Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Chrysler Pacifica - part 2

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.

See all problems of the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2023 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2019 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

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.

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.

See all problems of the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

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.

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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).

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, with a misfire coming from the engine. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cam shaft had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.

The oil filter housing adapter is made of plastic. They frequently break and mix the coolant and oil, leak oil out of the system and into the heads. This is a known problem and engineering solution of an aluminum housing has been made. They should recall this part and replace or reimburse for people who have had to do this already.

Symptoms exactly as described in safety recall 03a / NHTSA 23v-010. Warning came onto dash with very little time to get to side of road from highway driving before engine fully shut down. Picture of dash after warning attached. Extremely dangerous situation, particularly for a known issue as described in the recall and NHTSA notices above. Currently vehicle is at dealer pending confirmation / diagnostics.

While traveling at highway speeds, vehicle enters into "limp" mode with an in-dash warning "stop safely. Vehicle will shut off soon" warning and a red turtle warning symbol above the drive indicator. The vehicle immediately stops sending power to the wheels and it must be safely pulled over to the side. This was brought into the dealership for service and the car was returned as "repaired. " but this has not been fixed. After the initial occurrence, this has re-occurred multiple times, most recently on 06/19/2025 and 06/21/2025.

Driving at highway speed (70 mph) the vehicle repeatedly has flashed a warning : stop safely vehicle will shut off soon the engine cuts power and the vehicle must be pulled over and turned off and cannot keep driving. It leads to very unsafe conditions at highway speed. The vehicle was repaired once for the defect by Chrysler but it still continues to occur and is now being repaired again.

The head gasket failed. The check engine light came on and I took it to the dealer before the engine seized thankfully but it could have caused safety issues such as coolant leaks, engine breakdown potentially on the highway which could have caused an accident and risked people’s lives. If there was oil contamination, the engine could have locked up which def can cause an accident. Engine fire is even possible. The problem has been confirmed by an independent dealer. I know of many others who have experienced the same issue.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. Additionally, there were several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the engine seized. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle started. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and the failure reoccurred. The contact's husband started the vehicle, and the vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated that while attempting to leave the independent mechanic, the vehicle failed to start. The dealer where the vehicle was purchased, was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to have the vehicle towed to the dealer and was provided a diagnostic fee. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

Major engine damage at 83,000 miles (blown head gasket). Vehicle was well maintained. It seems that this is common issues with the Chrysler Pacificas.

The coolant leaked into the engine and blown the headgasket. This has been confirmed by pepboys who work on my car. It has not been inspected by manufacturer or others. It started by causing the ignition coil to fail and the engine would start rough and check engine light would come on. Started around 5/1/2025.

Brought Pacifica into the dealer because of "check engine" light. Car had some shaking too upon startup. There was also some "ticking" sounds in the dashboard. Dealership told me that the head gasket of the first (and likely third) needed to be replaced. There was an engine 3 misfire per diagnostics. I was quoted at $4,600 for the repair. This appears to be a known issue, as the dealer said "we don't know if this will turn into a recall. " there seems to significantly similar issues all over the Pacifica message boards.