Steering Problems of Chrysler Pacifica - part 2

Steering sticks especially when going around turns. This is an inconsistent issue, and the car does not self-correct steering as normal and needs to be pulled back to neutral. There are no lights or warnings that this is going to happen. The car has been taken to a dealer who simply drove it around the block and said it is fine. It is not fine and if something happens to my elderly parents driving this car, this will be a much bigger issue. This becomes a higher risk when driving in high traffic areas as there is no warning that the steering is going to change. The safety risk is that the car cannot always be controlled well, and we are afraid this problem will worsen, and a manual override will not be enough. My father has been complaining about this for some time, today I drove them into the city for an appointment, almost 2 hours behind the wheel of this van, and felt first-hand how scary that is to happen when driving. I am happy to have someone come take this car for a drive and get this fixed before someone get hurt.

See all problems of the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

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.

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I had the power steering or from their repair journal (68525334-ab gear rack 19075120) replaced at 7062 miles from new as it was making knocking noise from the front of the driver-side. Now at 29,650 miles the exact same noise and sound is coming from the same side. Unfortunately for me it just got out of basic warranty now in may. From their journal customer states there is a clicking noise coming from the fr ont driver side wheel whenever he makes a turn or turns the wheel back and forth when sitting still (tirewheels concern) steering rack has a internal popping noise when turning wheel. Steering rack is making a internal pop noise then turning wheel back and forth. Replace steering rack and set toe.

See all problems of the 2022 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

Power steering light came on immediately lost the ability to steer vehicle had to be towed in was told it was a battery issue and that was replaced picked the vehicle up the next day. It left me stranded yet again, took it back to the shop and now being told that the five year-old vehicle needs an entire power steering rack not safe to drive.

See all problems of the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

The steering on this vehicle has a catching sensation, especially when changing lanes at high speeds, or travelling down a curvy mountain highway. The steering seems to require extra effort to get back to a center position. The problem is most noticeable when making slight turns (such as changing lanes) at higher speeds.

See all problems of the 2019 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

When the wheel gets turned to the right to go around a curve, the steering wheel gets "stuck". The car continues to turn when exiting the turn, and will only return back to center by having to pull hard on the steering wheel.

Over the past two weeks, on three occasions, the steering "stuck" momentarily (for about a second each time) during low-speed small turns at around 15 mph. Once, a "service power steering" message appeared for approximately 2 seconds, then disappeared; we did not see this message again. Yesterday, the steering locked completely when moving the vehicle from a parking space. We were unable to steer at all while trying to move the vehicle forwards or backwards out of the space at about 5 mph. Turning the vehicle off and on again did not resolve the issue. A "steering wheel and exclamation point" warning light appeared on console. Vehicle was towed. Dealer's service department will investigate.

We have a continuing issue with the Pacifica of showing a dashboard warning of "stop safely vehicle will shut off soon''. The power becomes diminished and with a few minutes, all power is lost, including lights, engine, all dash warnings are gone. After sitting on the side of the road for a few minutes, the vehicle will restart like nothing happened. Occurrences shown in order by date, location and mileage. Aug 8, 2024 in gatlinburg, TN with approx 1800 miles. Dealer found error codes relating to hybrid system but could not repair for at least 4 weeks. Advised to continue trip and make an appointment when we return to georgia. Aug 10 on interstate 20 enroute to myrtle beach the issue reoccurred. Aug 16, in for repairs at Chrysler 3206 miles. April 18, back to dealer same issue at 14,145 miles. Extensive repairs performed on hybrid system. April 24 with 14,303, same issue. Received vehicle back on June 20, 2025. July 19, another occurrence with 15,645. This time the vehicle would not shut down by the fob but would not function at all, though the dash stated put vehicle in park, but it was in park. . Ackerman towing of macon, GA attempted to tow vehicle, but the parking brake would not release nor would the transmission shift into neutral. After 3 hours, vehicle finally shut down and restarted. Back to Chrysler. Received vehicle back Aug 13. They could not find a problem. Sept 19 enroute to va beach. Same issue at 17,750 miles on i95 outside of lumberton, nc. Restarted after a few minutes. Continued trip. I feel this problem of shutting down is a death trap. Losing all power including outside lights could easily become catastrophic, especially if it happened after dark. Chrysler is aware and seems to be unable to find a remedy. I have more info, but out of characters to relay more. Info below relates to last occurence.

See all problems of the 2023 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

Problem: steering wheel sticking in turns. I own a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The issue am facing with my car is that the steering wheel is sticking while trying to turn. This issue seems to be happening to so many Chrysler Pacifica owners.

