2018 Chrysler Pacifica Problems, complaints & recalls

We've been having problems with steering for over 18months. When you are turning, and your hands are around 11:00 or 1-2:00 and there's a slight curve, and the entire car shudders until you ease back in a different direction. One dealership said it was "not a big deal"; one wants $5000 to replace the steering column.

The car routinely loses function of power steering upon start up and shifting in reverse. Intermittently, the car will lose power steering when in drive.

The check engine light came on, and the codes indicated a cylinder 5 misfire. We replaced the spark plugs and coils. Codes went away for a short time, a couple of days. Then it was noticed that the coolant was leaking somewhere. Nothing on the ground. The mechanic confirmed that coolant is in cylinder 5 and that a head gasket is leaking. The cost to replace the head gasket is $6500, plus car rental fees of $450/week. The head gasket is on backorder and was supposed to come in on October 30th. There is no word and when and if it will arrive. This is an obvious issue since there are a shortage of head gaskets available! We have all of the other parts except the head gasket.

This issues has been ongoing as the vehicle makes a loud clunking noise and the steering wheel shakes and its almost like it jumps while in a slow turn. The vehicle loses power steering while going down the rod and it's like the steering wheel gets stuck at the 11 and 2 position and you have to manually force it to come free then the power steering comes back. during low-speed turns is when you feel the vibrating and clunking. I have checked all of the steering components and the only thing i cannot physically...

I own a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid experiencing intermittent electric power steering problems consistent with NHTSA investigation PE25009. The steering wheel repeatedly sticks near the 11-o'clock position during gradual turns and when returning toward center. This has occurred at highway speeds and requires additional steering force to overcome the resistance. The steering can then release unexpectedly. There are no warning lights or DTC Codes related to this issue. We had a repair shop look at the issue and...

Steering wheel binding/sticking under continuous lateral load at 30+ mph on banked right-hand ramps, requiring breakaway force to unstick. It jerks the vehicle and my passengers look at me like I'm crazy. Only does it on right hand turns, left seems fine. No noises. Very scary as I'm afraid that it isn't going to unstick one of these times, or the sudden jerk when it releases is going to cause an accident. It started doing this several weeks ago and happens pretty much every time now. If I make small steering adjustments while going around the right hand bank, it doesn't seem to happen. Only when I hold the wheel at a constant position while traveling around the curve.

When turning the wheel slightly (ie. 10 or 1 position), the wheel will lock up and stick requiring additional effort/overcompensation to get turn the wheel back. The issue has become increasingly worse over the past few months, but there was no distinct onset or issue that prompted the first problem.

I originally took my car to Reedman toll in 2021 due to frequent issues with the batteries needing to be replaced and the car not starting. At the time I was told it was related to a recall, and they fixed it. However, over the last year I have continued to have various problems with the car. The batteries were replaced numerous times. The check engine light and stop start unavailable light going on randomly. The car also started having electrical issues like the radio would just turn off on its own, or the...

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving uphill, the vehicle was shaking uncontrollably. Additionally, the Auto START/STOP feature intermittently failed to restart the engine while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test indicated that the passenger's side CV axle camshaft was defective. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V493000 (POWER TRAIN) and 18V492000 (POWER TRAIN); and...

While driving, the vehicle experiences a sudden and intermittent "catching" or sticking sensation in the steering wheel. This issue happens exclusively when initiating a slight turn to the left, specifically around the 11 o'clock steering wheel position. There is no noise (no clunking, clicking, or grinding) associated with the failure. When the steering wheel "catches," it requires additional physical force to pull the wheel past the sticking point. Once it breaks free, the electric power steering suddenly engages with a sharp jolt, which causes the vehicle to momentarily jerk or oversteer.

While driving the vehicle in a gradual turn, steering will stick and not return to center without applying extra force to the steering wheel.

