Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Chrysler Pacifica - part 1

While driving the car is unable to switch gears from d to l gear and has no power to accerlerate up hill.

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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.

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While driving vehicle suddenly, and randomly, has a loss of engine response whole pressing the accelerator. Engine randomly shuts off while parked or at a traffic light, and can be difficult to restart after causing a traffic hazard.

The vehicle has no power going up hills or accelerating and just stops and doesn't move. To get the car to move again you have to turn the car off and back on. Even if you put the car in l it can still just go back in regular drive on its own an cut out with no acceleration.

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).

Bad engine at 67,000 miles for a blown head gasket. Service records up to date,.

While driving at normal road speed, the vehicle suddenly lost propulsion and entered limp mode. A turtle warning icon appeared along with multiple system fault messages. The vehicle began slowing down on it's own and was unable to accelerate. I pulled to the side of the road. The vehicle displayed an error "stop safely vehicle will shut off soon". After sitting for a period of time, the vehicle restarted and was able to be driven again, but the failure occurred without warning and created a dangerous situation in traffic. Diagnostic trouble codes were present related to the hybrid system and high-voltage battery, including p1d43, p1a21, u029a, and u0412. These codes indicate faults in the hybrid control system and battery communication. A Chrysler service department inspected the vehicle, confirmed the trouble codes, and returned it to me without repair because the issue was not immediately reproducible at the dealership. The vehicle has a history of similar intermittent issues, including prior loss-of-power events and repeated service visits for hybrid system faults. The condition is not consistently reproducible, but when it occurs it results in a sudden loss of motive power while driving. This creates a significant safety risk due to unexpected loss of propulsion in active traffic.

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Vehicle lost power, steering, and breaks on the george washington bridge in nyc causing it to roll into the back of another vehicle.

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The start/stop system fails while car is running. Power not delivered appropriately resulting in check engine light coming on and entire car shaking. Only 62k miles. Started at 58k.

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We've had to replace the engine. Twice and the electric power steering quit, working completely. And now they want five thousand dollars to replace it. When it's a known problem.

This is an intermittent issue that has been happening for a while now and the car was sent to the dealership twice but the issue still persists. The engine would shuts down or partially loses torque all of a sudden and the steering becomes very stiff. At the same time you would see all kinds of alarms, error messages, and check lights on the dashboard. I would then have to pull over to the side of the road, turn off the car, then try to start it back up. Usually after several attempts (one time that took nearly 30 minutes), the car works properly again with no error messages but sometimes I'd still have some persistent check lights on the dashboard. Error messages and check lights that I see include the following: -service electronic stability control -autopark engaged -shifter autocorrect active -park brake temporarily unavailable -awd system temporarily unavailable -automatic emergency braking off check light -forward collision warning off check light -check engine light the dealership has been unable to properly diagnose and fix this issue so far. On the first visit, they replaced the main battery, auxiliary battery, some wire harnesses that I was told had some corrosion, and the adaptive cruise control module. On the second visit, they replaced the can bus star connector. The same issue still persists after replacing all above components.

The car randomly gives a warning on the dashboard in red, with red turtle symbol, to pull over and stop safely. A lot of the time we will be on the highway and can't pull over safely. It happens at any speed. 25, 80, 65, etc. It's been happening since we got the vehicle in 2023 and no dealership understands what the issue is even though there are clearly recall repairs for other same make and model of other years surrounding this 2022 model. They keep saying its keysense but its not locked for speed and that doesnt make sense because it doesnt happen at a high speed only, it happens randomly even in town going slow. They've done the "software update" a fee times, but it's clearly the same problem as the others with the wiring harness. That part needs to be replaced because the patch software fix isn't a solution and its definitely not a safe solution at that.

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2018 Pacifica with 3. 6l engine. Blown head gasket at 69k miles with coolant leaking into cylinder 5. The engine is very hesitant upon acceleration and can be dangerous when pulling out into traffic. This is an all too common issue and needs to be addressed by Chrysler. Engines should not be failing this at 69k. I change oil every 4k miles which is way ahead of the recommended schedule by Chrysler. Coolant was done by the dealer after radiator replacement for a radiator leak at 52k miles.

On February 16, 2026, my vehicle was diagnosed by safford brown Chrysler Dodge Jeep ram with a failed catalytic converter/manifold. While I am approximately 17 days past the 8-year calendar window for the federal emissions warranty, my vehicle has only 77,337 miles. This is 2,663 miles below the 80,000-mile federal limit. The failed bank 2 maniverter assembly has a confirmed crack that allows raw exhaust fumes and carbon monoxide to enter the vehicle cabin via the hvac system. Warning lamp appeared on 2/13/26.

