Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Chrysler Pacifica - part 1

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.

I was driving the vehicle as normal when all of a sudden a message appeared and the engine shut down. The message was "stop safely vehicle will shut off soon". It brought my speed down to 10 mph and I had to pull off the side of the road. This is now the 3rd time it has happened. We have brought it into the dealership previously and both times they said that they were not able to find the issue and since the message went away, we could proceed with driving the vehicle as normal. I have 3 little kids and we often drive on the highway and I no longer feel safe in my car. I know there is an open investigation for model years 2017-2023, but unfortunately ours is a 2024 so is not in that investigation.

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As I began driving errors popped up engine failure, electrical system and hybrid system errors, the gas pedal would not move beyond 10 miles per hour, the brakes made a weird noise as if were trying to start the car. This happened with no warning.

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The charging system light came on. My wife went to charge at public charging station due to being close to one. After plugging in the van, it said charging failed. She unplugged the charged went to back up and the van died. Had to have it towed to dealer. Dealer states even though the van is in the warranty period, the idcm which is up under the van is scuffed and therefore isn’t warrantied. They said there is a big dent in the muffler also so we must have ran over something and caused the damage even though we live in a city with paved streets, a subdivision with paved streets, and have a concrete driveway at our home. They said they have sent me emails with the pictures which I have yet to recieve. I went to the dealer and asked them to jack up my van so I can see the damage personally and they don’t have a lift available at the time, so I told them I would be back in town at a certain time from work and to call me so I could see it and they have yet to show me the scuffed idcm module or the dented muffler. We haven’t run over anything to cause this kind of damage to a module like this because all the hybrid batteries are under the van. If the Chrysler Pacifica hybrid is so cheaply made for a $62,000 vehicle that something can “scuff” a module housing and shut a vehicle down, this is potentially very dangerous if someone were driving on the highway if it were to shutdown and someone (including myself or any of my family) were driving and lose all propulsion and steering (because it’s electric steering) or worse braking! it could be catastrophic with people dying. This needs to be investigated to see how fragile this component is and if they need to “toughen” it up or re-locate it. Versus trying to get by and get around paying warranty claims or hoping nothing happens until the units break down after the warranty period not knowing of the safety hazard they have created for their vehicle owners and the driving public.

Blown head gasket.

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It loses power alot especially uphill. It smells like burnt oil all the time. Smokes out exhaust. Hesitates anytime you put the gas down. And then clunks around sometimes too.

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Head gasket failure number two cylinder created hydro lock and destroyed motor 105k miles.

Well driving down the interstate my van slammed on brakes stated safety mode engine will. Shut off soon. Now it will not start. It could have caused us to get in a serious wreck.

While driving down the highway at 70 miles per hour ater driving 2. 5 hours our 2021 Pacifica hybrid minivan flashed a warning on the vehicles display saying approximately "warning engine shutting down". The engine immediately shut down in the middle of the highway and we were forced to coast off the highway to the shoulder. The engine warning light came on. We turned the car off for a few minutes and proceeded to start the engine. The engine warning light was still on, but the other message was gone. We attempted to drive towards our destination and approximately 30 minutes later the same thing happened again. We tried one more time since we were several hours from home and within 30 minutes the vehicle had the same issue. At that point we decided to try to get home. We drove the vehicle 15-20 mins at a time and then exited the highway over and over giving the vehicle time turned off. After returning home with no additional events the engine warning light went off the next warning. This was on a Sunday so we were unable to get it to a dealer. The next day we dropped off the vehicle at nappletom Chrysler dealership. The called us the next day and told us they could not cause the event to happen again. They could see a set of error codes showing the problem occurred, but told us there was nothing they could do and it was up to us to cause the problem and then return the vehicle. Now I have a minivan with 70k miles on it that my wife primarily uses my with to get my daughter from place to place and I have no idea when this vehicle will shut the engine down at any time potentially causing a dangerous accident. I believe Chrysler has the responsibility to determine what the issue is. Researching on the internet show this is a common problem for my vehicle and typically requires a new transmission or and engine wiring short.

