2017 Chrysler Pacifica Complaint Log

I have 2017 Pacifica with just under 80,000 miles on it. I had a check engine light come on which was a 5th cylinder misfire. I had the plugs/coils replaced and oil/filter done. After 2 days the service engine light reappeared with the same diagnosis(5th cylinder misfire). I took it back to the shop and they discovered coolant leaking and the smell of it burning. They believe it was a blown head gasket. The car is now at a Chrysler dealership to confirm the bad news. Chrysler needs to step up and resolve this issue with a recall or some type of reimbursement.

The head gasket failed and coolant leaked into the cylinder. Safety wasn't necessarily put at risk because the check engine light came on before anything happened. Vehicle has been inspected and confirmed failed by independent service center.

Blown head gasket 2017 chrysler pacifica 82000 miles. Spark plugs replaced. All are black with heavy carbon buildup. Check engine light went on as did the engine stop start warning. Code read cylinder 5 misfire. Many people have had the same issue. Check out following thread. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The headgasket is blown at 90,000 miles.

I turned on the vehicle cold in the morning and it started shaking violently. The check engine light came on with a code of P0303, which indicates a cylinder 3 misfire. We took the vehicle to the Chrysler dealership in our area and they said there was nothing they could find. The dealership cleared the codes and the check engine light didn't come back on for another week or so. Then the same thing happened again. Cold start, with violent shaking. Check engine light came back on and same engine code P0303.

The vehicle loss power while driving on the highway would not accelerate

As soon as I stopped at a light, the entire car shut off on its own. No lights, no engine. It took about 45 seconds for lights to come back on. I was able to restart the car. When restarted, the electronic throttle indicator light was on and the car was jerky to drive. I cut the car back off and on and it drove normally. The engine has cut off 3 other times stopped at red lights, but those times, the lights stayed on. I was able to immediately turn the engine back on. I believe there is a major electrical issue happening. I have taken the car to a dealership and an independent mechanic. No one can find out what is wrong because they couldn’t mimic the problem.

Low mileage vehicle, leaking coolant, fixed radiator. Mechanic says now blown head gasket and thermostat faulty. Looked on different forums and noticed the same problem with other Pacificas.

This week was the SECOND time our van lost both low beam headlights at the same time while driving at night. Both times the dealership wanted over $500 to replace them. Our drive train will catch while driving. We took our van in for this problem and were told by the dealership that "its just the way the transmission is made" When we bought the vehicle it was two years old and had rust spots on the hood. We had it repaired. Now, two years later the same rust bubbles are starting to appear on the hood.

While driving my vehicle, it suddenly stalled and told me to put it in park. I was driving approximately 25 miles per hour. I had to pull over and put it in park. It then allowed me to restart. There were no warning lamps and happened spontaneously. I have not had the issue reproduced but this wad part of a recall for this vehicle in 2018 that seems to have returned.

Steering sticks consistently when going around curves, usually around the 10 and 2 areas. Vehicle steering has to be manually forced back to midline. Occurs more frequently the longer the drive and usually at speeds only over 30mph.

When driving the for a while the steering is getting bound up it sticks slightly and you have to pull harder to correct it doesn't want to let me steer it back to straight, it sticks unexpectedly while your trying to steer back to straight

I was stopped at an intersection & the transmission lights went out, the knob froze & the car would not move. I was stuck there for 45 minutes before it decided to start & go into gear. The readouts on the dashboard kept flashing Service shifter,Service transmission,Service airbags, parking brake unavailable, ACC unavailable the tachometer & speedometer & heat & gas gauges were going to the top then dropping back to zero. This is not the first time the vehicle has acted up. When I have been driving on the Highway the transmission has acted as though it could not shift. I would press the gas & the tachometer would go up over 3000 but the speed would not go over 35mph. This problem has been ongoing since October 2022. Getting more frequent as time goes by. I have had it into Tacoma Dodge/Chrysler several times & they keep telling me they can’t diagnose the problem. It is unsafe to be on the road in a vehicle that can freeze up at any minute, but it is my transportation & I have appointments etc. that I must go out to.

