This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The 2008 Chrysler Pacifica simply stalls while in motion. All electrical systems, including airbags, are dead. This has happened at highway speeds, while stopped, and while accelerating. It has happened during very cold temperatures (below 0), high temperatures (above 90) and other temperatures in between. A very loud knocking noise happened a few weeks ago and has gotten worse. I've been looking around to see if anyone else has had this problem and have found out that they have. This is a very bad safety issue that Chrysler needs to take care of without any expense from the consumers. This are finances being taking from my family that need not to happen.
Motor mounts & cradle rot are known pervasive issues with 2008 Pacificas (& other years). There is no inspection or maintenance required per the maint. Booklet nor shown anywhere so dealers never inspect them thereby leaving unsuspecting owners/drivers in a potentially dangerous crash situation. My bad motor mounts weren't noticed until 101K miles & cost $1,200 to replace. The dealer stated it was a serious safety issue at that point so a mandatory repair. In just 12 short months, they required replacement again. I now have no confidence in the safety of the motor mounts after having had (3) sets in 116K miles (original + 2 replcmts).
My 2008 4.0L limited has had the battery replaced five times & currently needs a sixth replacement (so (7) bad batteries incl the one the car came with). The 1st went bad around 20K miles & none has lasted more than 25K miles. Car has also had a persistent 'hard to start' condition for years & (5) diff dealers have been unable to diagnose the root cause of the batteries going bad or the hard to start condition. I've opened (2) Chrysler cases in the past 21 mos.; the 1st when the current battery was just 3 mos old & again during the 24 mo. Part warranty. Chrysler has refused to investigate & address the problem nor pay for battery replcmts. Dealers will not honor the 24 mo. Part warranty simple because it passes the charge test, despite visible evidence of a bulge & battery acid leaking all over the battery tray, terminals & cable. This is a serious safety concern given the vehicle has shut down at a high rate of speed (3) times nearly resulting in serious crashes. The NHTSA should take action given the # of reports of stalling/shut on this vehicle.
We have replaced the motor mounts around 50,000, we replaced the engine at 66,000, and I was driving it today and my steering locked up on me. We have issues with the lights, and just had the timing chain and water pump replaced. I recently just put around $6,000. All issues happened while the car was in motion on a city street.
The engine would not start. Battery and connections were checked. The starter motor and solenoid assembly was replaced. The starter attempts to engage but will not turn the engine. After research I found Chrysler has offered a recall for several 2008/09 model cars and vans for defective ignition switches. The safety hazard is great if the electrical portion would fail while the car was in motion.
- Kenosha, WI, USA
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My car will unexpectedly stall out while driving thus creating a serious safety hazard. This has been happening intermittently for the past 8 months. I have had a local Chrysler dealership check and they think it's the PCM or fuel pump as had been reported in other model years. They reset the PCM but this did not repair the problem. Chrysler has recalled other models from 2004 and 2006 for this issue but will not aknowledge responsibility for the 2008 model. The car is currently being used in brussels, belgium as I am working for the department of defense there. I contacted the europe Chrysler customer care but the representative said she had no knowledge of any relevant recalls past or present. I have sent an email to them (copy to NHTSA) again requesting financial coverage for the necessary repairs and I await their response. What are my options now?
The contact owns a 2008 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that the fuel gauge malfunctioned on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the vehicle needed a new circuit board. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Any time I wash my car, somehow I think water goes in to the sensors. After the carwash if I try to start it, the light flicker on and off and it refuses to start. Even when it rains, the water makes its way into the sensors and it does not start. It makes noise like when there are electric shocks. There has been occasions in which it does not detect the key and does not start.
The contact owns a 2008 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power while driving 75 mph. The vehicle constantly stalled. In addition, the front driver and passenger side windows failed to go up and down. The contact had to maneuver the electric control panel on the driver side to get the windows to go up. The vehicle overheated several times without warning. The contact had to tow the vehicle more than once due to the failures. The vehicle was taken to repair shops where the motor and ignition housing were replaced. In addition, the vent controls did not function properly for the air conditioner. The contact continued to stall and overheat. The battery was replaced twice by a mechanic, but the failures recurred. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic who replaced the motor, radiator, cooling fan, and another battery. The contact traded in the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was not available.
I just purchased my 08 Pacifica on 2-10-16. Today as I was driving the electrical system started to malfunction. First it started with the heater not working to the car stalling in the middle of the highway. I have five kids so for me to be stranded on a busy highway with children is very scary. 1 wk ago wheels diagnosed to bent alloys and O2 sensor is jacked up too. Rust is also present im just worried about safety.
My Pacifica stalled and lost power while driving. I was so scared. I have kids and this is very unsafe. I was able to coast to a stop safely but if there was a car in front of me I would have hit it...this is a recurrent issue with this vehicle. I see complaints all the time and I am now added to the list. I'm so worried for anyone who owns this vehicle. This car needs to be recalled because people pay their hard earned money for a safe reliable vehicle... if something happens to anyone Chrysler will have to answer for it...
