10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
8 / 7
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
9,737 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.

2018 Chrysler Pacifica electrical problems

electrical problem

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2018 Chrysler Pacifica Owner Comments (Page 4 of 13)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #186

Oct 082022

Pacifica

  • miles

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

Power Steering is unavailable Stop/start is unavailable Wasn-??t able to avoid an accident this morning from deer. Steering went out.

- Wake Forest, NC, USA

problem #185

Sep 172022

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • miles
Dear Sir or Madam, There was a recall on our vehicle for the Battery Cables. It was supposed to fix the Stop/Start on our car. Prior to getting the Recall done, our car didn't restart at a stop light/sign causing us to put it back in park and restart the car. We went to have the Recall done and were told that that would not fix the problem, we needed to buy the second battery. We did - costing us over $200. I can ask for the bill for this if it is needed. I could not find it in my files. A couple of months later it started again at the stop light/signs. We took the vehicle back and they said a code was coming up under the hood and that would be no charge. They called us on 10/4/22 and said we need to purchase a switch - labor over $200 plus parts. What are we required to do to have this fixed as part of a Recall? Thank you for your time. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Middleburgh, NY, USA

problem #184

Oct 032022

Pacifica

  • miles
We were involved in a small fender bender accident, and the car caught on fire. It started with the dashboard, and it spread to the rest of the vehicle. The car ended up burnt to a crisp. Nothing salvageable.

- Justin, TX, USA

problem #183

Sep 102022

Pacifica

  • miles

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

The car battery system has failed over 5x when driving. All of a sudden the car battery lights start coming on & stearing shuts down and car stops. The last time it completely shut down. No power to even run hazard lights. No power to lock the car or rollup the windows. It has been 2 weeks and dealership mechanic can not figure out what is wrong.

- Palo Cedro, CA, USA

problem #182

Sep 152022

Pacifica

  • miles
While driving an a well paved road, I received a check hybrid system alert on my dashboard. Then several lights bean to flash including the blind spot alerts on the side view mirrors and several other alert system. Adaptive cruise control and lane change failure alerts also went off. I was only two miles from home and managed to get back. The engine did not cut out. The next morning, it started up but just a few miles into testing it out, the same alerts and light appeared, but this time the engine died along with the power steering. I coasted to roadside, turned off the car, and waited for 5 to 10 minutes. I started it up and drove it home. The engine remained on but the lights and warning continued to flash. The emergency lights also cut out periodically. I managed to drive the car to a Chrysler dealership I've visited in the past. The diagnostic alert on the Mopar app said there was a problem with the Electronic Throttle control (ETC) and the service person that looked over the diagnostic saw several system failure and alerts when he viewed the diagnostic record. At this point, the dealership has had my car for the week and the problems persist and now it won't go into gear. They still cannot determine the source of the problem. I contacted the Chrysler support line to ask them to escalate the problem. There is an open recall on this vehicle, but the parts are still not available to fix it. It only has 101,000 miles on it. I've found several complaints from Pacifica Hybrid owners related to the same ETC alert.

- Lincoln, CA, USA

problem #181

Aug 302022

Pacifica

  • miles
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" The van stalls, the wheels lock up, the transmission shifter becomes unusable, and of the warning light start flashing on the dashboard. Yes, it-??s available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? It stalled in the middle of the road blocking traffic from both ways and was unable to be moved for over half an hour. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, by an independent service center. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" No, not until the day it stalled on 8/30/2022z

- Fort Stewart, GA, USA

problem #180

Sep 122022

Pacifica

  • miles

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

Van started running slightly rough in the mornings if the engine was cold. CEL eventually came on with a P0304 DTC. I replaced the igntion coils and spark plugs since the van was right at 80,000 miles. Seem to run fine for a day after, then issues came back. Took it to the dealership for more in-depth troubleshooting and repair. They failed to do anything after almost two weeks except that now my van wouldn't start. Took the van to a non-dealership affiliated repair shop and they said the starter had failed, but the engine passed the pressure check of the head. Waited almost another two weeks for a new starter, mechanic got it back together, found some coolant coming out of the exhaust manifold and recommended adding leak stop that there might be a small casting issue with the engine. They added leak stop and returned the van to me stating they think there was a small hole in the engine from casting and that coolant was getting by and causing the misfire. Subsequently, the coolant would then travel to the catalytic converter where it would burn off but caused the cat to be much hotter than normal and that was in-turn frying the starter which is pressed up right next to the cat. The van continued to run rough for a couple days before it finally wouldn't start again and now i'm having to have it towed back to the shop. I suspect the issue may a issue with a warped head or something even worse. A cursory search of both online forums and NHTSA reports that this is not a one off or new issue and only seems to be getting worse and more prolific as the average age of the fleet pushes towards 80-100K+ miles. Modern vehicles should be able to go 150-200k miles before head gasket issues become a serious concern.

