2018 CHRYSLER PACIFICA Engine Problems

I had had multiple incidents when the Van would get stuck in a gear or would lose the ability to accelerate. The passenger doors, specifically the right side passenger door would get suck and continuously open because it could not close. The rear view cameras would get stuck and after reverting to D it would stay on the screen for at least 5 min before switching back. The screen would also go blank. The van would also get stuck between gears or would shut off at a stop light.On this particular day I was driving and was starting to slowdown for the light signal. The van suddenly jolted and stopped completely. I tried to turn it on and it would not start. I was very lucky that the car behind me noticed me slowing down and did not hit the van. I tried to turn on the van and the...

On 4 separate occasions the vehicle while in motion will flash an alert that states “vehicle shutting down, stop safely” and the van will proceed to completely shut down- all electrical components do not work, including the sliding doors. After 30-45 minutes, the can will start back up without issue. Has been evaluated by a Chrysler dealership mechanic, as well as 2 private mechanics. They have been unable to replicate the issue. The main and auxillary batteries have been replaced twice each. Each incident we were able to pull over safely and there have not been any injuries or crashes, but we are concerned if it happens and we can’t pull over, we could easily crash.

head gasket was blown.and there were no warning signs or indicator lights my van only has 62,000 miles on it

Transmission slipping while changing gears. Engine shutting down while driving. Was put in the shop 5/28, they said they fixed it. did it again on the way home on 6/21/24.

The check engine light came on in early May, and I immediately took it to our local mechanic. On [XXX], he told me we had a cracked cylinder head (attached quote). You can imagine my surprise! It’s a fairly new car. I just went on Google, and I found immediately a thread on the Pacifica forum where hundreds of families have had this problem. I just commented without expecting to get help, and I got a DM from Chrysler Cares (correspondence attached). They asked me to take it to a Chrysler dealer to confirm the diagnosis. The dealer reached out to me on May 28th with the bad news below. I said I would pick the car that afternoon. He informed me that if I drove the vehicle it would “catch on fire.” Quote below: Technician has completed diagnosis of vehicle. Found engine is burning coolant, coolant leaking into engine...

I own a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica with just 53k miles. Recently, after starting the vehicle, the dash board displayed a check engine light. When I took it to the dealership, they informed me the code was a P0305, which indicated a misfire in cylinder 5, caused by a blown head gasket and a coolant leak into the cylinder. AT 53,000 MILES! Their quote to repair the engine (which just sets the ticking time-bomb back to zero) is $5,000.

Had engine misfire and low coolant light come on. Towed to dealer. Engine did not overheat. Dealer found cracked head. Head was not made well. Disabled start stop feature and put van into “limp” mode where it would not start on the freeway. Safety concern.

Head gasket is leaking coolant into cylinder #5. According to the Chrysler forums, this seems to be a common problem. We are seeking to share this information so that the appropriate steps may be taken to commence a recall in order to service these vehicles. The safety of all drivers/passengers should be the pinnacle of this concern. We have 105, 000 miles on this vehicle and have experienced no other mechanical issues to this point.

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed a failure with the START/STOP system. The contact stated that on several occasions the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with the START/STOP engine warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Head gasket is blown with not that many miles, it's blowing fuses on a daily bases, start stop function won't work. Coolant leaks. Coils damaged, and lastly ac unit won't close properly and keeps making noise.

Licensed independent service center diagnosed that I have coolant leaking into cylinder 5 and that the head gasket is compromised and needs to be replaced. My vehicle only has 84k miles. No warning lights illuminated until I started to experience a shudder when starting the vehicle, shaky start and then the check engine light came on with a cylinder 5 misfire code. I noticed coolant was low and topped off. The vehicle has never indicated it was too hot, but I need to refill reservoir each time the vehicle is driven. I no longer feel safe driving my vehicle as a hot engine could cause failure while driving, leave us stranded in a vehicle with small children, or worse cause engine fire, accident, injury or death. I would never expect to have head gasket failure at such low mileage. I should be able to trust that an auto manufacturer can...

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the check engine and the STOP and START warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that on the last occasion, the vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the battery was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was scheduled for a service appointment. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

Value cover gasket failed and stated cracked heads. Car didn’t overheat, but engine light came on. Had car towed to dealer. Bought warranty from dealer(powertrain) but dealer says coverage have not been approved yet. Car been in shop about 2 wks

While driving 45+ MPH, a warning message shown stating "stop safely, vehicle will shut off soon", which is followed by loss of power and inability to control the vehicle. No error codes generated. There is an open investigation according to the NHTS website, NHTSA Action Number: RQ24004.