As I was leaving the gas station the check engine light flashed on and off then the car was like turning on and off fast and a loud clunk sound and the fuel pump module exploded gas sprayed all over the gas station. Huge fire hazard and the car began to smoke vehicle experienced a sudden catastrophic fuel system failure involving fire risk and loss of propulsion. The incident occurred without warning and created a serious safety hazard to occupants and surrounding traffic. This vehicle is a Chrysler Pacifica hybrid. Similar failures involving fuel system and hybrid control logic have been widely reported. The manufacturer was contacted but declined to properly document the safety incident. This failure is not consistent with normal wear and tear and represents a potential safety defect. Key details to include when submitting online: - sudden loss of propulsion - fire risk / fuel involvement - hybrid system interaction - manufacturer declined to document incident.

The check engine light is on my Chrysler Pacifica 2017 limited with error codes p0302 and p0306, indicating misfires in the second and sixth cylinders. The vehicle was purchased brand new in 2017 from a Chrysler dealership in olathe, kansas and currently has approximately 97,000 miles. So far, the spark plugs and valve cover gasket have been replaced, but the same error codes persist. The mechanic is now recommending head gasket replacement, with an estimated repair cost of up to $5,000, which is extremely high. After researching this issue online, I found that thousands of Chrysler owners have experienced the same problem, yet no recall or corrective action has been issued by Chrysler. I contacted Chrysler customer support directly, but was informed that no assistance could be provided because the vehicle is out of warranty. We chose to purchase this vehicle based on the trust, reliability, and customer service reputation of Chrysler, but unfortunately, this experience has not reflected those values. An engine failure of this magnitude at this mileage is unacceptable, especially when it appears to be a known and widespread issue. I strongly believe Chrysler should take responsibility and provide assistance for this engine defect.

On January 14, 2026 while driving on highway fast lane warning light came on that engine was going to shut off and withing a few minutes it did. I managed to pull over off the freeway before engine completely shut off. Turned everything off and waited about five minutes and turned car back on. Car ran with engine warning lights on. Took it to carl burger Dodge but they could not check in the car due to an abundance of work. Asked that I make an appointment later. On January 26, 2026 while driving on the highway same thing happened, warning light came on that engine was going to shut off, pulled over from fast lane to side of busy highway and stopped. Turned everything off and waited for about five minutes and started car again with car warning lights on. Drove it that day. Later in the day parked car at a shopping mall and turned car off. When I returned to turn car on warning light came on that engine was shut down. Turned everything off and waited for about five minutes and turned car back on, it drove with engine warning lights on. On January 29, 2026 took car to carl burger Dodge and left it there for evaluation and repairs. Question, has there been any recalls or fixes relating to alleged problem an internal transmission wiring connector that may short and can cause the car to shut off? an issue NHTSA had previously identified as a problem.

My van has been in the shop for 22 days. They have replaced the engine 1 time and I had the van back 2 more times for check engine light issues and now the engine is being replaced for a a second time, so this is the 3rd engine in my 2025 Chrysler Pacifica that has 9100 miles on it.

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At 9,000 miles the check engine light came on. We took the van to the dealership and there was metal in the engine and the engine needs to be replaced.

This has been ever since I got my van. Sometime when I drive my lights come on and it goes into limp mode. Most of the time. When I start my van my lights will turn on. I have to turn my car off . Then start again to get my van riding correctly. The other day I was making a u-turn and my engine stalled and I was almost hit by a truck.

I am reporting a safety defect involving my 2021 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid. The vehicle experiences repeated hybrid system failures, including “system charging” errors, rapid battery depletion from full to zero within minutes, and vehicle stalling. These failures have occurred multiple times, even after dealership repair attempts. The vehicle has stalled and been towed more than once, most recently on September 26, 2025. Now, today, January 20, 2026, the vehicle has once again stalled and will have to be towed for the third time since purchasing in August 2024. This has left us stranded once again. This is a serious safety concern, especially given the risk of stalling while driving. I transport elderly family members and depend on this vehicle for medical appointments. I am requesting NHTSA document this issue and review whether this represents a broader safety defect.

On [xxx] while driving my vehicle on the fast lane of the freeway the warning came on that the vehicle was going to shut down soon. I was able to pull over to the slow lane and immediately exit the freeway and as I was exiting the freeway the vehicle completely shut down. I was able to move the car to park in a safe area on the street with what little power it had. Shut the vehicle down and contemplated what to do. I waited for a few minutes and then turned the engine on and it drove but the orange engine light was still on. I slowly drove it to the carl burger Dodge dealership in la mesa, CA using side streets, avoiding the freeway, approximately 10 miles distance. They would not take my car in for service due to their back log and asked for I to make an appointment which would likely be around two to three weeks away or take it to another dealer that may look at my car sooner. Hesitant, I slowly drove my car to my residence again using only side streets, a distance of about 20 miles. Made it safely but the orange engine light was still on. I have had recall repairs on this vehicle previously. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Red turtle symbol, vehicle going to shut down, indicates issue sensing power from the hybrid drivetrain.

See all problems of the 2023 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

At 120,000 miles the head gasket has started leaking into the cylinders. We are unsure if it is reparable or if I will require a new engine. This is a know problem with Pacificas and is an issue they should be fixing since the problem is on the engine part they installed.