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Original code displayed was for a misfire on cylinder 5. Vehicle wouldn’t start and we had it towed to a Chrysler dealership for a diagnostic. Dealership stated it had a cracked head gasket. Based on research this is a common problem among Chrysler Pacificas where it’s specifically happening on cylinder 5. Regular maintenance has been done and prior to the issue it idled roughly. The next morning the vehicle wouldn’t start.

We bought our brand-new Chrysler van in 2019. On [xxx] the oil filter housing needed to be replaced due to cheap manufacturing parts. It cost us $918. 78. In October of 2025, we were experiencing some shaking in our van. Upon investigation, it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket. The repair was estimated at $3000 - $4000. The mileage on our van was a little over 93,000 miles. We were meticulous with the maintenance of our van. This, according to Chrysler Pacifica owner online forums, is not uncommon. There is a general outrage at the obvious manufacturing error. Is there any class action lawsuit ongoing? is there any recourse available? Chrysler should pay out due to their shoddy work. [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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Engine shutdowns randomly while driving and it almost caused me to crash once on the highway and the other was while in my neighborhood to take my daughter to school.

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On our 2018 Pacifica the head gasket is blown. This seems to be a very common issue with the 2018 model that Chrysler won't address. No one was harmed. The problem was confirmed by our independent mechanic. No it has not been inspected by anyone other than the independent mechanic. The check engine light came on after a rough start, coolant level started to go down, and white smoke from the exhaust. There are many complaints and many forums with Pacifica owners needing to foot the bill for these repairs. There is specifically something wrong with this engine from this time frame. Thank you.

The vehicle stalls while driving without any notice. This van has a start/stop function and it malfunctions. There are two separate batteries that control this function and both of them have been replaced. The entire steering rack and steering column have had to be replaced. The front suspension has also had to be replaced because the tires wear out very quickly. The alternator, radiator, and motor mounts have also had to be replaced. The van is available for inspection. At the moment the vehicle will not start and I have been advised that it needs a new starter. This vehicle is a safety risk and it puts others at risk as well. These problems have been diagnosed and confirmed by at least three different service centers including a Chrysler dealership. I generally do not get any warning lamps, messages, or symptoms when the van stalls.

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2019 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that the message “engine would shutoff soon” was displayed. The start/stop, engine, forward collision avoidance, and 4wd warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the power steering functionality had become inoperable. The vehicle had stalled on several occasions. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 19v348000 (electrical system). The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who scanned the vehicle and determined there was a code that “voltage-too-high” was displayed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

Absolutely, jenna — here’s a more natural, human-sounding version of your NHTSA report draft: --- vehicle issue report: Chrysler Pacifica I’m reporting ongoing issues with my Chrysler Pacifica that I believe could be safety-related: clunking sound: the vehicle makes a clunking noise when shifting gears. Steering stickiness: the steering doesn’t always respond smoothly — it occasionally sticks when turning. This makes the car go wider than intended during turns and lane changes, which feels unsafe. I’m concerned they may point to a larger mechanical issue and could affect driver control. I’d appreciate it if NHTSA could look into whether this is part of a known defect or something that needs further investigation.

As of late of September 2025, our vehicle had approximately 59,000 on the odometer. Around that time, the check engine light turned on. A few days later, white smoke began emitting from the exhaust. On September 27, 2025, the vehicle failed to start entirely. We had the car towed to brooklyn Chrysler Dodge Jeep ram (cdjr) for inspection and repair. The dealership performed a diagnostic check and provided the report on October 13, 2025, indicating that the issue was due to a failed head gasket. The repair's cost is $8,711. 56.

The engine failed at 104,000 miles despite proper maintenance. The vehicle is used by my wife and three children, and the engine unexpectedly experienced a head gasket failure while on the highway, with no prior warning except for a known issue acknowledged by Chrysler. I am now faced with the costly repair of replacing the engine. As a family relying on this vehicle for daily needs, including school and work commitments, I am disappointed that such issues persist in this model despite widespread reports of similar problems.