The engine powertrain system failed, specifically a catastrophic failure of the cylinder head gaskets alongside a stretched engine timing chain. The replaced components were discarded by the repair facility following the completion of the service and are not available for inspection. The failure caused a sudden, severe engine malfunction accompanied by a rough idle and immediate loss of smooth powertrain operation. Sudden engine failures of this nature create a severe hazard when operating on backroads or public...

Makes a clicking popping noise when turning the wheel. The sound is highly noticeable when stationary or moving very slowly, and occurs specifically when the steering wheel is forced almost all the way to the bump stop either way. Dealership quoted over $4000 for electric rack and pinion. I had just paid $17000 for it without an extended warranty.

Experiencing steering lockup around the 2 o clock position when cornering to the right. Doesn't lock up to the left, only to the right.steering will Lock up and won't release unless a slight tug on the steering wheel. We experience this every time you remotely hold in the 2 o clock position for the slightest bit of time. I have kids in this car and when we're going 65+ down interstates, this is a serious safety issue and concerns me greatly for the safety of my family. Van only has 95k miles on it. Spent a...

Radio screen frozen plus loud sounds from speaker when unlocked

My van has been reliable for 5 years until recall 73B was performed. Ever since it's install I have had 7 repair attempts and 250+ days out of service. Each repair attempt is preceesed by check engine lights, service hybrid system, check electronic throttle control, red wrench, blind spot temporarily unavailable, (occasionally) service airbag, service shifter, and stability control lights. Chrysler has been unable to fix this issue. They have replaced the abs module, 12v battery, can bus's, wiring, battery coolant...

On the morning of October 18, 2026 my daughter an I were driving home from a trip. 10 minutes after we left a friend's house the hood of the van flew open and smashed the windshield. An "hood open" indicator light never came on. I had no reason to believe the hood was not secure. So the indicator light, primary latch and safty latch all failed. This could have been a lot worse if we were on the highway already. Luckily, we were on a backroad where I had room to regain control of the van and stop with no other...

Blown Head Gasket. Having the unknown blown head gasket issue may have caused extreme damage to other engine components. Vehicle has less than 145,000 miles.

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and steering left or right, the steering wheelbecame difficult to turn. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Investigation: PE25009 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

An Electric Power Steering System (EPS) code came up on the dash and then it locked up the steering going down the road with my wife and children in the car on 10-13-2026. Bought the car from a dealer on 10-12-2026. Replaced main and auxiliary batteries on behalf of dealerships expense on 10-14-2026. 10-16-2026 the code came back up and locked the steering up again going down the highway with my wife and children in the car. The dealer is taking action as we speak, we will see what they do.

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica modified with an electric wheelchair conversion and ramp. The contact stated that while opening the electric power sliding door, the hinges fractured and detached completely. When the automated sliding system activated and moved rearward, it broke the hinges and forced the door off the track. Due to the mechanical failure of the sliding door, the electrical system malfunctioned, causing the wheelchair ramp to fail to deploy. Furthermore, when the hinges detached, they...

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the engine seized. The vehicle was able to restart. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under an unknown recall associated with the failure because the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

Head gasket issue. Known issue with this model. Costly repair "The primary reason is inadequate construction techniques, design, and materials. There isn't a preventive solution for this issue. If it occurs, it will be dealt with at that time." [[redacted]] [[redacted]] [[redacted]] [[redacted]] Cell INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving and turning the steering wheel in either direction, the steering wheel was sticking while attempting to return the steering wheel to center. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The contact was notified of NHTSA Action Number: PE25009 (STEERING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the investigation. The failure mileage was 72,000.

The transmission shifts harshly, clunks when shifted into Drive or Reverse, and hesitates before suddenly lurching. Engine RPM rises before the transmission engages, and some describe the resulting jolt as feeling like being hit from behind. The steering wheel locks stiffly during gentle turns to the right, then suddenly releases causing a jolt back to the left at times, all other times it requires a hard pull of the wheel manually to get the steering to...