to buy it back. The engine build company my mechanic uses says they won't even build these engines at all because of how many issues they have. So no option other than to buy the exact same engine is has now through Chrysler and know it will do it again. I’m having stalling/accelerating issues (shop can’t figure it out, kids cry when it stalls in traffic. . I've been in for it about 9 times to two different place) oil cooler housing unit replaced last year (taken it back in a few times for ongoing leak, now need a head gasket) head gasket batteries galore ongoing start stop issues my ac went out the month I bought it (leak in the lines near the rear) 3000k to fix the shop says it needs lifters, cam shafts and rockers (might as well do the engine if I had the extra money after paying off the rest of the repairs) my heated and cooled seats have stopped working numerous times dash comes on and off when it wants back up camera stays on the screen while I drive as much as it doesnt my rear washer fluid sprays inside the car onto my kids rear power seats stopped working multiple times now get in to head to work and it just won’t start…. Have to basically play a video game with the controls and key fob to miraculously start it up starting to rust already we have owned 2 durango’s, 2 Dodge rams, a Chrysler sebring and now this. Clearly we support Chrysler but after this my husband switched to a Ford truck and I will be going back as soon as I can if this isn't resolved.

[xxx] [xxx] [xxx] national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) office of defects investigation 1200 new jersey avenue se washington, DC 20590 subject: complaint regarding recurrent mechanical issues and potential safety concerns with 2018 Chrysler Pacifica dear NHTSA office of defects investigation, I am writing to formally report repeated mechanical issues with my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica (VIN [xxx] ), which have raised significant concerns regarding the vehicle’s reliability and safety. In 2023, my vehicle initially experienced a persistent ticking noise in the engine, leading to extensive repairs. These included replacing the tappets, rockers, and timing chain tensioner on the right bank of the engine. Following these repairs, the vehicle exhibited low oil pressure, ultimately requiring a complete long block replacement. These issues left the vehicle out of service for nearly two months, significantly disrupting our daily lives. Despite these major repairs, my Pacifica has recently developed overheating issues, necessitating the replacement of the radiator at an estimated cost of over $2,000. The vehicle has less than 60,000 miles, and I find it deeply concerning that such critical mechanical issues are occurring at such low mileage. These repeated failures suggest a potential underlying defect in the design or manufacturing of this vehicle, which could present a safety risk. An overheating engine, for instance, poses a potential hazard both to the occupants and to other road users. As a police officer and parent of three young children, I rely on this vehicle for my family’s safety and transportation. I respectfully request that the NHTSA investigate whether these issues are indicative of a broader defect in 2018 Chrysler Pacifica models. I believe an investigation could help identify potential safety risks to other owners and encourage Chrysler to address these problems proactively information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The vehicle has stalled several times while driving and while at a stop light leaving the van completely disabled and it will not turn on or start again. My wife and 2 year old were put at risk when the vehicle stalled on them at a major intersection and my wife was unable to put the vehicle into parking or drive since there was no power after it stalled and dashboard lights flicked on and off multiple times. . Stall has also happened at drive thru almost causing collision with vehicle in front. The stall produces dashboard error messages reporting an internal transmission malfunction, auto start/stop error, and or a problem charging the battery. Certified ase mechanics can’t reproduce the issue or find anything to pin point the issue after multiple diagnostic tests ran and physical thorough inspection. Every time a stall happens loads of error codes (85+) pull up but none point to the root cause of stalling happening. Vehicle has most up to date software update done over a year ago.

The hood paint is showing bubbles.

The unresolved recall with no remedy stems from an earlier recall is entering its fourth month with no further communications from the manufacturer about the status of the remedy. There has been no compensation provided to car owners with increased carrying costs due to the manufacturing failures, decreased car valuation due to repeated failed attempts to remedy the same recall, nor indirect costs of extended stress and fear. I am unable to park my car by my house due to the fire risk, which has required me to buy monthly parking passes. I am unable to charge my car, which has caused increased gas costs. I previously paid to install a level 2 charger in my home, which I am unable to use. Additionally a concerning electrical noise has started to occur when starting the car or long after turning the car off. I am continually anxious about driving this car with my children, but I have no other choice to continually put all of us at risk. Jul 18,2024 manufacturer recall number73b NHTSA recall number24v-536 recall status recall incomplete, remedy not yet available.

I keep getting a check engine light with my Pacifica hybrid. The scanner says p1b11, soft code is p0506, hybrid battery or wiring harness. The codes erase after driving for a long while, however, I notice that I’m not able to maintain a full hybrid battery charge for longer than a few miles. After about 5 miles of driving, I’m a 80% of battery life left. Mpg averages about 30+/- something’s not right. It’s happened twice now, both times with excessive outside temperatures. 1st time while idling, 2nd time while stopped for fueling.