While driving in suburban traffic vehicle engine began running rough and lost most power with about 58000 mi on the vehicle. Received check engine light and vehicle entered 'limp mode' with turtle icon displayed on screen. Brought to dealer and it was diagnosed with a p0304 cylinder #4 misfire and leaking head gasket causing coolant contamination to engine oil. Dealer repaired the head gasket under warranty. About 2 months after the head gasket was repair at 60,098 miles while drive on the interstate the engine began running rough. Check engine light came on and then oil pressure light came on. We were able to exit the highway, had the vehicle towed to the same dealer where the head gasket was repaired under warranty. This time the engine was diagnosed with a failed #4 cylinder connecting rod. Chrysler and dealer refused to repair or replace the engine even though both leak and failure occurred on same cylinder.

The vehicle was running fine when it suddenly shut down while driving. It was started back up 3 times before it would not start again. It was towed. We were told the two batteries needed to be replaced so we had it towed to midas because they had recently changed the auxiliary battery so it was under warranty. They replaced they replaced thr batteries but when they went to started up, thr engine started knocking and wouldn't start up again. Tr engine needs to be replaced.

At 48,445 miles, the vehicle's engine experienced a catastrophic internal failure involving cylinders 4 and 6. The failure resulted in a sudden loss of motive power and engine misfires while the vehicle was in operation, creating a severe safety hazard and risk of stalling in active traffic. A certified mechanic performed a cylinder leak-down and compression test, confirming internal engine failure consistent with the known 3. 6l pentastar cylinder head/gasket manufacturing defects. The vehicle is now unsafe to operate. This failure occurred well before the expected useful life of the powertrain and appears consistent with the defects alleged in the class action maugain et al. V. Fca us llc. No warning lights illuminated prior to the immediate failure.

The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized in the middle of the road. The contact stated that there was no power to the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure occurred close to the residence, and there was not a lot of traffic. The driver was able to exit the vehicle and get to a safe area. The contact's brother-in-law was contacted for assistance; however, the driver became impatient waiting for assistance. The driver attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle started. The help arrived, disconnected and reconnected the battery cables, and the vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer; however, the dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that a recall was issued, but for hybrid vehicles. In addition, the contact referenced an open investigation for the failure. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice within two weeks. Additionally, the warning light that the “auto start/stop unavailable” had remained illuminated since August 2025. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000. The VIN was unavailable.

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.

This car has had so many issues in the 2 years that I have had it. Blown head gaskets, hard shifting, cruise control getting stuck in a high gear and not shifting. When fixing the head gasket it was apparent that it wasnt the first time being fixed. For such a nice vehicle it has way too many problems for the amount I purchased it for. There needs to be some sort of compensation for this. Upon looking into these issues there are thousands among thousands of people with the same head gasket issues and transmission issues as well.

While driving at approximately 65 mph on I-35 in moderate traffic, the vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of motive power. I was positioned in the far-right lane at the time of the incident. A notification message appeared on the dashboard screen (likely the "stop safely" or "service hybrid system" warning); however, there was no accompanying audible warning tone to alert me to the severity of the issue before power was lost. The failure rendered the vehicle unable to accelerate, creating a severe safety hazard. I was forced to navigate to the shoulder and stop for the vehicle to reset and allow me to reach the exit while the vehicle was effectively crippled, moving at speeds under 10 mph amidst highway-speed traffic. I was eventually able to exit the freeway at this reduced speed. This was the third and fourth time issue had occurred. This happened immediately after leaving the dealership to resolve this exact issue and was told that the vehicle was safe to drive again.

While driving at approximately 65 mph on I-35 in moderate traffic, the vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of motive power. I was positioned in the far-left passing lane at the time of the incident. A notification message appeared on the dashboard screen (likely the "stop safely" or "service hybrid system" warning); however, there was no accompanying audible warning tone to alert me to the severity of the issue before power was lost. The failure rendered the vehicle unable to accelerate, creating a severe safety hazard. I was forced to navigate from the far-left lane across multiple lanes of traffic to reach the exit while the vehicle was effectively crippled, moving at speeds under 10 mph amidst highway-speed traffic. I was eventually able to exit the freeway at this reduced speed. This was the second time this issue had occurred. The previous check engine light had cleared on its own and I assumed the vehicle was safe to drive.

I keep getting the same codes every few weeks. P0732.

While driving off from an intersection, the van abruptly stalled forcing other cars to honk at me as I rolled from 45 mph to a stop at a curb. 5 minutes of panic, the van restarted and I was on my way home with no further issues.

The contact owns a 2026 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving 5-10 mph, the brakes locked up. The contact stated that the parking brake unexpectedly engaged and failed to release. The driver’s side rear wheel locked up. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While driving in the driveway, the brakes locked up. The vehicle was taken to the dealer again, where the abs module was replaced. Additionally, there was an engine malfunction, and the battery was recharged. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The contact requested a vehicle buyback. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.