Driving down road vehicles Shift Mechanism locked out with 4-5 warning lights stop and car locked in gear could not shut off or put in park

The car struggles to shift from 1st to 2nd due to a software issue with the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The software has been flashed multiple times, but the issue persists. When the vehicle struggles to shift gears, it stops accelerating and jerks into the next gear with great force. This causes the car and passengers to jolt. I have almost been hit multiple times when this happens when crossing lanes of traffic or when another car is behind me and the car suddenly jolts. This happens anywhere from a couple of times a day to a couple of times a week. The issue is more prominent around the speeds of 22 to 30.

I was coming home from work and I was waiting to make a left turn onto a road named Vincent Rd in Orlando, FL which meant that I had to cross 3 lanes of highway. Once all traffic was clear I started crossing 3 lanes of highway and the van started making a loud grinding sound when pressing on the gas. The vehicle moved forward into the first lane of traffic and would not go anywhere from that point. I was stuck on the highway now with oncoming traffic and idiots would not stop. Of course the cars that were in the lane that I was in had no choice but the other two lanes were not stopping until somebody offered to push me across the other lanes to a parking lot. All I can say is God Bless my mailman as he is the one that actually pushed me across the highway. In my opinion, I feel that this could have been more serious. I had to have the vehicle towed to Greenway Chrysler where it was determined an axled failure on the left front wheel. Bottom line is that this situation could have been really bad but thankfully it was not. I know there have been issues with the 2017 Pacifica's over time and I believe axle failure is one of the major issues.

I was stopped at a light and the car flashed all its lights and shifted me into park. After it started right back up but the check engine light came on and stayed on. It did this another two times as well and is very dangerous for me driving with my kids. prior to this issue I had to replace shutter and head gasket (Coolant leak). This car has so far cost 6K in repairs.

Vehicle will stall unexpectedly while driving

the steering wheel on the vehicle sticks periodically when you are executing a slow turn or adjustment of the vehicle. This is particularly the case on the highway, when you are engaged in a slow turn of the steering wheel when changing lanes or when adjusting your position within a lane. The wheel will stick and then jump into the position that you wish the wheel to be in. This particularly happens in the 11 to 1 position of a turn or adjustment. This is not particularly noticeable in lower speed driving or around town. This issue has been ongoing over a year. We have had it in 4 times and no one can find anything. Upon researching online there have several complaints of this exact issue. See other complaints here. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

A head gasket leak caused coolent to enter a cylinder. The vehicle now suffers from hydrolock and the engine needs to be replaced.

The head gaskets were replaced at 107 miles before I purchased my van. Now here I am 20k miles later with another blown head. The vehicle is undrivable and left me, my wife and my kids stranded. Yes this has been confirmed by a qualified shop. No. Check engine light, misfire.

Check engine light continues to come on and it gives the code “3rd cylinder misfire” even after multiple attempts to correct the problem. Has been determined there may be a crack in the engine block. Car only has 94,000 miles on it so this is too young for it to be happening. The engine runs rough continuously and I am afraid for the safety of myself and my 4 children that ride along with me daily.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. The contact stated that the failure recurred on two occasions. The contact stated that on the third occasion, a message to park and to restart the vehicle was displayed; however, the vehicle failed to restart at first attempt. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to the fuel pump. The vehicle was not repaired. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

Brake system is not functioning correctly. The pedal completely depressed, car does not stop. Requires pumping brake pedal once or twice to stop vehicle. This is a concerning safety issue. Took the care fir service, no issue was found. Vehicle still not braking correctly.

As has been reported by a number of other owners of this vehicle, the steering wheel on the vehicle sticks periodically when you are executing a slow turn or adjustment of the vehicle. This is particularly the case on the highway, when you are engaged in a slow turn of the steering wheel when changing lanes or when adjusting your position within a lane. The wheel will stick and then jump into the position that you wish the wheel to be in. This particularly happens in the 11 to 1 position of a turn or adjustment. This is not particularly noticeable in lower speed driving or around town. This has been happening on this 2017 Pacifica for about 12 months now. I feel that this puts the safety of occupants at risk. I have had this checked out by my regular service station.