Purchased vehicle used and have put on miles. But since day 1 issues have been arising. First the auto stop/start function stopped, 2 years later still unable to find the fix. More recent the gear shift just doesn’t work/turn on randomly or turns off while driving which is a safety concern. Now for the past 2 months the gear shift will not work or while driving the vehicle just loses acceleration and braking and slows to a stall and I can’t do anything until the gear shift turns back. I had 3 children on [xxx] when this started putting all our lives in danger. We were stuck for 2 hours the vehicle ran but was not drivable. Every mechanic says something different and it is a luck of the draw if the vehicle will work when you try it. Batteries all tested good. No obvious other issues other than loss of power steering for a short time. All warning lights flashing on and off randomly but it coincides with the loss of driving capabilities. I just want to be done with this vehicle it’s dangerous and now I’m stuck with it. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I was driving with my family on the interstate and was exiting when the car shuddered and I lost propulsion. Interior electrical power was still functional. This occurred as the car was switching to gas mode as I had been been driving about 30-35 miles on electric at that point. The gas motor never came on. I was able to roll into a gas station since we were on a bit of a downhill. Shut off car and waited a beat then started car again, battery showed 1% and was able to pull 2 more feet into gas station and off to side before it completely died again (battery at 0%). I feel extremely fortunate that this didn't happen a moment earlier when I was on the expressway and that were able to get off of a busy road. I had the vehicle towed to nearest Chrysler dealer and had a friend drive me and my family to a nearby car rental place. After two weeks at the dealer, we were informed that the issue was likely the power inverter module. We are still without car and waiting for updates from service department.

In March of this year (2024), while driving down the road at 45 mph, my Pacifica's dashboard suddenly lit up and flashed all kinds of warnings including abs off, the check engine light, the parking brake, the service electronic throttle control, electronic stability control off, collision off, warning parking brake, and other lights that I'm not sure what they mean. It seemed like every warning light in the panel lit up. The van slowed down and wouldn't let me accelerate and it felt like the power steering wasn't active. I pulled into a parking lot and shut the engine off. After restarting, the check engine light was lit, but the van let me proceed. I took it to my auto shop that said the codes were all electronic/ software related and I had to take it to a dealership. The dealership said they couldn't find anything wrong and that the codes didn't save. On June 9, the lights started flashing again while I was parked in a parking lot while I was on a road trip. I was able to capture the end of it on my camera. I again turned the engine off and on again, and the van "reset" with only the check engine light on. I was able to proceed through the rest of the weekend and the check engine light actually turned off after a day. Then on June 22, the warning lights started flashing again. My son was driving this time (along with my husband and 2 other sons). He pulled into a parking lot to return the van home, but it wouldn't go into a gear. Slowly, they toggled through the gears until it would allow them to drive the van home. He also said that it felt like he lost power steering. Losing steering, the ability to accelerate, the ability to put the vehicle in gear while driving, and losing the abs system and the electronic stability system definitely puts my family and others at risk of an accident. I am prepared to take it to my dealer if asked. It has not been inspected by anyone else accept a local car shop and the dealership.

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the back-over prevention camera image remained displayed on the radio display screen. The cause of the failure was not yet been determined. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 19v886000 (back over prevention, equipment). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Purchased the car used in 2018. Worked fine. Always kept up with my oil changes. Car now over 72000 miles. Suddenly, noticed car would jerk while im driving. Was told engi e misfire. Had it fixed so I thought. After a while, happening again. Also, without any warning, suddenly coolant disappears somewhere in the car. Not coming out at all. And without warning, car overheats. Constantly filling with coolant. Engine light suddenly comes on. Blinking on and off. Now im in engine failure. Not in warranty. Checked several forums, tons of people with the same issue. Bad engine from Chrysler. My supreme warranty is expired, I am single mother of three and cannot fix. Still financing this vehicle. Can anybody help me? I dont have thousands of dollars to fix this.

My vehicle suddenly stops while the car is in motion, it shuts completely off. I had an instance where my car shut off coming off the freeway off-ramp. This has happened on numerous occasions and we have been trying to call the dealership to see if there is any recall. We are never given a straight answer and we feel unsafe to drive our vehicle.

I have had transmission problems with this van since I bought it. Had it in the shop several times. It jumps or pops and throws vehicle forward. I also have had to replace the large battery and the accessory battery multiple times. This has left me stranded many times bc it will shut off while driving. Last time was today 11/01/2023. Large battery and alternator was good. Accessory battery dead completely and replaced for free since it was in warranty still. But they say it has caused my van to misfire in cyclinder 3. Car has only been maintenance through elliot Chrysler Dodge in carthage TX.

After radiator was replaced by the dealership, our car has been experiencing coolant leaks that we have “repaired” twice, however the issue keeps coming back within the week. We are also experiencing stalled engine will driving, where the car just slows down instantly or stops.

Sliding door closed on my daughters hand even though the dealership claims the sensors work fine.

On 5/31/22 I took my vehicle for service due @ error. The dealership mac hakil I-55 jackson ms slept my vehicle until 6/2/23 telling me it was my battery charging $813. 00. I feel this was a ripped off.

