The check engine light recently came on, and there was an issue with starting and idling, so we replaced the battery and the light went off, but would randomly come back on. One day notice the vehicle as overheating, and found the coolant tank to be completely empty. Refilled the tank, and several days later the problem arose again. Checked under the van immediately after refilling, no leaks detected. Took van to the dealership and was told the head gasket was bad, and the coolant was leaking into cylinder 3. Recommended repairs noted are as follows: “HEAD GASKET IS BAD. LEAKING ON CYLINDER 3. NEEDS A NEW HEAD AND GASKET TO FIX ISSUE. WILL ALSO NEED CAMS, LIFTERS, AND ROCKERS DUE TO THE TICKING COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE MOTOR” I’ve seen that apparently, this is a more than common issue specifically with the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. Others have recommended a total engine replacement, as the damage caused thus far is significant enough that replacing only the head and gasket would be, as quoted, “a very expensive bandaid.” This is the only vehicle we have available for my wife and four small kids, and to see that it’s such a common and, thus far ignored problem is infuriating to say the least. Vehicle was purchased 2 years ago, and has depreciated $21,000 in that short amount of time. Repairs are estimated around $6000. Vehicle value is estimated around negative $12,000, so we’re stuck with a faulty vehicle regardless. With the overwhelming number of complaints regarding this issue, almost verbatim, there is absolutely no reason Chrysler should continue to be allowed to let this go unresolved. The fact that the vehicle depreciated so rapidly in such a short time span should be a testament in and of itself to the known and perceived quality of these vehicles, and if ever I can be rid of it, it’ll be that last Chrysler product I ever own.
2018 Chrysler Pacifica engine complaints
Page 6 of 14: complaints 131 to 160 of 384, newest first, as owners wrote them.
76,115 and my head gasket is blown. After researching, I found that there are more than over 1000 people with the same issue. Dealership says they can do nothing. Chrysler of America says they have no resolution either. This is ridiculous that so many people are having the issues with low miles on their vans. Something has to be done. I'm not sure why there is not a recall already (because Chrysler won't accept the fact that they messed up). People don't have money to replace the head gaskets and/or replace heads or even engines. Please help.
The vehicle has stalled several times while driving and while at a stop light leaving the van completely disabled and it will not turn on or start again. My wife and 2 year old were put at risk when the vehicle stalled on them at a major intersection and my wife was unable to put the vehicle into parking or drive since there was no power after it stalled and dashboard lights flicked on and off multiple times.. Stall has also happened at drive thru almost causing collision with vehicle in front. The stall produces dashboard error messages reporting an internal transmission malfunction, auto start/stop error, and or a problem charging the battery. Certified ASE mechanics can’t reproduce the issue or find anything to pin point the issue after multiple diagnostic tests ran and physical thorough inspection. Every time a stall happens loads of error codes (85+) pull up but none point to the root cause of stalling happening. Vehicle has most up to date software update done over a year ago.
At just over 100K miles, vehicle had check engine light come on (P303) indicating cylinder #3 mis-fire. After replacing spark plugs did not resolve the issue, further diagnosis from mechanic revealed leaking of coolant into cylinder #3 as the cause of the miss-fire. This is further borne out by the rough starts when cold followed by more smooth operation once the coolant is burned off. Research on-line shows that this failure is common in Chrysler Pacifica rather than a one-off incident. Leaking of coolant into the engine not only puts the engine (and therefore vehicle occupants) at risk but also damages the catalytic converter which can have an impact on the environment.
Cylinder head gasket failure: known to be a common failure in the Pentastar 3.6L engine. Repair in thousands, and may not be a solution as the engine block may warp due to failure preventing a proper seal with the cylinder head. The number of cases of this failure is alarming and should really be considered a proper consumer risk.
