Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Chrysler Pacifica - part 2

Driving on the highway, all of a sudden, my car dashboard shows a message that " vehicle will shut off soon" and the accelerator does not work. It was horrifying; there is no median to pull the vehicle out.

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While traveling on an interstate highway at highway speed (65-70 mph), a red turtle warning light came on with the message "pull over safely; vehicle will shut off soon. " almost immediately, we lost all power and glided into the right-hand shoulder. We narrowly missed being rear-ended. We got it to a local dealer, where the service department informed us we need a new transmission. The car has less than 13,000 miles on it.

Head gasket failure at a 107,000 miles.

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

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

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who indicated that a coolant pressure test was needed. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the front and rear head gaskets needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 51,000.

On 04/26/25 while traveling on the interstate the car issued a warning engine light and turtle image to pull off the road as the car would shut off, immediately it had no power, maybe could only go 30 mph. Took the car in on 5/10 which was the earliest appt. Said they did a software update, gave the car back. Took the car again on 6/4 when the same warning appeared again on the interstate, same situation disabled vehicle at high speeds on the interstate and no power. Said they changed a module related to the error and gave me the car back. Yesterday as I was driving on I-95 70 mph the car gave the same warning and shut off again, immediately I had no power, 30 mph. The dealer acknowledged my car is not the only one in his shop with this issue. They had my vehicle for nearly a month the time before. This vehicle is not safe to drive on the highways as it can shut off at any time. It's a known problem by Chrysler and their idea of fixing it, is issuing a warning which gives you almost no time to get off the highway before your speed is greatly reduced and even then you're stuck on the side of the highway with cars speeding by in an area with no shoulder or construction zone you'd be stuck in the middle of the road. Someone will wind up dead on the highway, I am lucky that in the 3 times this has happened I have not been hit and have been able to safely get to the shoulder, but I don't see Chrysler being able to fix this issue, the dealership did reach out to the manufacturer each time. I know my car is not the only one that has this issue and I'm concerned for the safety of anyone who owns one of these. A simple google search of this vehicle will show the problem is wide spread.

While driving light came on that car was hot. Immediately pulled over and had the van towed. Was told the head gasket was blown which damaged the engine. Engine now needs to be replaced. Cheapest estimate has been $9,000 at a dealership, van isn’t even paid off yet. My 5 children were in the car when this happened I was afraid the vehicle was going to stop in the middle of the rd. No other warnings or anything. Also when we first purchased van was idle and then go silent like it’s supposed to we have noticed it doesn’t even get quiet anymore. Very disappointed family of 7 with no way to have our van repaired.

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On [xxx], I was driving uphill on the interstate at around 70 mph on gas power (hybrid battery was discharged) and warning came up "stop safely vehicle will shut down soon" and lost power (limp mode). I was able to move safely to the shoulder, but with 5 passengers (3 young kids) and a dog and a full load of camping gear it was a bit nervewracking. Could not get the car started again (stayed in limp mode) and used an obdii scanner I had which popped up error code (p0a43 - "intermittent issue with the drive motor "a" position sensor"). The vehicle was towed to the dealer ( 4 hours from home) and after a few days they said the vehicle was fixed and I pushed for them to test drive it on the interstate. Was returned with this comment: " found codes for drive motor "a" position sensor circuit intermittent and hybrid battery pack state of charge low. Checked trans plug and wiring verified operating correctly. Found that resolver needs to have relearn preformed. Preformed relearn on resolver and charged hybrid battery. Test drove vehicle on interstate and verified that issue did not return. Vehicle operating as designed. " I received a notice of an unlimited mile/year warranty on the transmission for this car, and from what I read on the internet, this is a recurrent issue with a known cause. We were able to get off the road safely in this case, but it is nerve-wracking to drive, especially with my family, in the current state. This is related to an open NHTSA investigation: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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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.

The transmission kicks into 2nd gear at times and it feels like I've been rear ended. Also sometimes when that happens the car will accelerate on it's own, I am surprised that I haven't hit anything or anybody when that happens. And other times it will cut out altogether and loses power. This is definitely a safety issue. I can't understand why Chrysler will not do anything about this issue. It can be very dangerous. This has been going on for the 4 years that I have had the van.

Unexpected engine shut down electrical system, short circuit and the internal transmission failure loss of motor power while driving, losing control of all drive power breaking on its own increasing the risk of crash. Electrical system went haywire.

See all problems of the 2022 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

Coolant leak in cylinder 3 due to faulty head gasket. Based on the blogs, this is an issue with all Pacifica not just 2018. This requires a full engine replacement which most families cannot afford nor afford to replace the vehicle. If we keep driving it with this issue it becomes a safety issue. Quote is an $11,000 repair.

The van did not transition from electric to gas engine when driving and battery for the electrical engine was depleted. The dash board displayed a red turtle and said slow on dashboard. But it would not drive forward. I was on a hill and the van backed down the hill in reverse. I did this multiple times - turn off van, restart van and try to go up hill, reverse it down hill again. At some point, there was enough electricity for the electrical engine to kick in and I was able to drive home. After the van set for a while, it restarted and I was able to drive it to my ultimate destination 147 miles away. I researched online and found there is a recall for this very thing, but it does not include my car. Why is my life so hard? its a new van to me.