While driving down the 70 mph interstate my steering went out and I had 5 people in my van. There was no warning or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. My sister [xxx] and my mother who is [xxx] was stranded on the interstate with traffic speeding by at a high rate of speed. We had the vehicle towed to the dealership and they reported the power steering rack failed and it will cost over $5,000 to repair. I purchased this vehicle brand new in 2019. The mechanic I have repairing this vehicle reports this is a manufacturing issue. This is a dangerous issues and this vehicle should be recalled. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

When turning to the right, around 35-45mph on a sharp turn, the steering will stick. Yesterday the sticking was so bad it almost caused me to lose control in the middle of the curb. It does not stick when taking sharp turns to the left. The mechanic has not been able to locate the issue.

The steering wheel sticks in a slight right turn around the 1 o'clock position. I have not felt it on left turns. There is no noise, scraping, or grinding. There is one slight right bend in the road on my way home and it consistently does the stick thing as I straighten out the wheel. I've searched and found many references to the same problem. I know NHTSA has started an investigation on this for Pacificas made in other yrs.

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed low speeds, the electric power steering stopped functioning properly after the contact heard an abnormal crunching sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly jerked and jolted during acceleration as if the transmission was slamming into gear. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for regular maintenance service, and the contact was informed that the motor mounts needed to be replaced. The vehicle failures were not diagnosed during regular maintenance service. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,000.

We purchased our 2024 Pacifica pinnacle awd new in July of 2024. The vehicle currently has 9,600 miles on it, and the issue has been present since it was new. We have experienced continuous issues while driving the vehicle at highway speeds, with the steering exhibiting a gap in responsiveness. The steering acts like there is a dead zone between 11 and 1 o'clock when turning the wheel, where nothing happens. Once the vehicle finally reacts to the driver's inputs, it causes the car to jerk from side to side. It is bad enough that it causes my entire family to become carsick during even short trips. Still, my primary concern is that the steering is not responsive, and if the issue worsens or changes, it could lead to a loss of control over the vehicle. In addition, the jerking caused by this may cause loss of control when traveling in inclement weather or icy conditions. We took the vehicle in for diagnosis, assuming an alignment issue, but the dealership verified the alignment was within the manufacturer's requirements. In addition, the dealership told us, "this is just how the Pacifica drives. All of them have this issue with the steering". Today, I came across an investigation into a similar issue with older model Pacificas, and I believe this is not only the same issue but also warrants investigation of all model year Pacificas. There were multiple comments within the forum post of owners experiencing this issue in newer vehicles than the current investigation. Please consider expanding your investigation to all model years. Thank you.

See all problems of the 2024 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

Steering has jerking sensation at higher speeds going around turns. Causing me to almost overcorrect. Safety of my children involved.

When turning the steering wheel it will feel like it gets stuck for a split seconds. It happens alot.

When driving in longer, gradual curves - the steering wheel "sticks". You can feel it isnt responsive, and you have to apply more pressure than you should to get it out of the "stuck" spot. Which makes the car over correct at times. It has happened dozens of times by now - so wasnt a one time thing. Most recent was a last night.

While turning, my steering wheel will get stuck, sometimes causing me to over correct while trying to fix it. It has been happening for quite some time and seems to be an ongoing issue. It typically occurs when I'm going around a curve, not when I'm doing a complete turn. I am afraid this could cause an accident at some point.

The vehicle will randomly shut itself off while it is operating causing the dashboard to flicker on and off before shutting down fully. The steering wheel gets stuck at the 1:00 position.

Report is related to the probe into a sticking sensation on gradual turns. Particularly when at the 1 and 11 o clock position.

The steering sticks when when turning in curve left and right turns causing me to sometimes over correct.

The steering on my 2017 Chrysler pacific sticks at the 11 and 1 position. It cause us over steer while driving down the road or on the interstate. It is very scary.

Mine has a looseness feeling yet on inspection everything like tie rod ends are good. Definitely at the 11 o clock position I can get a shudder or shimmy even at low speeds. Despite it feeling loose it’s tracking excellent on the highway like everything is tight. I also get a rattle like the tie rods are loose at speeds below 30. There is no looseness anywhere on inspection. If the wheel is shaken on a drive on lift you can feel the noise in the rack mostly on the left side. Happens every day.