-service engine light went on 2 weeks ago, intermittently. - escalated when engine began locking/ shuddering while driving and engine light began flashing. - had vehicle towed to the nearby dealership - dealer diagnosed it as a blown head gasket due to manufacturing defects. Dealer offered up that ‘they see this issue all the time’ with the 3.6L Pentastar engine. - dealer quoted $6000 for the repair but forewarned that the other head gaskets would likely fail as well because of the manufacturer defect. Quoted $9500 to replace both - dealer suggested replacing both head gaskets but also refused to confirm integrity of the engine block and all additional cylinders with micrometer measurements and pressure readings. - there is a known and frighteningly frequent breakdown of this engine in the Chrysler Pacifica. - complete engine failure should not be common place for a vehicle with less than 100,000 miles.

Car ran fine during morning drop offs with kids to school, approximately 10 miles away. Stopped in parking lot to help with school events, car cooled down for 2 hours and would not start. Tried to jump start the car, it did not work. Car was towed to the dealership where we found out that the engine had seized. Car has 107K miles on it . All maintenance performed at dealership on time.

While driving a message came across the dash to "service charging system" and then a second message appeared that said "speeds limited" and the vehicle slowed to 44mph entirely out of my control.

Piston Number 3 is misfiring which is the from an error code. Replaced the piston 3 twice and now coolant is leaking into the engine which cause the coolant to leak into the engine. This is a safety risk since the car does not give a warning until there is no more coolant in the car which can cause a fire while driving. The issue was shown twice and confirmed by 2 independent mechanics and the dealership. The vehicle has been inspected and checked out by 2 independent mechanics and the dealership. It first appeared Feb 16 2024 when the check engine light came on and the next Monday the car lost coolant. The car also shook violently when it was started.

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle hesitated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was diagnosed and determined that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

The engine overheated and the vehicle became with three children inside on a major New Jersey highway. This vehicle was advertised for families with kids, and appears to have a safety defect. The first sign something was wrong was when the check engine light came on; shortly after the vehicle became inoperable on the highway. We took the vehicle to several different mechanic shops, including the dealership, and we were told the vehicle has a major engine defect, either a blown head gasket or a total engine failure. The vehicle is currently at a Chrysler dealership being examined.

Purchased the car used in 2018. Worked fine. Always kept up with my oil changes. Car now over 72000 miles. Suddenly, noticed car would jerk while im driving. Was told engi e misfire. Had it fixed so i thought. After a while, happening again. Also, without any warning, suddenly coolant disappears somewhere in the car. Not coming out at all. And without warning, car overheats. Constantly filling with coolant. Engine light suddenly comes on. Blinking on and off. Now im in engine failure. Not in warranty. Checked several forums, tons of people with the SAME issue. Bad engine from Chrysler. My Supreme warranty is expired, i am single mother of three and cannot fix. Still financing this vehicle. Can anybody help me? I dont have thousands of dollars to fix this.

My Vehicle suddenly stops while the car is in motion, it shuts completely off. I had an instance where my car shut off coming off the freeway off-ramp. This has happened on numerous occasions and we have been trying to call the dealership to see if there is any recall. We are never given a straight answer and we feel unsafe to drive our vehicle

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was shuddering and there was a lot of exhaust and a burning odor. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was coolant in the compartment where the spark plug was located, and that the head gasket was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

I keep getting a check engine light that reads as cylinder 5 misfire. I have replaced the spark plug and coil pack and it still will read as a cylinder 5 misfire. Often times when we start the van, it acts as if it has engine problems. I know this is very common in 2017-2018 Pacifica's and seems very unsafe. Something is wrong with the engines in those years of Pacifica's. I have had this check engine light read 4 times and 2 mechanics looked at it and replaced some parts to success.

The van auto shutoff during a stop in an intersection. The van did not turn back on when the pressure was released from the pedal. The engine was off and I was in the middle of the intersection. The gear shifter knob was unable to move to a different gear. After multiple attempts to restart the car were unsuccessful, the car finally restarted after cycling through the att, run, start menus without the brake being depressed and then pressing the break and pushing the start button. This vehicle has had the recall work performed related to this issue and the repair is insufficient. The stall is intermittent and difficult to repeat.

The #5 cylinder keeps having a misfire sometimes causing failure of the vehicle to get up and move when needed in an emergency Situation this being a family van make even putting children in danger at times. After inspection by myself a Mechanic that even taught College Automotive repair, I have also taught Jet engine repair I find this concerning. Is what is happening is the head gasket is leaking coolant into the #5 Cylinder and we all know water will not admit a spark. Rust can be seen on the Valves and top of Piston cylinder upon inspection. This is a well know issue across the United States and Chrysler Dealers and manufacturers, their mechanics, parts and service departments also know this. This is poor workmanship inferior parts. But the most concerning is not being able to get a response out of the vehicle to get out of the...