@ error message vehicle sometimes stalls at red lights or 4 ways stops. I have to cut off the vehicle to restart.

Van has been clunking/slipping through transmission when accelerating. Stop/start function error relayed and had a rough idle noticeable when started cold. Car would shut down on occasion when coming to a stop. Battery was recently replaced, assuming due to start/stop battery(also been replaced) draining main battery. Technician indicated misfire on cylinder, coil swapped, spark plugs replaced and 100,000 mileage maintenance completed per recommendation due to scope of work. Van returned then upon first start, extremely rough idle and exhaust smelled the worst I've ever smelled, choking even. Van taken under warranty at least 2 times for transmission and abrupt shutdowns due to safety concerns with vehicle. Never replicated at dealership.

Auto on/off was working for a few days (which is not normal). When in the drop off line for school it turned off for that. When I let go of the gas to go, the car shut off completely. I restarted it and it said "service shifter" and the shifter lights did not come on. I did move it to park by counting the clicks of the turns. Drove home from the school. Same day and other days following, the auto on/off is back to not working. Randomly when I start the car it says the "service shifter" message and does not light up the shifter letters. Sometimes if I turn it off and then back on it will not appear. Other times, it does and I have to just go. This is a safety hazard if it shuts off and will not turn back on. This started roughly 1. 5/2 weeks ago - the week after easter.

In March my van stalled as I was turning through a busy intersection with my child in the front seat. We narrowly avoided being t-boned. For a second the dash lit up with lights and then it said to shift to park to start vehicle but I couldn't shift. After finally getting it in neutral some good samaritans helped me push it out of the intersection and while I sat off to the side, after about 15 minutes of getting out and checking under the hood, the car started. We used our own code reader and it threw the poa79 code. We brought it to lewisville with an appointment, told them about the stall and they did the z11 recall work for the fire risk with the battery but say there are no issues with the battery and no codes, but they have us ready for the recall work on loss of motive power as soon as the recall work is available because loss of power is a known issue. They think my stall is related to the recall and needs a software update so hold off. Pick the van up after easter. 3 months later it stalls again, this time with my child and husband on the freeway! after about 10 minutes of everything flashing, it starts again just as it did before, and the cel clears. We call and are told that the loss of motive power recall o3a process is now out for the 2018. We have never noticed an unexpected loss of charge. We were charging outside and far from our house, per the recall. No lobster popping up. Make an appointment for the o3a recall work and the van stalls on the way. This time it doesn't restart as I understand it, the transmission issue is that transmission case castings causes the high voltage wires to chafe and short out. We are told that we do not have a transmission or a battery issue, it is the on board charging module has internal damage. They are unable to explain how a van that was at 95% charge and with a 12v that showed it wasn't depleted now has an internally damaged obcm. And they don't know if that is the fundamental underlying problem with stalls.

Check engine light stays on and car does not charge. Both recalls were done at the dealership.

While driving at a low speed in a neighborhood, received the message "service charging system" then within seconds car completely died. No engine power or electrical systems working, all lights and screens were black. Was able to pull over and park safely.

The vehicle is hard shifting/jerking when accelerating from either a slow speed or from a complete stop. When it does this, it feels like I'm getting rear-ended with a jolt forward. It doesn't do this all the time and when it does it scares me. Please advise.

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.

My air conditioning stopped working at 50k miles. The dealership, sarasota Dodge, charged me $409 to look at the car and wanted $3300 to repair it. I don't have that kind of money and the car is still under warranty. I brought my brand new car to a local garage and they diagnosed the issue for free and charged me a 1/4 of the cost Chrysler did to repair it. The issue is the material used for the evaporator core is aluminum and does not interact well with the air conditioning chemicals so the chemicals eat away at the core and the chemicals escape into the cabin. This had been going on for a long time and I did not know what the smell was.

Power steering is unavailable stop/start is unavailable wasn’t able to avoid an accident this morning from deer. Steering went out.

I was driving on a local road and car suddenly stopped running; accelarator unresponsive; power steering not working either. I was able to pull to side. Car said shift p to start , gear change didn't do anything and blinking, check engine light came up. And “check charging system” light came on. It was very dangerous. After 3-4 minutes I was able to get my car turn off and on and then it drove normal. So I decided to take it in nearby open parking area. It would restart but not do anything even if switched into drive or reverse. Check charging system light on and no power steering again. I had to get it to get it towed the next day from that lot. First tow truck unable to tow due to steering being locked. 2nd tow truck needed help to move car due to steering. Been at dealer for 30 days. They changed charging port but it didn’t work. Now they are changing battery. I don’t want this car back and don’t want to keep making payments on it either. It’s not a safe car.

The automatic start/stop has consistently been an issue. The car auto stopped while I was at a light in the middle of a busy intersection and caused the entire car to shut off instantly with no warning, the whole car except the radio went black. There was no light on the dashboard until after it shut off and was jump-started. Both aux battery, regular battery and 2 relays have already had to be replaced previously to fix the issue, and it has become and issue for a second time after all those repairs.