I kept having a check engine light come on with the code P0305 for a cylinder 5 missfire. It turns out the cylinder is broke and leaking.
2018 Chrysler Pacifica engine complaints
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Service electronic stability
Check engine light appeared 01/26 out of nowhere. Engine started to idle rough onbstartup but cleared after a few seconds, checked code with OBD2 and it hit P0305. Took to dealership for repairs 01/27. We live in the middle of nowhere and having this vehicle fail in the middle of the no-cell-service drive could have caused us to be stranded in the snow, especially with the winter we've had it could have been a catastrophy. Dealer originally flagged fuel injector as the reason. Picked up vehicle on 01/31, check engine light returned on 02/01 and we immediately contacted the dealership again. Returned vehicle again on 02/02 and it has remained in the shop even as of today 03/10. Reported back to us that there are cracks in the Engine block are causing coolant to leak into cylinder 5. Dealership confirmed they have seen multiple 2017 and 2018 Pacificas have this same issue. Even went as far to say that those with a perfect maintence done on the vehicle were subject to this same issue. 3rd party inspectors have also checked the vehicle for extended warranty purposes. Many reports of the Pentastar 3.6L V-6 seem to show a commonality with what the dealership reported about the 2017 - 2018 Pacificas engine problems. Chrysler has not responded to outreach for assistance and as the cost to repair sent to warranty company is thousands of dollars over what the current value of the vehicle is worth. Chrysler seems to be dodging responsibilty for this blatent issue.
First, it started with the stop/ start not working . We took it to the shop they said we needed a new alternator. Costed us 700$ . Well the problems did not stop . The check engine light did not go off after a few times of driving it (the mechanic (crystler mechanic) said it would after a few times of driving it. Well then it started rumbling when u turned it on . Called and they said bring it back in. Well we planned on doing so but then the van wouldn't start. We had to get it towed . Well they said the fuse had blown . So when they replaced that they noticed white smoke coming out and all the coolant gone . They said it is most likely the cracked engine block which is gonna cost over 12000$ to fix . We already owe money on the car . We cannot afford this! We have 4 kids and this is a safety issue !!! Now we are out of a vehicle and still owe on it !
Coolant leak as well as the other problems that I reported.
The car starts blowing out white smoke when started. Mechanic thinks it could be a blown gasket or Crack in engine block. The cable fuse blown as well. The vehicle did not start so it was towed to the mechanic.
2018 chrysler pacifica. Consumer writes in regard to problems with its automatic stop/start feature. The consumer stated the vehicle was in for repairs several times but the dealer only supplied a rental one time.
The end of 2021, Began not starting requiring many pushed of the start stop button; stalling when in motion on roads; gas pedal tight not depressing, engine light on and off, side auto doors often wouldn’t work automatically (battery new); was lurching and chugging randomly , over time very frequently. Nov 22’ had start stop battery replaced & fuel pump sensor. still lurched etc..worsened..late 2022 began frequently stalling , not starting, pedal would be stiff, lurched daily, stalled frequently during motion & upon first acceleration..start, try to go..stall out..finally jan 5, 2023, wouldn’t even turn over-just clicked-shop diagnosis said few codes referred to electrical panel issues.. replaced spark plugs, starter, got home, next morning, same thing ~no turnover. problem not solved. another shop, where it sits today-found cracked engine block($12,000 estimate to “attempt” replacing engine). deemed total loss as value of van is less. This has to be a defect gone undetected for some time, having built up damage over these last couple years.Many of issues are identical to recall (2019-2022) listed problems. Regardless of any recall being labeled as inactive, this vehicle is clearly a result of manufacturing issues. A 2018 doesn’t just have these problems when it’s cared for.We have four children & currently have no mode of transportation~two shops since January 6, ‘23, prior year of worsening symptoms. A safe, reliable vehicle is vital for our family’s functioning. It’s now at Lee’s Auto-seen in picture. Excel Auto was first repair attempt Jan.6. We will not be reimbursed by insurance for “mechanical failure.” Our loan is $18,000 outstanding. We pay $459.65 each month, and are responsible for remaining balance. Why should this happen to us. We certainly can’t purchase a second vehicle in conjunction with this loan. Your quick action and assistance is appreciated and direly needed.
Leaking coolant in cylinder 5 leading to a misfire and check engine light. Dealer reports this is a known issue and only replacing the engine will fix, but Chrysler isn’t doing anything to fix it.
Check engine light on. Number 3 cylinder misfire. Losing coolant. Head gasket replacement.
Check engine light and start/stop light
At Approx 92,000 miles, the head gaskets failed and allowed coolant into the cylinder heads causing the engine to overheat and the cylinder to be damaged and need replacing. The repairs would have cost me $3386, but thankfully extended warranty covered $1900.
Blown Head Gasket at 77K miles
Began with a misfire in cylinder 1 that would chug on startup, the smooth out. Had a check engine light come one, which showed the misfire in cylinder one. Brought it to the dealer, they noted low coolant levels and possible blown head gasket. Had only 108,000 miles. They could not get to further review of the motor for two more weeks, so we were told we could pick it up and bring it back. One hour after leaving the dealer, the motor overheated. There was no coolant whatsoever in the vehicle. After calling the dealer, we were told they forgot to put coolant back into the vehicle before were could pick it up. The next day, the van is no longer usable. It began stuttering continually.
Ticking noise began out of nowhere, 2 days later accelerated from a stop light felt a jolt and then lost power and check engine light flashing. Took to closest dealer to have looked at. Dealer determination new engine needed, or have cams, headers, rockers, and lifters repaired. Engine has 68,000 miles on it.
