10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
13,520 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica engine problems

engine problem

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2017 Chrysler Pacifica Owner Comments (Page 6 of 23)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #348

May 012023

Pacifica

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The van began to run rough in the mornings when I first started up. I initially thought a tire was flat. But all tires were fine. It did this several mornings but then would begin driving smoothly as normal about 2-3 minutes after the drive started. A little less than two weeks later the check engine light came on for the first time. It ran roughly but lasted a little longer; maybe 5 minutes. The check engine light would go off. It did this a couple of times. The third time, the check engine light came on and started blinking. Then maybe 20 minutes into the drive the van began to overheat. I turned on the heat and the gauge went down to normal right away and drove as usual. The check engine light stopped blinking but stayed on. No problems for the rest of the hour-long drive. The next day, the same thing happened while i was on the highway. It started overheating, but the overheating lasted longer and intensified at higher speeds, so I had to drive about 24-35 on an expressway. I took it to a Fiat Chrysler Auto/Mopar Service repair shop immediately. The manager suspected that there was a crack in the cylinder and coolant was leaking into possibly the engine or somewhere else. They said they've seen this same crack, in the same location on many other Chrysler Pacificas. They took pictures (see attached) and sent it to FCA/Mopar. It took several weeks for an FCA/Mopar Inspector to come out. But once they did, they confirmed a crack and the van required a new engine. I'm told this engine is on backorder and it will take months before I can get a new one. I've read many stories online of other people having similar issues. The fact that this engine is on backorder for months is telling. The company Chrysler Customer Care/Mopar/Stellantis has not been helpful in providing useful timelines throughout this repair process. In addition to the above issue, I've also had to replace both main (2x) & aux batteries and experienced problems with sliding doors failing to open.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #347

May 182023

Pacifica

  • miles
Since buying our Pacifica it would shift really hard and shake the car. Upon taking it into the dealer they said it was a common problem and there-??s nothing they could do for it. Now, with only 64,000 we have a broken head gasket. There are many complaints of this online right around this mileage and it should definitely be recalled.

- Thousand Oaks, CA, USA

problem #346

May 192023

Pacifica

  • miles
Cylinder 6 began misfiring causing my vehicle to shake violently and losing any acceleration. I was on a busy hwy during rush hour and was unsafe in a 55 mph zone where I was only able to coast. 4 months later, cylinder 5 began misfiring, causing jerking during start up with my 5 year old in the vehicle and I'm pregnant at 4 months. Now one week after cylinder 5 being fixed, the Pacifica bas a blown head gasket. Tons of smoke, tons of shaking and jerking. A super unreliable and unsafe vehicle for myself, my child, and my unborn child.

- Berea, KY, USA

problem #345

Feb 042023

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have been trying to take care of this urgent safety recall since February 2023. The local dealership (4520 Shelbyville Rd, Louisville, KY 40207) keeps telling me that they don't have a "loaner" care to provide to me while my vehicle is being repaired. I am a single father with 7 year old and primary care giver to 77 year old mother with Alzheimers, I must have a replacement car while mine is being repaired especially since this is the manufacturer responsibility. Please help.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #344

May 152023

Pacifica

  • miles
Our 2017 Chrysler Pacifica's check engine light came on. We took it in and the dealer replaced the spark plugs. Two days later the light came back on. They are telling us its a cylinder misfire and cylinder 5 is filling with coolant. They are charging us thousands of dollars to fix this issue. The car is not safe to drive until this is fixed. We have researched and found that this is a very common issue with these vans. Chrysler needs to be held accountable. They could have fixed this issue with a recall instead of waiting for our safety to be compromised and then spending thousands of dollars for the repair.