Received message that Start/Stop component was not working. A few weeks later, check engine light came on. Brought to mechanic, was told to replace main and auxiliary battery. Paid to replace those and two days later, got both the start/stop message and the check engine light again. Brought back to mechanic who, upon finding countless other consumers who have had the same issue, found a blown head gasket with coolant leaking into the engine. Our vehicle has only 44k miles on it and is at risk of overheating while driving and the engine may be damaged.

The check engine light came on and the vehicle experienced a slight loss of power. Later the Start/Stop indicator light cam on with a message saying it has malfunctioned. Upon driving the van continues to have issues going up hills and accelerating from a stopped position. The check engine light remains steady without blinking.

At 34k miles I’m being told the head gasket needs to be replaced and the car is out of warranty. This is unacceptable and refuse to pay the amount to fix for a vehicle that has that low of mileage. Coolant leaking with no visible leakage. Engine overheated on freeway with no explanation.

In Oct 2023 we purchased this van from a used dealership. Well now it sits at a Dodge dealership torn apart waiting on a new engine. It all started when my wife and kids were driving down the road in the middle of winter with no heat (safety issue especially in Wisconsin this time of year) so I took a look at coolant and noticed the coolant reservoir was empty. (Usually a leak somewhere obviously) nothing was on the ground, so time to assume internal leak. Well same day I get a cylinder 5 miss fire code. So I take vehicle into Dodge and they originally diagnosed as head gasket but when they took it apart they found the crack in the block. Now the vehicle had never overheated while we owned it we made sure of it. The story gets deep at this point there is evidence that someone...

My vehicle lost the ability to accelerate when driving on a busy two-lane street. I was able to coast to the side of the road, but the vehicle would not move forward or backward even though the engine was running. This was the fifth time this condition has occurred, and I had the 03A Loss of Motive Power recall service performed during Summer 2023. The vehicle had to be towed - luckily nobody was directly behind us so an accident did not occur. The vehicle is currently being evaluated by the dealership for further repair. The check engine light is illuminated, but no other warning lights are illuminated at this time.

Misfire on engine that was cause stall and later on could caused over heating. This is a known issue for this manufacture and needs be resolved before someone is hurt or killed Code was p303 and now I need 1000's in repairs out of my pocket Right now believe to be head gasket but damage could be worse. Yall need to google this issue for yourselves and help protect lives

Last year, a head gasket failed causing coolant to leak into the cylinder head that resulted in misfires and overheating. This resulted in engine block failure and a required a total engine replacement.

Blown head casket at only 64000 miles. Engine light on and antifreeze I’m told is leaking now. No warranty or recall with the 2018 Pacifica but there is for the same issue with the 2017.

oticed that the CEL had come on, and after reading the codes, I found out that there was a cylinder 5 misfire. To fix the issue, I decided to replace all the spark plugs and ignition coils, and after putting everything back together, I erased the codes. However, the following day, the same code appeared again, and I realized that the coolant level in the reservoir was low. I performed a pressure test on the system and ran it to temperature, but there were no coolant leaks. While the car was running, I observed bubbles in the reservoir, and these signs pointed towards a blown head gasket. After checking online for Pacifica common issues, I found out that head gasket failure is one of the main complaints. As a mechanic with 13 years of experience, I know that these symptoms indicate a blown head gasket. Unfortunately, due to this issue,...

After radiator was replaced by the dealership, our car has been experiencing coolant leaks that we have “repaired” twice, however the issue keeps coming back within the week. We are also experiencing stalled engine will driving, where the car just slows down instantly or stops.

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine temperature gauge displayed that the engine was overheating. The contact drove the vehicle to a safe location and waited for the engine to cool down. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket. The contact was informed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and agreed to supply the parts needed for the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 83,538.

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that the main battery and the auxiliary battery had been replaced on multiple occasions. The dealer had not yet determined the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the frequent battery failures caused the vehicle to stall while driving at various speeds with the battery and check engine warning lights illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was diagnosed with a cylinder #3 misfire. Also, the contact mentioned that the vehicle would jerk forward upon depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.

Failed cylinder head (misfire p0304). Need to have engine rebuilt or replaced. Also had oil cooler failure, losing coolant and oil. 71k miles, just over the 60k power train warranty. Need dealer to help fix but they are booked for next 3 months. Car initially cut out on the road in traffic after auto start stop, was scary and safety risk with family including kids onboard. Confirmed with independent mechanic, but also going to dealer as it is specialty work for that engine.

