2017 Chrysler Pacifica Powertrain & Transmission Problems

The auto start/stop malfunctioned and then the engine sounded like it was going to die. It is available to look at. I thought it was going to stop in the middle of the road. Unknown Unknown The auto start stop light came on and said it was unavailable. They just first appeared today. And the engine light is on.

For several months I have been having problems off and on with my vehicle not shifting into drive, neutral, or reverse. It runs fine but becomes undrivable. Until this last time, I was always able to keep trying, let it sit overnight, etc... and it would eventually shift into gear. Currently it does not, I had to have it towed to a shop to be repaired. This is a problem, the vehicle has left me stranded on several occasions. My daughter was recently home from collage and I could not let her use my car for fear she would get stranded somewhere. It was towed to a local shop, who was able to confirm that the transmission has an internal short. This is a very common occurrence with this vehicle. The transmission can not be repaired and it needs a new one. Each time the transmission would fail a dash light would come on with a P in a circle with an explanation mark next to it and an engine light. This happened several times, in the past I was able to clear the light and drive the car, but this time it would not clear. The transmission is shoot and needs to be replaced. I purchased the car new in February of 2017, and have always properly maintained the vehicle. It has approximately 79,800 miles on it. I have researched this issue and it is very common, this is a known problem with the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. I have attached a Warranty Bulletin that seems like it should cover my vehicle, but I called the Chrysler Customer Hotline and they are telling me my vehicle is not covered. I have taken care of this vehicle, I drive it very gentle, there is no way this transmission should have gone bad. I am going to get this repaired at the shop, they have ordered me a new transmission. The Chrysler case ID # is [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Vehicle “slams” into gear and goes into “limp” mode. RPM’s increase dramatically and speed accelerate ration is very low. Check engine light on and several U codes show. And P0301

My 2017 Chrysler Pacifica experienced repeated engine timing and oil system failures. The vehicle first developed a check engine light and engine timing code (P000D – camshaft position slow response). The vehicle was inspected by a dealership service department. Shortly after, a major engine oil leak was discovered from the oil cooler / oil filter adapter assembly. The vehicle required repair of the oil cooler assembly and associated seals. After that repair, the vehicle continued to experience engine timing issues. The dealership later confirmed failure of the cam phaser components associated with the engine timing system and performed a repair. Within days of the repair, the check engine light and engine timing code returned again. The failure involves the engine valve timing system and oil pressure dependent components based on Autozone code check. Improper camshaft timing can affect engine operation, cause loss of power, rough running, or possible engine stall while driving, which creates a safety risk in traffic. The issue has been inspected and confirmed by a dealership service department. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

This car has had so many issues in the 2 years that i have had it. Blown head gaskets, hard shifting, cruise control getting stuck in a high gear and not shifting. When fixing the head gasket it was apparent that it wasnt the first time being fixed. For such a nice vehicle it has way too many problems for the amount i purchased it for. There needs to be some sort of compensation for this. Upon looking into these issues there are thousands among thousands of people with the same head gasket issues and transmission issues as well.

I keep getting the same codes every few weeks. P0732

It loses power alot especially uphill. It smells like burnt oil all the time. Smokes out exhaust. Hesitates anytime you put the gas down. And then clunks around sometimes too

