2018 Chrysler Pacifica
Common Problems
Ranked from 368 federal NHTSA complaints and 7 recalls. Every problem links to the complaint IDs behind it.
28 Common Problems
Ordered by how often owners reported each one to NHTSA. The bar shows how common a problem is relative to the most-reported on this vehicle. Expand any problem to see the federal complaint IDs.
- 1
Electrical System Issues Causing Random Shutdowns
186complaintsSafety riskElectricalThe vehicle randomly shuts down at slow speeds or when stopped, requiring the driver to restart the engine in park. This can happen multiple times per week.
$150–$1,200est. stalling / shutdown diagnosis + repair · 1–5 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recalls: 18V395000, 18V332000, 19V348000, 18V524000, 23V010000
- 2
Steering Wheel Sticking During Turns
106complaintsSafety riskSteeringThe steering wheel becomes stuck during turns, requiring additional force to straighten it out.
$200–$1,500est. power-steering / eps repair · 1–6 hrs laborGet local quotes - 3
Check Engine Light and Cylinder Misfire
39complaintsHigh severityEngineCheck engine light illuminates due to cylinder misfires, often requiring expensive repairs.
$200–$900est. ignition service (coils/plugs) · 1–4 hrs laborGet local quotes - 4
Electrical System Failures Including CAN Bus Issues
20complaintsMedium severityElectricalVarious electrical system failures, including CAN bus malfunctions, leading to intermittent vehicle shutdowns and loss of functionality.
Related recalls: 18V395000, 18V332000, 19V348000, 18V524000, 23V010000
- 5
Head Gasket Failure
20complaintsHigh severityEngineHead gasket failure leading to coolant leaks and engine misfires, often requiring expensive repairs.
$1,400–$2,800est. head gasket replacement · 8–15 hrs laborGet local quotes - 6
Steering Lock-up During Curves
12complaintsHigh severitySteeringSteering lock-up during curves, especially at higher speeds, posing a significant safety risk.
$200–$1,500est. power-steering / eps repair · 1–6 hrs laborGet local quotes - 7
Hybrid Battery Issues
10complaintsHigh severityElectricalHybrid battery malfunctions leading to loss of motive power, check engine lights, and hybrid drivetrain failures.
Related recalls: 18V395000, 18V332000, 19V348000, 18V524000, 23V010000
- 8
Electrical System Issues Causing Vehicle Shutdown
9complaintsHigh severityElectricalThe vehicle unexpectedly shuts down, often leaving the driver unable to restart the engine.
$150–$1,200est. stalling / shutdown diagnosis + repair · 1–5 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recalls: 18V395000, 18V332000, 19V348000, 18V524000, 23V010000
- 9
Engine Misfire and Cylinder Failure
8complaintsHigh severityEngineMultiple cylinders misfire due to head gasket failure, leading to engine stalling and random shutdowns.
$200–$900est. ignition service (coils/plugs) · 1–4 hrs laborGet local quotes - 10
Engine Overheating and Coolant Leaks
7complaintsHigh severityEngineCoolant leaks into the engine, causing overheating and engine failure, despite no warning lights.
$150–$1,200est. cooling-system diagnosis + repair · 1–6 hrs laborGet local quotes - 11
Steering Wheel Feeling Outdated or Unresponsive
7complaintsLow severitySteeringThe steering wheel feels outdated or unresponsive, with occasional outages or sticking during turns.
- 12
Electrical System Failures Including Dashboard Malfunctions
6complaintsMedium severityElectricalDashboard malfunctions, such as lights flickering and messages displaying incorrectly, occur frequently.
Related recalls: 18V395000, 18V332000, 19V348000, 18V524000, 23V010000
- 13
Electrical System Issues Causing Dashboard Malfunctions
6complaintsMedium severityElectricalThe electrical system malfunctions, causing various dashboard indicators to fail or display incorrectly.
Related recalls: 18V395000, 18V332000, 19V348000, 18V524000, 23V010000
- 14
Transmission Malfunction and Hard Shifting
6complaintsMedium severityTransmissionTransmission shifts harshly and randomly, leading to loss of power and difficulty in accelerating.