1. When making turns to the right, the steering wheel sticks and requires a strong tug to the left to free it. Has happened on at least five separate occasions. Also sometimes just sticks slightly. 2. Caused car to swerve into next lane. Fortunately there was no other vehicle there at the time. 3. Have taken to dealer 3 times, but they are unable to replicate issue. 4. Has not been inspected. 5. No warning lights or symptoms.

I received P258B warning and further diagnosis came to know that C0021-02 and C1252-92 warnings. While applying breaks i am getting hissing noise and break pedal pushes me back where i have to apply lot of pressure to stop the vehicle. This is happening only when i press the pedals hard. I did diagnosis and noticed that the break vaccum pump fuse gone and replaced the same again it blown. Then realized that that the Vaccum pump it self is not working and the same is ordered and replaced. Now the vaccum pump issue is fixed but still the break pedals are hard and getting hissing noise while applying breaks. Now i may need to change the break booster to get this fixed.

I read that the NTSHA was looking into the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica's rack and pinion sticking at the 11 & 1 o'clock positions. Our did that a couple of years ago, but we had it repaired. Dealer replaced the rack and pinion, that fixed the issue.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH and approaching a stop, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the “Shift to Park to Restart” message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact shifted the vehicle to park and restarted the vehicle; however, the START/STOP warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the infotainment system became inoperable however, the vehicle operated as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and both batteries were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that no failure was found. The manufacturer provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was 58,000.

More often than not, At roughly 17, 25, and 35 MPH, the transmission will disengage to shift, take its time to get into the gear it needs, and clicks into gear very rough. When this happens it is hard enough to slam you back into the seat, which has caused me to swerve pretty bad. I have taken it to a dealership, and they say its a known issue and the only "remedy" is to update the vehicle, but it wont actually fix it, it will keep on happening.

Vehicle was purchased with 95,xxx miles. Within 10 days sporadic transmission jerks and stalls started. Taken to repair facility 3 times over next 2 months with no issues found. During long distance trip transmission felt rough and sluggish. Transmission was serviced. Engine light on. Repair facility replaced all spark plugs, coil packs and cleared codes. 2 weeks later light came back on. Transmission still not functioning properly. Repair facility called Chrysler specialist technician in and no issues found. Engine codes cleared. Engine light came on next day. Repeatedly faulting for cam response slow. Repair facility replaced lifters and rockers in cylinder 6. All cam sensors and solenoids replaced. Engine light stayed off for 3 weeks. A RECORD. Light back on but no issues found during 3 hour test scan. Transmission still shutters, jerks and stalls. Total “repairs” $68xx.xx and over 28 days out of service. Vehicle now has 128,xxx miles and is barely drivable.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact was driving approximately 60 MPH, when the check engine warning light illuminated and the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had leaked into the 3rd cylinder. The engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

When it shifts or shifts too early, it makes a loud noise from the transmission.

At 83,000 miles the 2017 Pacifica needed new headgaskets, rocker arms, and camshafts. I am the first and only owner of the van and have been meticulous about maintenance. Apparently this is a known issue with the Pacifica. The dealership and an outside mechanic verified these issues with my Pacifica. Rough idle was the only warning something was wrong before the check engine light came on. I took it to the dealership immediately.

Engine 3.6l non-hybrid has bad head gaskets/heads causing misfire and dangerous potential for vapor lock and engine failure. This is a known issue and there is a recall for the exact same vechile and engine up to 2016. Mine is a 2017 so its not covered in the recall for the exact same condition with the exact same engine. Spoke to manufacturer today they looked at offering some assistance in the price to fix the known issue, unfortunatley I bought the car used (paid over $25,000 in 2018) due to this the manufacturer can not assist in anyway. This is a known issue that is well documneted online by thousands of upset customers. I have no choice but to pay an exorbitant amount to have it fixed before it vapor locks going down the road and hurts my family.