I had the recall for 73B performed in mid October to my 2017 EV/Hybrid Pacifica- 2017 and only 67K miles. No issues before. Since the recall service I’ve brought it in twice with the same problems stating Hybrid Battery needs conditioning/service. I suspect it’s the recall update that has caused all types of issues. I did go to auto zone before I brought the vehicle in just this Monday to get the codes. U0412, P1A29, P0A7F- invalid Data received from Battery energy control Module A - Lost communication with Hybrid Battery Pack Sensor Module- A Deterioration. If you google 73B recall service problems on Chrysler Pacifica - the following appears: Failure to charge and engine light: Some owners have reported that the vehicle no longer charges after the recall service and has a check engine light, with error codes like P0A0A (High Voltage System Interlock Circuit) and P0A7F (Hybrid/EV Battery Pack Deterioration), says Reddit users. Intermittent check engine light: Other owners have noted the check engine light comes on intermittently after the recall service, sometimes disappearing on its own. Battery concerns: Some owners who already had issues with the battery before the recall now report that the recall service did not resolve their problems, and a new, more significant battery issue may have developed. It appears that the issue with the Hybrid battery is not being resolved and the service recall for 73B amplifies issues for the Hybrid Pacifica Models. It may be a ploy from Chrysler for owners to get “rid,” of our vans. I’m contacting the lawyers of the class action lawsuit with this information. It’s so unreasonable for Chrysler to do this and not offer further support. The time, stress, anxiety and loss of a proper running vehicle has really impacted my family.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the gear shifter independently shifted into park, and the service shifter error message was displayed. In addition, the contact stated that the odometer reading was incorrect. The contact stated that the odometer reading showed more mileage than the actual trip mileage. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated that the failure was persistent. In addition, the contact stated that the failure almost caused a crash while children were seated in the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Backup camera - blue screen or black screen. This has been reported several times and was recalled for the 2021-2023 Pacifica. This is dangerous. The transmission jerks really hard between 2-3 great which has also been reported as a normal occurrence that Chrysler has not addresses.

I am reporting a serious safety issue with my 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, purchased in February 2024. The vehicle experiences repeated drivetrain shutdowns and unsafe operation due to confirmed failures in the transmission control module and valve body, diagnosed by Chrysler Dodge Jeep in North Las Vegas, Nevada. These malfunctions prevent proper gear engagement while driving, creating a significant risk to myself, my five children, and others on the road. Multiple dashboard warnings—including “Service Electronic Stability Control,” “Park Sense Unavailable,” “Park Brake Temporarily Unavailable,” “Blindspot Alert Temporarily Unavailable,” “Service Trance Stop Safety Shut Off Engine to Engage Park,” and “Accessible Cruise Control Unavailable”—have appeared intermittently since purchase. Dealer inspections and diagnostic reports confirm the problem, but repair costs exceed the vehicle’s value, leaving the issue unresolved. This ongoing safety hazard requires immediate investigation to prevent potential harm to passengers and other drivers.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the steering wheel seized. The message “No Letter D” or “P for Park”, was displayed and flashing on the instrument panel. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. After several minutes, the contact was able to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while his wife was attempting to park the vehicle with the brake pedal depressed, the engine unexpectedly began to rev. The vehicle then accelerated inadvertently, resulting in a collision with a pole in front of the parking space. There was no damage to the pole. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a collision center, and the insurance company declared it a total loss. No police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 76,000. The VIN was not available.

Transmission will have a very severe jerk when starting out, usually at low speeds, causing the driver to temporarily lose control and distract them from driving. This appears to be a very common issue on the recent model Pacifica that uses the ZF transmission. There is a serious disagreement about the servicing interval of the oil in the transmissions. Chrysler states that it is a "Lifetime" oil and does not require changing. The transmission manufacturer ZF, states on their website that it must be changed at 100,000 Km. Some Chrysler dealers say it needs periodic changing, while others say it never needs changing. The impact of this is that a significant number of transmissions are failing. When these are in warranty, they are replaced by the dealer, but those out of warranty result in a major expense to the owners, even though the owners are following the auto manufacturer's recommendations. Owners need clarification of this, and if the servicing recommendations for the ZF transmissions are in error and result in a transmission failure, the auto manufacturer should bear some responsibility. A quick scan of the Chrysler Pacifica online groups will show numerous cases such as this,

When driving van will jerk or bang like slipping in gear, feels like possible being hit from behind, we have tried the adaptive learning reset several times, we had just purchased this less than 2 months ago with about 4800 miles in it. Feels dangerous to drive, especially with kids. We are scared to even try the cruise control. We heard and read online many whey same issues, with warranty and having there vans in dealership on several events, having reset in software upgrades, transmission replacement with only the problem to return. Please fix this, this one of my vehicles that unfortunately I have to drive because it's my only vehicle. This problem happens at lest everytime I'm driving daily, it started maybe a few weeks ago from the time this has been written.