- House Springs, MO, USA

problem #343

Feb 112023

Pacifica

  • miles
The component that failed was the engine. Blown Head Gasket. Had engine light turn on, too to dealership They found error code P0305, cylinder 5 misfire. upon more investigation, spark plug clean, found coolant on cylinder 5. Technician at the dealership found a warper right cylinder head warped and the engine cracked. The vehicle was inspected by the warranty company AUL Corp. They found that the car overheated. There were never any warning lights, lamps, or messages of a hot overheating engine. All of a sudden one morning I turned on the car and the engine ight turn on. The car was shaking and waned to stall. immediately took into dealership. This engine blown head gasket issue in these engines are a known issue to Chrysler We have to pay $13,000 to get it fixed. AUL Corp inspected the vehicle but they did not want to give us a report of their finding, they just told us the claim was denied because supposedly we drove the car while overheating. We did not drive it, there were no warnings of a hot engine

- Tracy, CA, USA

problem #342

Apr 252023

Pacifica

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

During driving an orange check engine warning light is turned on. In 5 minutes from then, a red warning message "engine is overheating" turned on, I stopped immediately in the middle of the road and this warning message turned off. I checked for coolant and saw an empty container. No engine coolant warning light were turned on previously warning me of the coolant issue. I didn't use the car and added coolant Later that day I tried to use the car and it was operating normally. My car was sitting in the garage for a couple of days while I was waiting for the appointment to do the diagnostic. In two days the check engine warning lamp turned off. On the day of my appointment the car didn't start and was towed to the dealership for the check up. After series of diagnostics I was told engine is locked up and needs to be replaced. My car had only 75000 miles at that moment and just 3000 miles from the last oil change.

- Moore, OK, USA

problem #341

Mar 172023

Pacifica

  • miles
Unbeknownst to me, there was water pump leak which led to overheating, and eventually coolant being dumped into the engine. Originally diagnosed as a P0305 cylinder 5 misfire. Teardown revealed that the water pump had been leaking for quite some time, causing subsequent follow on damage. Engine needs to be replaced and AUL Corp will not cover the damages. We are a family of four, and would regularly transport other family and friends. Luckily we were without any incidents however, this is a safety issue that needs to be addressed in regards to these faulty Chrysler engines. I have read enough claims and horror stories in regards to the Chrysler Pacificas and am in shock that there was never a recall or a extended warranty for owners like myself who is now stuck with unsafe van, that doesn't work, and requires too much money to fix. We loved the van however, this experience has told me to steer clear from AUL Corp, and any Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep vehicles for forever.

- Ewa Beach, HI, USA

problem #340

Apr 192023

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • miles
I bought the 2017 Pacifica Limited new from Mt. Ephraim Chrysler, Dodge, Ram in Mt. Ephraim, New Jersey. Within a few months of owning the car, I encountered multiple problems which kept the car off the road and raised concerns about the reliability of the car. I kept taking it back to the dealership for servicing, but never felt like they fully addressed the issues that I had explained. I then took it to Turnersville Chrysler, Jeep, Ram for help. Since then, they have been servicing the vehicle. I had the car three weeks ago because it was running sluggish. They kept it for a day and made some changes to see what was going on with the car. I brought it home, drove it a little more and then had to have it towed back into the dealership. I was then told that they would have to tear down the engine to diagnose the issue. They determined that there was an internal coolant leak and that I would need to replace the engine. I realize that there are 114,000 miles on the car HOWEVER- the car has been meticulously maintained and the issue that I now face is not due to lack of care. This is an issue that I feel Chrysler should be held accountable for and take responsibility for the repairs. I have already reached out to your customer service department and am disappointed that my inquiry for goodwill assistance has been declined. This is unacceptable. I shared that I was not satisfied with that response especially since there are many others who have reported this issue as well and it is not an isolated issue.

- Marlton, NJ, USA

problem #339

Apr 272023

Pacifica

  • miles
Car was serviced for a gas leak at a Chrysler Dealership the previous day. The next morning, I was driving at a low speed (<20 mph) when an error message appeared "Car must be in P (park) to place in drive." I switched to P and tried to restart the engine. It turned over several times but never restarted. A police officer had to manually disengage the transmission and emergency brake to put the car in neutral and roll it to a turn lane (rather than in heavy traffic). The car was towed to a dealership and is still being diagnosed. We had no driving issues prior to the car stalling this morning, even with the previous gas leak mentioned above.