I am having trouble starting my 08 pacific. I get a message that says "invalid key & fob" and then car dies when trying to start my vehicle with the original key. As a temporary solution, I found a sequence online (Chrysler's forum) to get the vehicle to started and stay running but that is very annoying. I'm the original owner and I should not have to deal with this issue. After researching online, I learned that this has been a recurring issue with this vehicle for multiple year groups. Until now, I would have expected Chrysler to address this issue long ago. This is a serious safety concern for this type of family vehicle because in order to get the vehicle started, during extreme hot or cold temperatures, children are in the car while you have to all wait until the system re-associates itself with the key and this take 3-5 minutes; this is with the original key I may add. This is absolutely ridiculous and as a consumer/original owner I should not be left to foot the bill for any repairs on this malfunction that is wide spread. I hope that this is taken serious because as I active duty service member, I should not have to accept being ignored.
Driving in a parking lot, electrical system just shut down. This is a recurring problem, same as on other Chrysler vehicles, however Chrysler refuses to issue a recall for this vehicle. There have been other chronic problems with this make of vehicle, but Chrysler refuses to address them with recalls. They just continue to ignore them, hoping the vehicle owner's will simply walk away from the vehicle. They have tried to get me to trade the vehicle in, numerous times.
Car kept stalling and then would not start. The lights and alarms went off and on without any reason. Had it flatbedded to the shop - good thing we weren't able to drive it. The mechanic said that the ignition unit broke. This would have been a serious situation if it happened while on the highway...the ignition was replaced, with a used ignition so we are very worried. Odd lights kick on, the transmission/engine jumps for reason. It may be the AWD is failing too. Mileage was around 80,000 at the time and use of the vehicle has been normal with no towing or other heavy use.
I was driving and the car just turned of on me in the middle of the intersection. Luckily as soon as I realized that it had turned off I was able to clear the intersection and pull to the far right before the light turned green to oncoming traffic. I had the car towed home and the next day I had a personal mechanic come take a look at it and found out that I needed to replace my ignition system. After hundreds of dollars later the car turns on but it has so many malfunctions with the electrical system, struts, axle, motor mounts and frame that this vehicle is just dangerous to drive and needs to be recalled altogether.
It seems I am not alone, my 2008 Pacifica occasionally loses power, the electrical system shuts off, then quickly turns back on. This has happened for the past 6 months, no mechanics can find a problem because when the engine shuts off it clears the car computer. It is happening more frequently now. Could this be an ignition switch issue like the Chevy?
The 2008 Chrysler Pacifica simply stalls while in motion. All electrical systems, including airbags, are dead. This has happened at highway speeds, while stopped, and while accelerating. It has happened during very cold temperatures (below 0), high temperatures (above 90) and other temperatures in between. There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason as to why it happens, as when the car is pulled over and ignition turned to the off position, it can typically be restarted - though it appears that it takes multiple attempts to get that to work as the issue is getting worse instead of better. This is an issue that is not just isolated to the 2008 Pacifica, but transcends models and years. If one searches Chrysler Pacifica stalling, one will find numerous other identical complaints and can quite easily discover that it covers other years and models. It is equally as unsafe as the GM recall. I have called Chrysler personally and inquired out the issue only to be dismissed. In fact, their exact claim to me is that they were unaware that there was a problem despite me pointing out the numerous complaints I could discover in seconds. I believe that Chrysler group is keenly aware of the problem and is simply hoping that it will go away due to the high cost of a recall. Others have paid significant amounts to dealers to have items changed only to find that the issue is not resolved. In any case, this is a safety issue that needs to rectified immediately before someone (or a family in my case) gets injured or dies. Please help me to keep my family safe when driving this car.
The contact owns a 2008 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the stabilization and antibrake warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the sensor for the steering angle, brakes, and airbag stabilization needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 62,000, and the current mileage was 68,000. Updated 8/11/14 updated 8/29/2017
I have been having power shut down every day, around 5 times a day. I have taken the car to the dealer and other certified mechanics, and the scanner can not diagnose, or detect any code. In my last issue, the car turn off while I was driving it. It was scary, and it is happening very often. I have changed most parts, all sensor has been replaced (replaced by original parts), and it keeps turning off. I have been searching thought the internet, and this particular car has a lot of complaining, a lot of Chrysler Pacifica are having this same issue, while they feel frustrated. This is a life risk issue. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Vehicle shuts completely off during drive at least twice per day. Mechanic was unable to duplicate problem. This happens at both high and low speeds around town and on the highway. Oil light turns on and all power is lost. Struggle to steer or apply brakes once it shuts down. This began over a year ago and has gotten worse as the time has gone by.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Fort Worth, TX, USA