At 63000 miles engine misfire occuered needing to replace the head gasket causing leaking coolant into the combustion chamber causing a misfire. Very concerning considering relevtivly low milleage and potential ongoing engine concerns. Wife and children were driving when check engine light went on, resulting in misfire causing car to shutter and stiring wheel shake. Car is curently being serviced at the dealer. There were no early indicators prior to this incident.
I was driving my Pacifica 2018 on the road when suddenly I heard a beep, I looked at the dashboard, it had a red light indicating that my car is overheated, my kids were panicking, hoping it shouldn't start burning. I couldn't stop on the highway because of passing cars. it was towed in to the dealer, I got a phone call that I need a new engine... I had no prior indications of any problem.
Radiator coolant leaked in cylinder 3 engine (3.6L)has 64K miles after searching online the Pacifica has this issue and Chrysler has not did anything to fix this in recalls
Check engine light p0303 cylinder 3 misfire. Dealership mechanic diagnosed as blown head gasket.
It would not accelerate and misire when you pressed on the gas pedal. It was finally found after 7 momths of them teying to fix other parts that we would beed a new engine altogether
Car engine has stalled a dozen times or so. On one occasion it stalled and would not restart, had to tow to a dealer to repair it and it ended up costing $2700. And when it doesn’t stall on the road the engine constantly has weird acceleration dips where it almost stalls. This has been a constant problem for me and I purchased the vehicle used with 39000 miles on it. Which is not much mileage so I was not expecting this many problems.
The car battery system has failed over 5x when driving. All of a sudden the car battery lights start coming on & stearing shuts down and car stops. The last time it completely shut down. No power to even run hazard lights. No power to lock the car or rollup the windows. It has been 2 weeks and dealership mechanic can not figure out what is wrong.
2018 Pacifica Wheelchair Accessible Van has on several occasions without warning, decelerated and stalled. Displays Place into Park and restart. Van starts sputtering & decelerates. After pulling over, waiting a few minutes it does start again. We've had the van over a year without any issues until now. We did have it at a dealership for a week. They were unable to find anything wrong with it. Very frustrating as we use this van to transport our disabled daughter. Recently we received notice of Class Action Lawsuit for this problem. Doesn't help me right now.
Vehicle began to idle rough, then the check engine light came on with the code P303 (misfire in cylinder 3). Vehicle diagnosed as having a bad head gasket. This appears to be a VERY common occurrence on this vehicle based on posts made by owners here: https://www.pacificaforums.com/
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The van stalls, the wheels lock up, the transmission shifter becomes unusable, and of the warning light start flashing on the dashboard. Yes, it’s available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? It stalled in the middle of the road blocking traffic from both ways and was unable to be moved for over half an hour. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, by an independent service center. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, not until the day it stalled on 8/30/2022z
Van started running slightly rough in the mornings if the engine was cold. CEL eventually came on with a P0304 DTC. I replaced the igntion coils and spark plugs since the van was right at 80,000 miles. Seem to run fine for a day after, then issues came back. Took it to the dealership for more in-depth troubleshooting and repair. They failed to do anything after almost two weeks except that now my van wouldn't start. Took the van to a non-dealership affiliated repair shop and they said the starter had failed, but the engine passed the pressure check of the head. Waited almost another two weeks for a new starter, mechanic got it back together, found some coolant coming out of the exhaust manifold and recommended adding leak stop that there might be a small casting issue with the engine. They added leak stop and returned the van to me stating they think there was a small hole in the engine from casting and that coolant was getting by and causing the misfire. Subsequently, the coolant would then travel to the catalytic converter where it would burn off but caused the cat to be much hotter than normal and that was in-turn frying the starter which is pressed up right next to the cat. The van continued to run rough for a couple days before it finally wouldn't start again and now i'm having to have it towed back to the shop. I suspect the issue may a issue with a warped head or something even worse. A cursory search of both online forums and the federal safety agency reports that this is not a one off or new issue and only seems to be getting worse and more prolific as the average age of the fleet pushes towards 80-100K+ miles. Modern vehicles should be able to go 150-200k miles before head gasket issues become a serious concern.
The engine overheated while driving and required immediate attention, leaving me and my family stranded on the highway. The original code that tripped the check engine light was for a misfire in Cylinder #3, upon further inspection at the dealership it was concluded that the issue was a blown head gasket, causing the engine to overheat and fail. This was confirmed by the dealer. I have sent the issue to the manufacturer as well. There are a number of these issues in public forums. It is apparently a well known defect.
I have owned van for 1 year and taken it into the shop 6 times for blown head gasket, leaking coolant, over heating due to leaking coolant, and now it needs a new ignition coil and spark plug due to coolant leaking. Check engine light pops on every time and the van notifies me that the engine is over heating. Must pull over on the side of the road to let car cool down. Problem has been confirmed, taken to car dealer at every instance. After issue has been taken to dealer and "fixed" check engine light returns after 4-6 weeks, every time. Paperwork can be provided on request.
Van showed the message "Stop safely the vehicle will shut off" and stopped on the road. It was immobile for close to 30 mins. I was able to start and drive back home. It again stopped on the road on the way to the dealer. I have seen number of complaints on this van on the internet. My van is still with the dealer and they could not fix the problem in the past 15days
Vehicle with 60,850 miles (just out of warranty) had leaky right head gasket. This caused the engine to hesitate where power was needed before starting to move and engine did not run smoothly. This caused unsafe conditions when parallel parking - where quick engine response was needed to get out of the roadway from oncoming traffic. The problem was confirmed by check engine light and repaired by a Chrysler dealer for $3,500. Online forums indicate that there are many drivers who have encountered this same issue with early mileage gasket issues with this particular engine.
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