2018 Chrysler Pacifica engine problems

Filed Nov 2, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · PA

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 automatic car doors would not open. The car also started feeling jumpy and shaky upon starting, and when the car is off there is a thumping noise. This thumping noise is still heard when the car has been off and parked for hours. The car will be off and I will get in it and hear the thumping before the car starts. Over the summer the problems became more frequent, and on August 31st it would not start, and I had to have it towed to Reedman. Reedman said my started was bad and also the fuse box shorted. They had my car for 10 days, and during this time I paid $500 out of pocket for a rental. I paid $2000 to Reedman for these repairs. I got the car back, and immediately (same day) experienced the exact same problems, and then my car would not start again. When I did get it started I kept getting warnings that the engine might overheat. I got it back to Reedman and they then said it was a bad alternator and some wires were bad as well. They had my car for 2 months. I picked it up 9/30/26 and within less than 6 hours the check engine light and start stop unavailable light came on. The car started feeling jumpy again upon starting, and the thumping noise returned. This car was purchased brand new in 2018 and only has about 51,000 miles on it. I do not understand why this is all happening to a car that has such low mileage. My 2014 Nissan has never had a single problem.

Filed Oct 19, 2026 · Engine · IN

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.

Filed Oct 13, 2026 · Engine · 38,000 miles · PA

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.

Filed Oct 11, 2026 · Engine · IL

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." [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] Cell INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 26, 2026 · Engine · MI

First, I had camshaft related error which turned out to be a bad intake camshaft on bank 1. The Camshaft, all rocker arms, lifters, camshaft adjuster and all VVL actuators have been replaced with genuine mopar parts. 3 weeks latet, the head gasket on bank 2 failed, caused coolant to leak into the cylinder. The van has 89k miles, very clean and always maintained on time.

Filed Sep 22, 2026 · Engine · IL

Head gasket blown! Vehicle is under 100k miles, never overheated, service properly maintained. When researching symptoms, I discovered I am one of hundreds if not thousands of 2017-2018 model Pacifica owners who have suffered this issue. Heads are known to be faulty and Chrysler will not address the root of it. It's very possible this could lead to a locked engine while driving and cause harm to driver or others.

Filed Sep 11, 2026 · Engine · GA

We had to replace both head gaskets last July with only 70,000 miles on the vehicle. The repair cost was $4,600.00. This August, we started experiencing coolant leaks again. We discovered the cylinder heads are warped now. This was checked last year and it was not the main issue then. It is extremly disappointing that now at 80,000 miles we are looking at another $5000.00+ repair. There needs to be a recall on the engine cylinders and head gasket.

Filed Sep 5, 2026 · Engine · PA

The head gasket failed at 89,000 miles. The engine gave P0305 Cylinder 5 misfire codes and would run rough causing difficult to drive in standard traffic flow. There are borescope pictures of coolant in cylinder 5. We stopped using the vehicle until the repair can be completed. This appear to be a WIDESPREAD problem for 2017-2019 Chrysler Pacifica which are numerous on the road and could be hazardous if these vehicles failed on regular roads and highways. See [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 3, 2026 · Engine · NY

Blown head gasket

Filed Aug 23, 2026 · Engine · NC

This report is for a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica with 90,100 miles. The check engine light came on in July 2026. It was a cylinder 5 misfire. The spark plugs and ignition coil were replaced. The check engine light came on again about 2 weeks later (cylinder 5 misfire again), was dismissed and reset by the shop, and came on again about 2 weeks later. This time, the shop diagnosed cylinder 5 misfire due to "cylinder 5 is leaking coolant into the cylinders." They quoted $12,000 for engine replacement. Went for 2nd opinion at a Chrysler dealership. They confirmed cylinder 5 misfire due to coolant leaking into cylinder 5. Cylinder 5 had low compression. Tech recommended replacing cylinder head for $6200. My research shows that this issue is common for the Pacificas, so I reached out to both Chrysler and the dealer for goodwill assistance with the repair. It was declined due to the van being older than 2019. I cannot continue to drive it with this issue, due to the safety risk of engine failure while operating.