The van have issues with a head gasket, Chrysler is aware yet the dealers keep selling the van with this known problems, I reached out to Chrysler and they said they cannot help. I had the van less than a year and I had the van serviced multiple times. Im attaching this link to show you guys that there ia a lot of people having the same problem, everything starts with the smell of the coolant then the misfire PO201, po301, then after taking it it was po305 and po205, https://youtu.be/sUfTxNBkRLU?si=JoLL29t6YbHZIiVg they speak on the video how they replaced the apparently bad part then the codes come back. I had this vehicle less than a year and I had so many issues, in my search I found this happening to multiple pacifica owners. vehicle starts misfiring creating a real possibility of having an accident as the car speed had to be reduced, specially if we are on the highway.

Although no active recalls are on the now. While driving the transmission changes hard. It makes a loud noise and jerks randomly. I’m concerned it wasn’t fixed during recall. I recently purchased this vehicle used. Do I have any recourse?

The CAN BUS connector (found in the glove box area) fails periodically and without warning. It affects everything on the vehicle; it stops the car from shifting, car won't start up, windows stop working, all of the warning lights turn on, etc. The issue seems to be a manufacturing defect; the soldering cracks after a while, so the low voltage applications malfunction. Many people have noticed the problem, but the dealerships refuse to do a recall or address the issue properly. The vehicle has been in and out of the dealership probably 10 times in the last 7 months or so. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This problem is unsafe because it can occur while driving on a freeway which can cause an accident. Every warning light comes on when the malfunction happens.

Hi! This vehicle stopped twice in the middle of a road on its own. Vehicle was driving fine and the next second it slowed down and wouldn’t accelerate as I would push the gas pedal. It’s as if the engine shut down due to the car signals not transmitting correctly. The screen started blinking on and off giving me warnings and one of them said “Service Shifter!” My safety and my children’s safety was put at risk because anyone could’ve hit us from behind as the car started decelerating on the road with oncoming traffic. I towed the car to a mechanic as the car does not run properly while being driven, and the mechanic said it has multiple electrical issues and multiple leaks. The vehicle was inspected by my own mechanic, as the dealer also inspected it and they tried to connect the scanner to turn off the engine light and get me to drive off. They have refused help and I truly believe they knew this car was a safety hazard. After leaving the dealer, 4 minutes into driving the car started slowing down and I was able to make it into the parking lot, but got stranded in the middle of the street where opposite traffic comes into. I bought the car 03/01/2025. The check engine light turned on 2 weeks in. The battery seemed to be drained 2 weeks in but it did not need cables or recharge, it’s as if the battery loses connection. Then at the one month mark it started having those issues, no warning until it completely stopped on the road. When it stopped on the road, that’s when the screen started going off with multiple warnings.

We are the original owners of this vehicle, which has been consistently and properly maintained. Recently, the vehicle stalled unexpectedly in the middle of the highway and would not restart, creating a significant safety hazard. The check engine light illuminated, and the vehicle could not be shifted into neutral, preventing it from being safely moved out of traffic. After the vehicle was towed to the dealership, we were informed that the starter had failed due to coolant leakage from a compromised head gasket. This coolant intrusion damaged the starter, rendering it inoperable. The dealership advised that while the starter could be replaced, it would likely fail again unless the underlying head gasket issue is addressed. We have since learned that this is a known and recurring issue with certain Chrysler models. Unfortunately, Chrysler has not issued a recall, nor have they provided vehicle owners with any formal notification or long-term solution to this potentially dangerous defect.