While stopped at a red light my van alerted me that the start/stop feature was not working, turned itself off and put the van in park causing much confusion and my almost getting reended as I was unsure what to do.

Vehicle displayed "stop safely, vehicle will shut off soon" followed by a complete lack of power. We managed to get to the side of the highway safely. Vehicle would not turn back on until about 45 minutes later. Before we turned off the vehicle it said service charge port. Check engine light is on, even after we managed to get it started. Currently at the shop, waiting for information on why.

The van have issues with a head gasket, Chrysler is aware yet the dealers keep selling the van with this known problems, I reached out to Chrysler and they said they cannot help. I had the van less than a year and I had the van serviced multiple times. Im attaching this link to show you guys that there IA a lot of people having the same problem, everything starts with the smell of the coolant then the misfire po201, po301, then after taking it it was po305 and po205, https://youtu. Be/suftxnbkrlu?si=joll29t6ybhziivg they speak on the video how they replaced the apparently bad part then the codes come back. I had this vehicle less than a year and I had so many issues, in my search I found this happening to multiple Pacifica owners. Vehicle starts misfiring creating a real possibility of having an accident as the car speed had to be reduced, specially if we are on the highway.

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.

Hard shifting. Shifting then rpms dropping to 1000 and not accelerating when hitting gas.

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

Recurrent intermittent power steering failure and intermittent engine stall. Steering wheel gets stuck when turning right while driving at speed on highway. Steering wheel gets very heavy and requires some force to get it back to center. If I let go of the steering wheel, it would stay in the same position until I move it back. When driving at slower speeds, usually when navigating around turns or roundabouts, the engine will stall and then drastically jolt into gear. Two different mechanics have not been able to identify the root cause. They have checked alignment, electrical codes, and other potential issues without any answers. After research, I believe I am experiencing similar issues as detailed in the safety recall v53 / NHTSA 19v-348 power steering assist. My VIN was not included in the recall , but I believe my car is showing similar concerns. I have requested a local Chrysler dealer look into this issue specifically and I have an upcoming appointment.

While exiting an interstate, the van felt like it had popped out of gear and lost power, and the instrument cluster had the message "stop safely, vehicle will shut off soon. " I was in the middle of three lanes on the ramp, and due to traffic and no shoulder I was unable to stop off the side of the road. The van died at the top of the ramp at the traffic light, causing a risk of being rear-ended by approaching traffic. I had my two children in the van at the time. After attempting to cycle the ignition several times and stepping out to wave traffic around as the traffic light cycled several times (causing a traffic backup), the van started and drove normally albeit with the check engine light on. I have not had the time to take the van to a dealership for diagnoses, but looking online this is not an unknown problem and is related to the Pacifica hybrid's transmission. Just wanting to make NHTSA aware of another event of this fault occurring.

Check engine light and auto start/stop function stopped while vehicle began to run rough and slow approximately one week ago on my way home from work. Barely accelerated to 25 on my way home. Nearly got hit as it did happen in traffic. Took it to auto outlet service yard for diagnostic purposes. Mechanic stated blown head gasket and needs new motor estimate 4500 dollars only had vehicle 6 months get oil change regularly, drive to and from work and school only.

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving 75 mph, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a misfire in cylinder #3. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 105,769.

The oil filter housing was poorly designed and leaks on virtually every one of these vehicles.   thus causing engine failure and breakdown which may lead to potential serious harm to travelers as our family suffered.   after more than a year of research talking to mechanics and Chrysler owners and service personnel, I have come to aa clear understanding:  this oil filter housing should have been recalled.   subsequently,  in later models engineers changed the oil housing manufacturing from a plastic to metal application, to a metal to metal application.   simply put, the expansion ratios of metal and plastic are measurably different,  thus the ofh leaks with time due to heat and cold temperature  fluctuations. Our breakdown happened on [xxx] and I have been talking to Chrysler and there personnel since that time, with no help. This is a dangerous over sight! there is much more to this story that I will disclose upon request. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I rented this car from budget on Saturday, may 31, 2025. When I drove it on Sunday, June 1, 2025. The check engine light came on and the car gave a warning that it would shut off. The first time I saw this notification I was stopped at a stopped sign at a 4 way intersection. The car proceeded to shut off after some time (maybe 20 seconds or so, not sure). I was at a full stop and the car was in "drive". When the car shut off it went into "park" automatically. I turned the car back on and put it back in "drive". The car would not move. I check to make sure the parking brake was not turned on and it was not. I put the car in "park" and back into "drive" and the car still did not move. I turned the car off a few more times before it switched back into gear normally. I was unable to return the car at that time. About an hour later as I was driving on the interstate in the left lane, the same warning light came on. I had to immediately move from the left lane of a 6 lane interstate all the way to the right shoulder. There was no exit or left shoulder. Once I got there the car idled for a moment and shut off; I am uncertain how long it was before it shut off. I waited a couple of minutes since I was also shaken up at having to move so many lanes on a busy interstate with so many lanes. I got to my destination after about 30 minutes. On the way home about an hour in to the drive, the same thing occurred. I moved onto to the right shoulder of a two lane interstate at this time. This time I shut the car off myself and waited a couple of minutes to turn the car back on. I then drove another 45 minutes home. Then this morning, same warning in my driveway before I left to return it. There were issues with the blind spot warning not working some of the time as well as the display screen would flicker on and off or just become disabled but still visible. I have reported this to the rental company but I want that car off the road.