Often when making a gradual turn such as exiting an interstate onto the off ramp, the steering wheel will stick/lock at the 3 o clock position. This requires considerable force to return the wheel to the 12 o clock and straight position. I took it into the dealership and they found nothing wrong but it seems like an issue with the steering rack. I've heard numerous reports of others encountering this as well and I want it to be known this is a common issue. There is no grinding, scraping or noise indicating something is broken but seems to be a manufacturing defect. It is extremely dangerous and can sometimes be rather difficult to correct the wheel.

Steering experiences sticking during gradual curves in the road. It requires some effort to return the steering wheel from the stuck position and I’m worried that it won’t someday and cause a collision.

During a road trip at mostly highway speeds, we experienced an intermittent "sticking" sensation in the steering wheel while trying to recenter the wheel on turns, almost as if the power steering temporarily disabled, that required additional torque to turn the wheel back to center, after which the steering felt normal again until the next time it happened.

Today I learned that there is an open investigation pertaining to the steering on my model of vehicle. What I orginally throught to be "normal" for the vehicle I now believe could be an issue. Since I have owned this van there have been numerous random times where I have been driving and it feels like my steeling wheel gots stuck in position and required extra effort to move it. It has always been in a gradual turn or curving of the road vs in a hard right or left turn. Additionally, there has been times where I am turning at a very low rate of speed, say to turn into a parking space, where I can feel what almost seems like a "bumping" sensation from the steering wheel through my hands. I have never been able to get the issues to occur when asking someone else if they feel or experience it. This is my first van that I have ever owned, so I assumed these to be little quirks of driving the vehicle. I guess I did not realize that me, my family or other's safety could be at risk during these episodes. There were no warning lights or indications that either event was ever about to occur. I have owned this vehicle since 2019 and the vehicle is available for inspection at anytime.

See attached document for complaint. I am writing to you with deep concern to report a serious matter regarding the safety of a vehicle I recently purchased and to respectfully request your intervention in a case that endangers not only my safety as a consumer but also that of the passengers transported in this automobile. On xxxx x, xxxx, I purchased a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica wagon 40 touring l 3. Gl vg, VIN number [xxx] , through napleton Chrysler Jeep Dodge ram, located at 1460 e osceola pkwy, kissimmee, FL 34744. The vehicle was financed by xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx llc under loan number xxxxxxx-xxxxxxx. Prior to the purchase, the sales representative informed me that the vehicle had a recall. However, I was assured that it was a minor issue of no real consequence and that I could take it to any Chrysler dealership the following day for immediate resolution. Unfortunately, this statement turned out to be entirely false. To my shock, when I went to the dealership to address the recall, I was informed that the issue was related to the rear seat airbags and that no solution is currently available from the manufacturer. Since then, I have visited several Chrysler dealerships seeking assistance, and in every case, I was told that nothing could be done until Chrysler provides an official remedy. As a provisional measure, I requested a replacement or loaner vehicle to ensure the safety of the occupants-particularly those seated in the rear seats-but I was instructed to contact Chrysler's customer service directly. On August 25, 2025, I contacted Chrysler's customer service and spoke with a representative named xxxxx, who documented my case in detail. During that call, I also reported that the vehicle is experiencing additional operational issues, specifically with the engine and steering. On several occasions, the steering has locked up, preventing the wheel from turning and creating an even greater risk of an accident. I firmly believe that this vehicle should never have been sold or delivered in such condition, as it.

The steering periodicall locks up. This doesn't happen offten and only lasts a second or two but at high speeds does give a scare to the driver. Also when turning the steering in a tight turn like in a parking lot, the steering jerks/wabbles.

Unknown. Steering wheel sticks most days. Happens especially when turning and driving around a curb. Have felt this multiple times a day.

Loss of power steering, power cut out while driving. Batteries have to be replaced in less than a years time.

I consistently have an issue with my steering wheel sticking in a turned position when making a full circle turn (for example: exiting a highway). The steering wheel will remain locked in this position, even with no hands on it, until jerked the opposite direction which seems to unlock it.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and making a turn, the steering wheel was sticking while making the turn, and after making the turn, it required an extra effort to turn the steering wheel. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA action: pe25009 (steering). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

When negotiating some turns the steering wheel "sticks" and resists turning back out of the turn a little. It makes slight corrections jerky.

I am experiencing the issue that was widely reported in the news on 9/8/2025. The steering starts to stick when the wheels are turned on gentle curved. This happens after about 1 hour of driving, and it most likely to happen between 45mph-65mph. Car has approximately 58,0000 miles on the odometer. This is a massive safety issue, a driver should not have to fight the steering wheel to maintain control of the car. Problem has not bee reproduced by mechanic or dealer. No warning lights come on during the event.