- Newcastle, CA, USA

problem #179

Aug 032022

Pacifica

  • miles
2108 Hybrid Pacifica stalled a couple of times on freeway on our recent trip. Here are the details : About 2 hours after driving on freeway. - then, dashboard showed few errors and eventually showing "service charging system" - then displaying "shift to P to start" and "D" symbol is flashing. - after this, pacifica van lost power ( pushing accelerating do nothing ) but steering, brake seems OK and I had to steer the car to freeway shoulder and then turn off the car and start again after a few minutes and can start the car again but "engine check light" is on for at least 24 hours after. - After starting again, then a half a hour later, it happened again with same symptoms as above. The car has about 40,000 miles and running in gas mode only. These are very dangerous situation and luckily this time, I had time to steer the Pacifica to a complete stop.

- Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, USA

problem #178

Sep 012021

Pacifica

  • miles
I have owned van for 1 year and taken it into the shop 6 times for blown head gasket, leaking coolant, over heating due to leaking coolant, and now it needs a new ignition coil and spark plug due to coolant leaking. Check engine light pops on every time and the van notifies me that the engine is over heating. Must pull over on the side of the road to let car cool down. Problem has been confirmed, taken to car dealer at every instance. After issue has been taken to dealer and "fixed" check engine light returns after 4-6 weeks, every time. Paperwork can be provided on request.

- Morton, IL, USA

problem #177

Jul 012021

Pacifica

  • miles
While traveling at 75+ mph on a multi-lane highway the vehicle shut off displaying warnings "Shift to P to Start" "Service Charging System" "Sliding Door Open" "Forward Collision Warning Unavailable" and large red turtle icons. With the van shut off the only option available was to coast to side of the road/shoulder while trying to avoid other high speed vehicles and while the other vehicles attempted to dodge me. The vehicle has been at the dealer 5 times. Various codes are always available but they are unable to recreate the problem. The first visit the 12v battery was replaced. The most recent visit (the van is still at the dealer) the dealership and the manufacturer tore apart the van and checked parts for 5 weeks and could not identify anything wrong. I have pictures and lists of conditions, codes and problems. There is no warning when this happens, the vehicle merely chimes and lets the driver know that it's no longer on.

- Holly Springs, GA, USA

problem #176

Jun 262022

Pacifica

  • miles

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

Van showed the message "Stop safely the vehicle will shut off" and stopped on the road. It was immobile for close to 30 mins. I was able to start and drive back home. It again stopped on the road on the way to the dealer. I have seen number of complaints on this van on the internet. My van is still with the dealer and they could not fix the problem in the past 15days

- Cary, NC, USA

problem #175

Jul 172022

Pacifica

  • miles
I was driving and pulled up to a stop light. The car all of a sudden turned off. I had to place the car in park, and reset. The error light said to service the auto start stop feature. This is the third time the car has turned off in the middle of driving.

- Savage, MN, USA

problem #174

Jun 102022

Pacifica

  • miles
On 06/10/2022, the Uconnect system began to randomly reboot including within 30 to 60 seconds of starting the vehicle. If in reverse during a reboot of the system, the rear cross traffic sensors no longer provide alerts and the rear camera is disabled while the system reboots. The system then reboots every 2 to 4 minutes after. Additionally, the GPS no longer accepts coordinates for navigation, clock or date.

- Covington, KY, USA

problem #173

May 042022

Pacifica

  • miles
Months after a start/stop recall software update, my wife and children were entering the intersection to make a left turn and made a complete stop. The vehicle-??s engine stopped. The oncoming traffic cleared up. My wife proceeded to make the left turn but the vehicle did not respond. The engine did not restart on its own. The D on the shift gear began to flash. The throttle sensor lightning bolt symbol appeared on the dash and there was nothing that would allow the vehicle to shift or restart. The vehicle needed to to be powered off. The traffic light turned red and the car was blocking the intersection for the other traffic. After restarting the vehicle, the turn was completed and ran normally. This occurred 3 more times at a stop light on different occasions. The dealership found a wiring issue associated with the start/stop and the vehicle hood open sensor.