Coolant leaking into cylinder 4 causing a misfire and engine overheating resulting in blown head gasket. Vehicle had only 50K miles at the time; however problem was not diagnosed until just after 5 year mark (powertrain warranty expiration).

At around 84000 miles the engine light came on and the van started spattering and when you start it. The first place I took it to said it was cylinder 6 was misfiring and they replaced the coil and spark plug. The van check engine light came back on and it started to overheat so we took it back in and the coolant was empty. They refilled it and I got it into the dealership and they found that it was the head gasket so they placed it. Upon picking it up the check engine light came back on and they replaced a cam shaft sensor.

We could not locate an active coolant leak for almost two months (brought to several mechanics.) Added dye to the coolant and it showed in the oil. Waited over a month for an appointment with the dealership and was finally told that it was a bad Head/Head Gasket, Oil pump and would also need a new catalytic converter etc.... It is apparent from the chrysler forums that this is a VERY common problem. #5 cylinder, bad coolant channel design leading to engine failure. Even the mechanic at the dealership said (ON VIDEO) that this was a common issue. Chrysler is WELL aware of the issue but refuses to redesign or assist customers when the failure occurs. This is CLEARLY a safety issue that begs for a recall.

My van experienced sudden misfiring when I tried to start it. To address the issue, I took the van to the Chrysler dealership in Buford, GA. After their assessment, they informed me that cylinder 3 had a crack, and it necessitated the replacement of the entire engine. They provided a quote for this repair, which amounted to $13,000. I've been diligent in maintaining my van, regularly checking the oil levels, and there were no warning signs or indicator lights until the check engine light came on when the misfiring issue began. It's worth noting that my van only has 81,000 miles on it. While researching this problem, I came across a forum where numerous individuals shared similar experiences, indicating that this kind of catastrophic engine failure shouldn't be so common. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Engine sputtering, engine light came on P0303 cylinder 3 misfire. Light would come on and off every couple of days. Diagnosed with a blown head gasket at ~51,000 miles.

We began having major issues with our van in October 2022. There were numerous incidents of loss of power and sudden increase in temperature gage. We kept fluids checked. Kept oil changed on time. We reported this to the dealership multiple times before they agreed to fix under warranty. Even after fixing factory recall (which we were charged for by the dealership) and then replacing batteries, we continued having issues with loss of power and surge in temperature gage. July 8th of 2023 engine light came on and temperature gage shot up, van stalled at the intersection. I had My self and FIVE kids in the car. This was accompanied by a sudden loss of fluids. We had the van taken to another repair shop who then told us the head gasket was blown. This happened just 4 miles after our warranty lapsed. We had to have the entire motor...

62000 miles on the vehicle. Bought used from Chrysler dealership with 55K miles. Check engine light came on after starting in morning, rough idling. Brought it to dealership and was diagnosed as cylinder-4 misfire. Dealership replaced spark plug and coil, switched fuel injectors. Drove away from dealership, week later engine light came on again. Went to the dealership, they performed a block test, confirmed 4th cylinder head needed to be replaced. This is an extremely common problem in 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacificas. This is a travesty and needs to be rectified.

Driving through a parking lot when the van said shift to park and completely shut off while moving. Lost power steering and acceleration. Car then would not restart. Husband came and we hooked to his battery and somehow it cranked and we got it home.

Our engine has stalled while driving the vehicle at least four times since July 1. The engine begins to shudder, and the car will not accelerate, and then the engine completely dies. After it happened today, it was not possible to restart the engine or put it in gear. My and my family's safety was put at risk because the vehicle was inoperable. Three times this happened on major interstates with traffic moving at high speeds. I had to move my children and their car seats into another vehicle while traffic passed. We have had the vehicle in for service at least three times, at least twice at Chrysler dealers. The problem has not been reproduced (yet) but this latest time it completely disabled the vehicle so expect they will see more of the problem now. After the engine cuts out, we get an electrical warning light that flashes briefly,...

Vehicle is 5 years old and at 90,000 miles. Head gasket blew causing several thousand dollars in damage. This seemed very early to have to do this to the engine. I wanted to report in case this is a persistent issue with this particular model of car. If it is a consistent issue I would like to see. A recall issued.

My 2018 Chrysler Pacifica has a blown head gasket. It has been to a Chrysler dealership and an independent auto repair shop. Both places told me that this is a known defect and commonly occurring problem with this engine. I have conducted my own research and it definitely appears to be a known defect and common problem. I was told that the head gasket could be replaced but more problems would follow and paying the large repair bill wouldn't guarantee the van would be problem free. The best option I've been presented with is to replace the engine completely. It is very disappointing to need to replace an engine in a vehicle that is only 5 years old and just barely over 100k miles.