Purchased vehicle used and have put on miles. But since day 1 issues have been arising. First the Auto stop/start function stopped, 2 years later still unable to find the fix. More recent the gear shift just doesn’t work/turn on randomly or turns off while driving which is a safety concern. Now for the past 2 months the gear shift will not work or while driving the vehicle just loses acceleration and braking and slows to a stall and I can’t do anything until the gear shift turns back. I had 3 children on [XXX] when this started putting all our lives in danger. We were stuck for 2 hours the vehicle ran but was not drivable. Every mechanic says something different and it is a luck of the draw if the vehicle will work when you try it. Batteries all tested good. No obvious other issues other than loss of power steering for a short time. All warning lights flashing on and off randomly but it coincides with the loss of driving capabilities. I just want to be done with this vehicle it’s dangerous and now I’m stuck with it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2018 Pacifica with multiple similar issues. August 2018 - Recall - Reprogram Powertrain Control module May 1019 - Recall fixes (Power steering and ball joint). July 2021 - start/stop light came on - took to dealership and they replaced the battery for that system. Feb 2022 - Recall customer satisfaction notification 1 Y65 July 2022 - ISSUES begin - Cylinder misfire - and car would not start and was smoking. Van was towed to dealership. The dealership had the van for 2 months and had a difficult time really diagnosing the issue. They ended up replacing the right Cylinder head - which is a major part of the engine. Just being over the 60,000 mile mark, we had to fight with Chrysler to honor the warranty on this very expensive fix. Spark plugs were also changed at that time. August 2024 - check engine light is back on, as well as the automatic start/stop button. We took to Auto zone and the diagnosis was Cylinder 6 misfire. All along we have felt there should have been a recall on this van. Is it an electrical issue that is failing? Searching online there are a lot of these complaints about Cylinder misfiring issues with this year/model. It also looks like there may have been a class action lawsuit as well. A 4 year old van should not need a major engine repair. Now here we are 2 years later with a 6 year old van and having a similar issue. We are worried it is going to be another costly fix. We have had nothing but issues with this van and it is unacceptable, especially regarding a brand new car. We have all our receipts indicating appropriate and timely oil changes and transmission flushes, etc from the dealer.
We had a cylinder 6 misfire which caused the engine to stop working. Our car would not start. There were no warning lamps, messages or any other symptom of the problem. We had just had the car serviced and there were no visible issues. We are now told by Chrysler that they have to replace the entire engine. They want to put in the same model of the engine that just randomly stopped working.
Cylinder 5 misfire confirmed coolant leak and head gasket failure by certified mechanic. 103k miles. Always maintained according to recommended schedule. Never overheated. Possible sudden engine failure is absolutely a safety concern leaving me and my family stranded. $6000 repair needed.
At 93500 miles, the check engine light came on. I immediately had it checked by my mechanic and the code was identified as a P301, (Cylinder 1 misfire.) Service was scheduled. At time of service, it was determined that the cylinder head gasket has failed and is leaking coolant into the cylinder, causing the misfire. I have given the shop approval to replace both cylinder head gaskets at an estimated cost of $4500. Loss of coolant can cause catastrophic engine failure, especially while driving. This vehicle is sold as a family vehicle, and can likely be transporting children. This appears to be a known and common engine failure issue and has not been addressed by the Chrysler corporation.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated the Auto STOP/START light and head gasket light remained illuminated. While starting the vehicle, the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed a leak in the head gasket. While inspecting the vehicle, the dealer became aware of a hole in the engine, and that the engine and head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case number. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.
We purchased our 2018 Chrysler Pacifica in October 2023. It had 72,000 miles at the time of purchase. My wife was driving with our kids when the misfiring happened. This is clearly a safety issue as my children and wife don't feel safe in it. About two weeks ago, the check engine light came on and I took it to AutoZone to get the code checked out and then went to a mechanic. Upon inspection and diagnostics. He said the head gasket was blown and that a new engine was needed. We are currently sending the oil out to get tested for coolant. There is currently less than 85k miles on the minivan, and on our first oil change a couple of months ago, we started using a full high mileage synthetic motor oil. We are incredibly disappointed that our minivan has such a huge problem that apparently is fairly common with this year and model.