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

[xxx] first “red turtle” breakdown on freeway after about an hour of freeway driving, car went into “red turtle mode” (“limp mode”) on the freeway, alerting us that the engine would shut down shortly and that we needed to get to a safe place to stop. The car wouldn’t accelerate fully, putting us in danger on the freeway, where cars were speeding all around us. June 2025: dealership’s first attempt to fix the dealership showed stored error codes p0a43 drive mode code a position sensor intermittent. But, the tech said they were unable to replicate the error. They kept it in the shop for a couple days, then sent the car home with us with no fix. They told us to restart the car a few times and it should go away. [xxx]: second breakdown on freeway on [xxx], with all three kids in the car, we drove the car from sacramento to san rafael. On the way there–the first long car trip with the van since the [xxx] incident, the red turtle alert appeared again. We were going uphill and unable to fully accelerate on the freeway, again putting our entire family in danger. We were luckily able to pull off of the freeway, restart the car several times, and continue driving–wondering the entire time whether the vehicle would again lose power, and sure enough it did. [xxx]: third breakdown on freeway later that same day, on our way home, the red turtle alert appeared again, the vehicle was unable to fully accelerate, and the message warned us that the car was about to shut itself down. This time, we were on the freeway with no exit available to us. We had to pull over onto an unprotected shoulder, with cars speeding by us on both sides. It would have been unsafe for any of us–but especially my toddlers–to exit the vehicle. We sat on the side of the freeway, restarting the car repeatedly, waiting to see if the alert would clear and the vehicle would become drivable again. Eventually, it did. We brought the car to the dealership again. Spent over a week there information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia).

There was a battery safety recall (72b) letter sent to me for potential fire danger. On the letter, in bold, "a vehicle fire can result in increased risk of occupant injury and/or injury to persons outside the vehicle as well as property damage" 3/25 - 3/29 - 72b recall work at autonation dealership completed since the recall repair, my “service engine” light will intermittently turn on/off. 5/30 - mile high hybrid diagnostic code - u0412 “invalid data received from battery energy control module” 6/12 - 6/18 - at autonation dealership. U0412 - only software upgrade completed 7/1 - 7/8 at autonation dealership - p0d57. They suggested it's a charger issues and to only use mopar charger 7/24- o'malley diagnostic code - u0412 - have only been using mopar charger. (not a charger issue) waiting to hear back from Chrysler on path forward. I want answers to get this hybrid battery issue fixed. Days at the shop: 3/25 - 3/29 - 4 5/30 - 1 6/12 - 6/18 - 6 7/1 - 7/8 - 7 total - 18 days.

While driving 70mph on the expressway the dash randomly sent a message saying “pull over vehicle shutting off” and then it put itself into limp mode. Thankfully we were able to coast to the small shoulder and put on our hazards. This happened at 2am with 4 kids in the car. Nothing in the car would work, it wouldn’t turn on, shift, nothing. We had to sit on the side of the expressway for hours waiting for a tow. While waiting it had the check engine light on, limp mode light, and messages to service hybrid system & plug in battery for reconditioning. It is waiting to be serviced, but there is a very limited amount of techs that will service it due to being a hybrid.

The contact owns a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who transferred the vehicle to an unknown local Chrysler dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

Head gasket needing replacement due to cylinder 5 misfire at 7 years/55,000 miles. This appears to be a defect in the engine for this year and 2019 year. I am willing to be a named defendant if there is an opportunity to go after Chrysler for this as they are offering no assistance for this known defective engine.

On multiple occasions while driving, we would get a fault/error message on the dash stating the start/stop system was malfunctioning and would be deactivated. We had the battery replaced at the dealer and had no issues for approximately 6 months. Not only does the car give a fault/error message when the fault occurs, but the car shuts off, while in motion (including at high speeds), causing us to have to coast through dangerous traffic to get to a safe place to put the car in park and then restart it. Once restarted, the car will run fine for an undetermined length of time before it shuts off again while driving for the same issue. Chrysler's only recommendation is to change the battery, which has been replaced and the current battery tested for proper operation.

See all problems of the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

While I was driving this vehicle on the highway, the vehicle shut off and the engine light came on.

On [xxx] in alabama at [xxx] on Saturday [xxx], going highway speed with cruise control on, the engine shut off unexpectedly. The driver put on the flashers, pulled over, and turned off the vehicle for 30 seconds. Then the vehicle was turned back on and was functioning normally. Approximately 10 minutes later the engine light is on. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).