The electronics system experiences issues while driving. Particularly, the passenger front window rolls itself down at random intervals while driving. This can happen several times during a drive.These incidents at times are accompanied by a flickering of the dashboard display and a message that says to service the electronics system. The window is also often difficult to roll up as it engages the bounce back feature multiple times. The incidents have occurred at multiple driving speeds above 30mph. These incidents cause a major distraction while driving because of their unexpected and abrupt nature. The abrupt sound distraction from wind while the window is open also distracts the driver from focusing on driving. As a result, this malfunction is unsafe.

Blown head gasket

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the temperature gauge fluctuated between hot(H) and normal(N). In addition, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact discovered that the coolant level remained low. The e vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where leaks were discovered in the oil housing and the radiator. The contact's husband replaced the spark plugs; however, the failure remained. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the mechanic discovered a misfire in cylinder #3. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that soon after purchasing the vehicle, the check engine warning light appeared on the instrument panel. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer; however, once the vehicle was in the dealer's possession, the check engine warning light was no longer illuminated. Upon return of the vehicle, the vehicle jerked and hesitated upon the depression of the accelerator pedal with the check engine warning light intermittently flashing on the instrument panel. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

This happens every single time we drive our Pacifica: Per many other complaints available online, the current gen Pacifica (2017-present), when equipped with ADAS such as lane keep assist, has a steering issue as follows: -under varying conditions, the vehicle's steering wheel will "stick." This issue typically follows a small steering input of 10-25 degrees in either direction. -When the steering wheel sticks, it presents 2 major safety issues: 1) the vehicle maintains its course and could collide with objects or veer off the road and 2) the sticking of the wheel is so severe at times that the counter-steering required to correct the "stick" presents a danger of driving into oncoming traffic. -Yes, Dodge of Boerne, TX, and it was "fixed" by securing a ground wire on the vehicle, but the problem continues to persist -Just dealership listed above -No Here are selections of other reports on this issue: https://www.pacificaforums.com/threads/2017-steering-problems.48061/ https://www.pacificaforums.com/threads/2017-steering-issue.50528/ https://www.pacificaforums.com/threads/the-steering-wheel-tries-to-turn-by-itself-when-driving-on-uneven-roads.23538/ https://www.carproblemzoo.com/chrysler/pacifica/2017/steering-problems.php I am guessing this issue is what was addressed at our service appointment, but it did not solve our specific issue: https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/05/fca-recalls-198k-pacifica-minivans-due-to-potential-issue-with-power-steering.html

After driving approx 400 miles at freeway speeds the engine shuts off. With semis honking as vehicle slowed while trying to pull over. No warning lights before or after stopping. Dash screen displayed "put car in park and press start". This happened twice in 2023. Took to dealer while car was under extended warranty. Was told 'could not duplicate' issue. They also informed me that this was something they never heard of before. We only do two highway trips per year. Took another trip couple of weeks age and vehicle shut off and we had to pull over 7 times going and returning. Dealer says I need a new transmission but can't guarantee that will fix the problem. I'm terrified to put this car on the freeway again. I thought we were going to be killed and possibly injure others on several of the occasions while trying to stop safely. I feel that Chrysler knows about this problem (from what I've recently read on the internet) and at least should know how to correct it. Also, it seems there was a class action suit that has been settled that we were unaware of. This vehicle has less than 60K miles and as we only drive 5-7000 miles per year didn't plan on having to junk it and buy another at this time. I've tried calling Chrysler Corp 800-992-1997. I was given a case # but they just seem to lie and never follow up with the dealer like they said. Now when I call and talk to someone, they put me on hold and kick me into the 'how did we do survey'. Realizing that sometimes you just don't always a ample time to safely get to the side of the road I'm at a loss as to how to proceed. The date listed below is the first time of incidence.