- Hanover Park, IL, USA

problem #172

May 142022

Pacifica

  • miles
I was driving on the highway at approximately 60mph when the engine suddenly quit and the message "Put vehicle in Park to restart" appeared on the console. I managed to get parked in a precarious position on the wedge between an on ramp and the interstate. Although I was able to shift into Park I was not able to restart the vehicle for some time. During that time I called Chrysler Roadside assistance which could not help with the problem and 911 (because it was so unsafe to remain in place) A policeman came and called for a tow but while waiting, the car finally shut down and restarted. The check engine indicator was still on but I managed to drive to the next exit and get to a safe location. I finally was contacted by Roadside Assistance but they could offer no assistance. I restarted the car. The check engine light was off and I completed my trip without incident. This is the third time this problem has occurred. In the other two incidents the vehicle restarted right away. This is an extremely dangerous behavior, however, and seems to be commonly reported on chrysler forums. I do not know if it is related to the current recall or not. I was under the impression that prior recalls had resolved this problem but see it reported in more current models as well. Chrysler apparently does not understand the cause or have a fix. In most cases, it appears they are unconcerned.

- Yellow Springs, OH, USA

problem #171

Apr 252022

Pacifica

  • miles
I took my van in for recall work to replace the hybrid battery. Since then I have had to return 5 times because the coolant keeps getting low, and the "Hybrid electrical system" and "check engine" lights come on after a few days of driving. I have reported smelling fire when this happens. I take it to the dealer. They top off the coolant and reset the lights and send me on my way now. The first 4 times they kept the car for 3 days to do this and drive it about 200 miles after topping it off. I contacted Chrysler directly and they tell me its not their problem. I need to deal with the dealer. The dealer has no idea what they are doing. I am attaching the recall notice. The dealer has all copy's of the receipts where the work was completed.

- Jasper, GA, USA

problem #170

May 012022

Pacifica

  • miles
The warning sign came on referring to the start/stop not working. First time in 11/2021I took to the dealership& was sched for a -??recall that would fix the warning light. When i came in for this specific repair i had to pay $357 jan 2022. Now today is the 2nd time this light has came on& it is may 1, 2022 & warning light is on again referring to start stop not working-??..i was not reimbursed for the 1st repair that was actually a recall-??..

- Martinsville, IN, USA

problem #169

Apr 092022

Pacifica

  • miles
Car will unexpectedly send a message on the dash that says to "Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon". This will be followed by a complete shut down of the vehicle with no electric power to accessories, the engine, brakes, lights, etc. This can happen while underway at any speed and it will render the vehicle totally uncontrollable and risk injury to vehicle occupants and other vehicles and pedestrians. This failure has happened approximately 5 times and fortunately, there have been no accidents of injuries. The vehicle has been taken or towed into the Chrysler dealer 3 times. On the first visit, they said it was the battery. Battery was replaced under warranty. Since then, the dealer can not duplicate the problem but problem returns unexpectedly once it has been returned to us. This is very scary and we can not trust this vehicle, particularly because we do use it to transport our 3 grandchildren who are all below the age of 7.

- Satsuma, FL, USA

problem #168

Sep 252021

Pacifica

  • 32,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that the passenger-??s side sliding door button failed to open and close the door whether on the inside or outside of the vehicle. The driver-??s side door overhead button was able to open and close the door. The failure had occurred intermittently and had since been occurring more frequently. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated an update for the software needed to be performed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 32,000.

- Minneola, FL, USA

problem #167

Mar 112022

Pacifica

  • miles
When car is shut off, there is a mechanical/thrumming/grinding sound that you can hear coming from the center of center console, quite possibly carried through the vents. Very rhythmic, but sometimes not, can go on for several minutes, sounds like it could be an opening and shutting of a fresh air vent, does not sound good, like it could be overheating a small electrical motor that could overheat and start a fire. Not clear what stops it, maybe an overheat sensor, when it stops there is a releasing/settling sound that is longer than the clicking/moving/servo motor kind of sound that happens continuously. Happens VERY regularly, not every time, sometimes only lasts a few seconds, sometimes several minutes. Can be heard from outside the vehicle, too. I captured a video that has the sound in it see https://youtu.be/tDlwzWUmJv4.

- Arden Hills, MN, USA

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