$200–$2,500est. drivetrain diagnosis + repair · 1–8 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recall: 18V492000
- 15
Power Steering Failure
5complaintsHigh severitySteeringIntermittent power steering failure leading to loss of control and potential accidents.
$200–$1,500est. power-steering / eps repair · 1–6 hrs laborGet local quotes - 16
Transmission Failure Causing Loss of Motive Power
5complaintsHigh severityTransmissionThe transmission fails, causing the vehicle to lose motive power and stall, posing a safety risk.
$2,500–$5,500est. transmission rebuild/replacement · 8–16 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recall: 18V492000
- 17
Electrical System Failure Causing Loss of Power Steering
4complaintsMedium severityElectricalThe electrical system failure results in the loss of power steering, reducing the driver's ability to control the vehicle.
$200–$1,500est. power-steering / eps repair · 1–6 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recalls: 18V395000, 18V332000, 19V348000, 18V524000, 23V010000
- 18
Engine Stall at Idle Due to Stop-Start System Failure
4complaintsMedium severityEngineThe engine stalls at idle when the stop-start system malfunctions.
$150–$900est. stop-start system diagnosis · 1–4 hrs laborGet local quotes - 19
Steering Locking Up Periodically
3complaintsMedium severitySteeringThe steering wheel locks up periodically, lasting a second or two, which can be scary and potentially dangerous.
$200–$1,500est. power-steering / eps repair · 1–6 hrs laborGet local quotes - 20
Transmission Jerking and Shuddering During Acceleration
3complaintsMedium severityTransmissionThe transmission jerks and shudders during acceleration, often feeling like a rear-end collision.
$200–$2,500est. drivetrain diagnosis + repair · 1–8 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recall: 18V492000
- 21
Electrical System Issues Causing Battery Drain
2complaintsMedium severityElectricalThe electrical system causes the battery to drain rapidly, requiring frequent jumps to start the vehicle.
$150–$700est. parasitic-drain diagnosis + battery · 1–4 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recalls: 18V395000, 18V332000, 19V348000, 18V524000, 23V010000
- 22
Engine Losing Power Suddenly
2complaintsHigh severityEngineThe engine loses all power suddenly, leaving the vehicle unable to accelerate or maintain speed.
- 23
Fuel System Failures Causing Catastrophic Engine Shutdowns
2complaintsHigh severityFuel systemThe fuel system fails catastrophically, causing the engine to shut down while driving, posing a significant safety risk.
$150–$1,200est. stalling / shutdown diagnosis + repair · 1–5 hrs laborGet local quotes - 24
Head Gasket Failure Causing Engine Misfires
2complaintsMedium severityEngineThe head gasket fails, causing engine misfires and potentially leading to engine failure.
$1,400–$2,800est. head gasket replacement · 8–15 hrs laborGet local quotes - 25
Loss of Power Steering Assist
2complaintsHigh severitySteeringThe power steering assist system fails intermittently, making steering extremely heavy and increasing the risk of loss of control.
$200–$1,500est. power-steering / eps repair · 1–6 hrs laborGet local quotes - 26
Suspension Creaking and Clicking Noise
2complaintsLow severitySuspensionLoud creaking and clicking noises occur from the front suspension, especially during turns and reversing.
$150–$1,200est. suspension diagnosis + repair · 1–5 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recall: 19V143000
- 27
Transmission Jerking and Surging
2complaintsMedium severityTransmissionThe transmission jerks when shifting gears and surges forward unexpectedly, posing a risk of accidents.
$200–$2,500est. drivetrain diagnosis + repair · 1–8 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recall: 18V492000
- 28
Transmission Jerking or Hesitation
2complaintsMedium severityTransmissionThe transmission jerks or hesitates when shifting gears, especially at higher speeds, causing a forceful and loud initial movement.
$200–$2,500est. drivetrain diagnosis + repair · 1–8 hrs laborGet local quotesRelated recall: 18V492000
Other years & sources
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls. Problems are clustered and ranked from the complaint record; occurrence counts reflect corroborating complaints, not total incidence. Vehicle image is illustrative. Repair-cost figures are typical U.S. independent-shop ranges (parts + labor) for the class of repair shown — actual quotes vary by region, engine, and diagnosis; always confirm with a local shop.