Steering wheel can randomly get stuck with mild turning or with a short curve in the road. It is much worse when driving downhill with a slight curve in the road. It is very unsafe and in order to unstick the steering wheel, the driver has to aggressively pull the steering wheel back into position to avoid overturning and driving outside the driving lane. This could definitely lead to an accident if the driver is unable to get the steering wheel unstuck promptly. This needs to be addressed immediately. This has been an ongoing issue for years so I listed the first date I really noticed this being an issue-when we took a road trip just outside the Smoky Mountains. The steering wheel sticking is horrendous driving downhill with curvy roads.

P303 issue but the dealer is asking to replace whole engine.

The rear subframe holding the rear axles suddenly broke in half while driving 30 miles an hour down a residential street. Luckily, I was able to control the vehicle to get it to a shop where it was replaced. The vehicle had never been in a wreck.

While driving 70 mph on freeway passing a semi the engine shut off. Had steering and braking but no power. Managed to pull over without getting hit. Dash message "put in park, press brake and press start. Major panic attack as we were 200 miles from major town in the desert. Started car drove about 5 miles and it did it again. Dealer claims to never heard of that problem. Since getting home I've not taken vehicle on freeway. Utterly terrifying.

UNKNOWN, BEST ASSESSMENT: The car does not have a standard condensate drain line. It uses a pan that fills with water and then uses the blower fan to blow the water dry. It will only work as expected if the passenger turns off the air conditioner before they arrive at their destination. In hot climates such as Phoenix, Arizona, the air conditioner is on the entire time the vehicle is running. Due to this design, it causes mold to grow in the air conditioner. This presents a breathing health and safety risk that can lead to a driver having difficulty breathing, which could lead to the driver becoming unconscious, which can lead to a fatal crash. I am willing to have my vehicle inspected upon request. I have found that this hazard is putting others at risk through numerous online forums where people complain to the dealership about the mold and they spray it with an air freshener that doesn't solve the problem. This has not been inspected by others. There are no warning messages on the screen or dash.

Powertrain Stalls randomly when moving from first to second gear and when changing in and out of park. Vehicle also has loss of power and freezing electronics. The entertainment system and navigation system may stay frozen until vehicle is restarted and in some cases may not turn off even while vehicle is not in a powered state.

Electrical problems since purchase (new). Warranty repairs by 2 dealers. The rear lift warning buzzer went out causing me to be hit in the head and getting black eye. The buzzer is out again, but not repaired as the part has been on back order for months. Dealer said over 100 of the same part by various dealers on the back order. This is a major problem as car purchased for use with my dogs and w/o buzzer they also are not warned when ‘door’ coming down. For the part to not be available for so long is unacceptable and since covered under paid warranty I think Chrysler is neglecting the warranty owners. Also, since the part has failed before, they are aware it’s a faulty part but have not done anything to keep the part stocked,

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that after operating the rear power sliding doors to open, she then depressed the button to close the rear power sliding doors; however, as the contact's relative was entering the vehicle in between the power rear sliding door closing, the sliding doors failed to stop when the contact depressed the OPEN/CLOSE button to stop the doors from closing. As a result, the sliding power door continued to close shut on the relative’s right calf, requiring medical attention. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,295.

The electrical interface components stopped working spontaneously; the speedometer and RPM gauge dropped to zero, the windshield wipers turned on, and all of the "check engine" type warning lights lit up on the dash (check engine, seatbelt, airbag, battery, etc). The warning messages started popping up one after another on the dash, for example, "Service Trans Stop Safely Shut Off Engine to Engage Park," "Stop/Start Not Ready Due to Outside Temperature," "Park Brake Temporarily Unavailable" etc. I tried to put the car in Park, but the round shift knob locked in Neutral. I could not turn off the engine with the ignition button (keyless ignition). There was no way to turn off the engine without opening the hood and disconnecting something manually. Everything spontaneously went back to normal for about 15 minutes, then it happened again and has not gone back to normal since. The photos I am attaching were taken during the first incident, during the second incident, and in between the two incidents when the electrical was working again.