Check engine light came on. Pulled code, cylinder 1 misfire. Service for spark plugs was already scheduled for 2 days later. Van parked awaiting service. Service performed, CEL off. Van runs as normal for about 1 day. CEL comes back on. Cylinder 1 misfire. Multiple messages display on instrument cluster. Service shifter. Start/Stop unavailable. Some inerior lights turning off then back on later. Similar to a previous issue with a failing battery. Replaced both batteries. Cleared codes. Van drives as normal for 1 afternoon. Next day hard start and rough idle. CEL on. Cylinder 1 misfire. Van operates normally once warm. Schedule follow up service for diagnostic. Next day, CEL off. Van operates as normal in the morning. Hard start in the afternoon with rough idle and CEL back on. Van runs rough tries to stall. Service shifter message returns. Start/Stop unavailable message returns. Parked van at home until service appointment. Day of service battery completely flat. multiple attempts at jumpstart finally get the van started. White smoke coming from exhaust mixed with smell of burning coolant. Notice coolant level has dropped in resevoir. CEL light is on, cylinder 1 misfire. Service messages. Tested battery voltage and alternator appears to be charging. Dropped van off with service. 2 days later report from dealer service department indicates leaking head gasket, and scoring of walls in cylinder 1 seen through endoscope. Recommendation is new motor. Van again requires jump start to relocate to our house. Van idles and drives rough. Using OBDII device and Torque app able to see that van has had over 1k misfires on cylinder 1. occasional misfires in other cylinders. Additional service appointment schedule with independent shop for second opinion on engine replacement. Van is unsafe to drive due to impending engine failure. which may result in crash.
Van currently has a P0303 code for cylinder 3. Have done research and found that this is a common issues with this vehicle. Also the stop/start needs to be service. Which is also know to happen a lot in this type of vehicle.
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 electrical function would turn on but not the engine. Then after continuously trying to start it the gear function would not move. I also want to add that at the time of purchase the van was missing a air duct and I was not made aware of that. I was told by the dealer that it had active recalls but they were not able to fix the recalls because the engine would not start. It had an active recall for the flash software and for the start stop. Dealer tried to tell me it overheated, however this is false, there was no white smoke and no other indications that the van had overheated. I wasn't able to add that the electrical in the vehicle is a problem. The radio and screen would just go blank at times.
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.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the vehicle transmission shifted to park with the START/STOP system warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where an unknown repair was performed; however, the failure persisted. The contact then took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the gear shifter module needed to be replaced. About a year later, the contact stated that the START/STOP warning light and the check engine warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where a misfire in cylinder #6 was found. The dealer flushed the engine, replaced the ignition coils, and replaced the spark plug in cylinder#6. Despite the repairs, the contact became aware of a slight engine rattle at start up. The contact continued to drive the vehicle however, the check engine and START/STOP warning lights returned. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the contact was informed that the failure might be linked to a blown head gasket but could not determine the failure without an official diagnostic test. While the contact's husband was driving from the dealer, the engine started to overheat. The vehicle was driven to the residence and then towed to an independent mechanic and the vehicle was diagnosed with head gasket failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to have the vehicle towed back to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer and remained in the dealer possession. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
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 from headgaskets. Need to replace both left and right side headgaskets, cost for repair is $4334 plus tax. With this service also recommended to replace spark plugs additional $437, service throttle body $299, Service fuel injectors/rails $299, flush coolant in radiator and reservoir $299. Sincerely, Tony Pantagis Service Advisor Office 973‑744‑2000 ext 137 Fax 973-744-248 Email: [email protected] I immediately reached out to Chrysler Cares online. I also called the 800#again. It took MANY days to get anyone to get back to me, but finally I got a Case number. I explained my whole story on the telephone, and Chante said she would reach out to the dealer. After many days of back and forth phone tag, she called me on Friday, June 7 to say this would be referred to a Chrysler supervisor for one final review. I picked up my broken car from the dealer today and it is still not fixed. I still have no answer why a car with 60K miles would have a failed engine with no warning. Chrysler needs to recall these vehicles! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
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.
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.
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 build a car that will last more than 84,000 miles without engine failure. Many people online are experiencing this same issue with large repair bills or engine replacements needed. I sincerely hope that a recall will be issued for this repair as it presents a safety issue.
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
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.
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, the federal safety agency 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.
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