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 have written about repeated issues with auto start/stop on this vehicle. Prior dealers have not been able to isolate the problem. Some of the problems seem to mimic a much earlier issue that went to court but did not happen during the timeframe of the class action suit. The prior submission to NHTSA was with this tracking number: 11681967 . I am now submitting repair information that aligns with my complaint of the auto/start stop on this vehicle. I am submitting this because it helps to support my earlier submission. Thank you.

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.

Blown head gasket (cylinder 3 misfire) after having 2018 Chrysler Pacifica touring l serviced at Chrysler dealership, technicians found small leak coming from oil/coolant filter housing unit. Part was replaced and few days later vehicle had a misfire and had flashing check engine light (cel). Car was towed to dealership, technicians said code seen was p0303 (cylinder 3 misfire). Tech, replaced ignition coil for cylinder 3 and cleared codes. Two days later on start up, p0303 (cylinder 3 misfire) came back with cel. Tech cleared codes and could not re-create cel again. Two days later p0303 came back. Technicians performed more diagnostics and confirmed blown head gasket. This seems to be a very prominent issue with 2017-2018 Pacificas, more notably cylinders 1, 3, & 5. The catalytic converter sits above the firewall cylinder bank and possibly is causing this possible engine failure due to excessive heat and poor heat dissipation capability over time. If not caught quickly, coolant can leak into cylinder affected and then overheat engine causing irreversible damage. This situation can also create a very hazardous situation if driving into speeding traffic from a turn and engine misfires, my vehicle could be rear ended if acceleration does not happen quickly enough.

While driving in the carpool lane on the freeway, the vehicle displayed “stop safely. Vehicle will shut off soon” and lost all power. I am pregnant and had four children (ages [xxx] , [xxx] , [xxx] , and [xxx] ) in the vehicle. The outside temperature was over 100°f, and we were two hours from home. The car was completely disabled in heavy traffic, creating an extreme safety risk for my family. After waiting about 15–20 minutes, the vehicle restarted and we were able to continue. A code scan showed p0a78 – drive motor “a” inverter performance. This is a serious safety concern, and I am requesting immediate inspection and repair under warranty. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The vehicle’s electrical or engine system appears to have failed, causing a sudden loss of power while driving. The exact component has not been identified by the dealership or Chrysler, but it may be related to the recall affecting the vehicle’s powertrain control or electrical system. The vehicle is currently at the dealership and available for inspection upon request. The issue has created a serious safety risk. The vehicle has repeatedly lost power and shut off while driving on the highway, including one incident where I was unable to fully pull off the road before it stalled in active traffic. My children were in the vehicle at the time, placing us in immediate danger of being struck by oncoming vehicles. Because the vehicle can stop without warning, it is unsafe to drive and puts both my family and others on the road at risk. The dealership has confirmed the issue and advised that parts are on backorder for at least 10 weeks. They also stated that even once the parts arrive, they are uncertain how to complete the repair, indicating that Chrysler has not yet provided an effective fix. The vehicle has been inspected by the authorized Chrysler dealership multiple times, and the issue has been reported to Chrysler. It has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. A warning message reading “pull over as the vehicle will stop” appears on the dashboard prior to each failure event. The first occurrence was on June 10, 2025, while driving on the highway to my daughter’s graduation. Since then, the same warning has appeared multiple times before the vehicle shuts off completely. It has been 6 weeks at this point and I have no vehicle. Chrysler has offered rental reimbursement of $60 a day but there is no vehicle that is a 7 passenger like my van that is of this cost. At this time they do not have a timeframe of when the vehicle will be fixed and denied a buyback or replacement.

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Number of days your vehicle is down: indefinitely as of now there is no fix according to the dealership parts are at least 10 weeks out with them not knowing how to do the install once parts arrive number of repair attempts: there is no fix as of now but the vehicle has broken down 4 times parts for the transmission are on back order (at least ten weeks) and they do not know how to install the parts once they arrive first repair attempt date and problem: June 10, 2025 the van showed a message saying pull over as the vehicle will stop while we were on the highway heading to my daughters graduation. Initially. We were able to pull over that time and stop driving before the car turned off. We took the vehicle in and they inspected it for the recall. Most recently, the vehicle did it again on the highway. I was not being able to pull all the way over prior to the vehicle, losing power and stopping in the middle of the highway with my children inside. Voice of the customer / complaint: as of now there is no timetable for us to be able to return driving the vehicle which is extremely unsafe. We purposely got a seven passenger van to transport our entire family, and at this point we have no way to do. So. The dealership says they are unable to give us a loaner for that, and we are getting no assistance with this with no timetable. As far as when the vehicle will be fixed. Therefore, I’m requesting a buyback of the vehicle so that we can get something to transport our family as the vehicle is down. I am still having to pay for the car note without having anything to show for it. I cannot drive it as I don’t know when it will shut off. It is currently sitting at the dealer.