- Burke, VA, USA

problem #338

Apr 202023

Pacifica

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Driving the car and the engine shuts off. Car then says to shift into park. No error readout occurs

- Winona, MN, USA

problem #337

Mar 202023

Pacifica

  • miles
First showed up as a misfire in cylinder #3 check engine light. Found out it was coolant leaking in to combustion chamber due to warped head/head gasket leak on rear side of the engine (cylinders 1,3,5). We have 85K miles on it and had to pay $5400 to repair and ~$1000 in rental car fees while in the shop for two weeks.

- Stuart, FL, USA

problem #336

Oct 292022

Pacifica

  • miles
On the highway the temp gauge went all the way to hot and then immediately went back to normal temp. We pulled over on the shoulder of the busy highway and let it sit for a bit, and it never showed hot again and stayed in the normal range. Drove 5 more miles to home and checked the coolant and it was almost empty. We filled it and kept checking it every day. Had to add more every other day till we could get it in to a mechanic. a few days later the engine idled rough and check engine light came on. Took to mechanic and he said code P03305 showed as a mis fire in cylinder #3. He replaced the coil pack and spark plug and did a pressure test on the coolant system to see if he could find the leak. He said I could find a leak and bet that it was a crack head leaking coolant into cylinder #3. Ran better for another week or so while we were waiting for our appointment at the dealership to have them look into where the leak was. 2 days before our appointment at the dealership, we had the same rough idle and code P03050 saying misfire in cylinder #3. I replaced just the spark plug and then took it to the dealership. They misdiagnosed the problem as the reservoir was leaking. After they replaced it, we were back 2 weeks later with the coolant still leaking somewhere. They eventually found the head was warped due to excessive heat and coolant leaking into the #3 cylinder. This van has around 73,000 miles on it. After researching, it seems Chrysler has a faulty engine that is causing people to break down on the highway which is not a safe place to be. Please look into Chrysler's faulty 3.6 penstar motor problems.

- Bentonville, AR, USA

problem #335

Apr 112023

Pacifica

  • miles
-stalling out in the middle of driving (on 270 with the kids in the car, forced me to put it in park and turn it off and back on) - unable to start car initially, error message stating that the power brake is on (it's not) an unable to switch gears to get car to start (this took 10 minutes to fix with kids in car in parking lot) - car will not accelerate at appropriate speed, leaving me stuck at a stop sign or when the light turns green (again, kids in car) - power doors not opening/shutting, needing to manually open and close - heating/AC blowing out at random intervals, inconsistent air flow - random dashboard buttons lighting up indicating there are problems, but then the buttons diminish

- Frederick, MD, USA

problem #334

Apr 012023

Pacifica

  • 56,054 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to CarMax where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the oil needed to be changed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was determined that either the fuel filler, filler neck, or filler tube failed and could not be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,054.

- Palm Bay, FL, USA

problem #333

Jul 152022

Pacifica

  • miles
Engine light stays on and Carmax and Chrysler Dealership keep telling me nothing is wrong. Noone can fix it. I never know is my car is safe. Will it blow up. I want my money back or want them to fix it.

- Palm Bay, FL, USA

problem #332

Mar 292023

Pacifica

  • miles
Our van did not have any prior issues but last week the head gasket went bad and the engine would not start. we purchased this vehicle brand new and barely had any issues with it. If this would have happened on the road my wife and kids would of been stranded. The vehicle is at a Chrysler Dealership and at first they thought it was the starter, but determined that it was the head gasket because there was fluid in the oil. the Engine light came on right before the car wouldn't start. I did see there is a class action suit for this type of van and year.

- Bee, NE, USA

problem #331

Feb 282023

Pacifica

  • miles
My car unexpectedly stalls while being driven.

- Plantation, FL, USA

problem #330

Dec 102022

Pacifica

  • miles
Around 79k miles the car began hesitating and rough idling. From the OBDII sensor: Error Code P0301: Cylinder 1 misfire detected

- Ashburn, VA, USA

problem #329

Mar 092023

Pacifica

  • miles
I was driving about 2Omph and all of a sudden the van slowed down and I had a message on the car to shift to P to Park.it was weird because I was driving and it basically stopped on me and I had to shift the gear to P and press the start button to restart.

- Lantana , FL, USA

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