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.

While driving my vehicle soon after purchase I notice an engine light on along with a huge fan noise from under the hood. Addressed the issue with dealer they diagnosed the car and so called fixed the issue. About a month ago I’m driving the car on a residential street and noticed the car jerking loud fan noise and the whole dashboard light up saying service hybrid service engine and transmission. . Suddenly the engine stops in moving traffic. The vehicle windshield wipers cut on by themselves and the car stayed in park. . Tow the vehicle to the dealer using only a dolly tow truck due to vehicle unable to be placed in neutral. Dealer calls to give update and noted no codes were stored and there is currently no issue with vehicle. . He suggested to keep the vehicle longer to see if the problem returns. I’m afraid the electrical issue that is going on with this hybrid will cost me and my children life one day. This vehicle is not safe to drive and I am stuck in a purchase contract.

When driving on local road or freeways, car stops in middle of running state with check engine light on and with a message displayed on cluster as ‘ stop safely, vehicle will shut off soon’.

I was driving and all of a sudden I got a warning to stop that the engine was going to shut off. I got off to the side of the road and it shut down. I had it towed to the garage. The next day they ran tests. The batteries were both new and they tested fine. Alternator tested fine. Since then it’s happened two more times and the dealer is telling me that all the tests are fine. That Chrysler won’t help me because they can’t prove anything is wrong. Even with the pictures of all the codes and alerts. I don’t feel safe driving my kids in this van at all now. But nobody will help me.

I would like to bring up a serious safety issue with this vehicle (2024 Chrysler Pacifica select phev) with 6997 miles on the odometer. As I was driving, at approximately 11:15am, I received a message on the dashboard that read, “stop safely!! vehicle will shut off in < 2 minutes”. For my own safety as well as other drivers on the road, I tried maneuvering the vehicle to the side of the road, however the vehicle shut off within 15-30 seconds. The vehicle did not move at all. The serious safety concern I have is “what if the vehicle had stopped running on the major highways full of traffic”? please note, this is also a well-known issue starting from the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica models. Additionally, a similar incident occurred to another similar make model in sept. 2024 with VIN # [xxx] . It seemed like, when I received the message, the vehicle's computer system interlocks fuel supply and chokes up the brakes to the wheels so the vehicle is completed locked up in one position and it does not do rolling stop to safely pull over to the side of the road. This is very dangerous because if a semi-truck with 80,000 lbs. Load is coming behind you, you will not be able to move your vehicle to the side. This can potentially kill all the occupants in the vehicle. This vehicle has been towed to the dealer to troubleshoot/resolve the issue. Thank you so much in advance for looking into this issue urgently. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Blown head gasket.

On 8/12/2025, he vehicle displayed a warning that said "stop safely, vehicle will shut off soon" shortly after it was parked. It also displayed a red turtle and the check engine light. There was no warning or check engine light prior to the message that the vehicle was going to shut off. Fortunately, we had already parked safely, but were on the freeway traveling and about an hour away from home. It was 100 degrees outside, and we were stranded with no help from Chrysler customer care other than to tow the vehicle, leaving our kids and dog in a parking lot with no car. We declined this option and had it checked by a diagnostic computer at jiffy lube, which returned no diagnostic code. Eventually, all of the warnings and check engine lights went off, and we were able to take it home. We took it to the dealership at the earliest opportunity on 08/14, and they confirmed that this is a known issue and would require a transmission replacement. There is no timeline on the repair or replacement, only that it will take "a while". They do not advise that we take the van back because the issue could come nback at any moment and the vehicle could shut off without warning.

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.