electronic stability control light came on and car shook. states I need to service it.
2018 Chrysler Pacifica steering complaints
Page 4 of 8: complaints 71 to 100 of 192, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The steering has been sticking causing oversteering at different speeds. This has been getting progressively worse as time has gone on. This is a serious issue as the oversteering to get the car back in a lane is going to cause a serious accident especially at higher rates of speed on the interstates.
Intermittent sticking sensation at 11 and 1 o’clock
The steering becomes stiff or seems to get stuck when between 10 or 11 o'clock position. It appears to be slowly deteriorating. It has not been reported yet and no warning lights showing. It does not yet stop the vehicle from being in control. It has been noticed over last year and not always as severe as other times.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel locked up while attempting to make a left or right turn. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the steering column needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact there was no repair for the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 81,000.
I am experiencing the issue that was widely reported in the news on 9/8/2025. The steering starts to stick when the wheels are turned on gentle curved. This happens after about 1 hour of driving, and it most likely to happen between 45mph-65mph. Car has approximately 58,0000 miles on the odometer. This is a massive safety issue, a driver should not have to fight the steering wheel to maintain control of the car. Problem has not bee reproduced by mechanic or dealer. No warning lights come on during the event.
The vehicle stalls while driving without any notice. This van has a start/stop function and it malfunctions. There are two separate batteries that control this function and both of them have been replaced. The entire steering rack and steering column have had to be replaced. The front suspension has also had to be replaced because the tires wear out very quickly. The alternator, radiator, and motor mounts have also had to be replaced. The van is available for inspection. At the moment the vehicle will not start and I have been advised that it needs a new starter. This vehicle is a safety risk and it puts others at risk as well. These problems have been diagnosed and confirmed by at least three different service centers including a Chrysler dealership. I generally do not get any warning lamps, messages, or symptoms when the van stalls.
Steering sometimes catches momentarily at the 1 o'clock and 11 o'clock positions. Seems most common during turns at highway speeds. Been monitoring intermittent occurrences for about a year. On 11/26/2025, it occurred several times in close succession while making gradual turns going 35 to 40 mph.
At slow speeds while turning, the steering column shudders and vibrates. At higher speeds the steering seems to get tight and needs to be forced back in to the correct direction. This has been occurring for approximately 6 months. My car is out of warranty. It could become a dangerous situation.
Steering has been sticking when making turns.
The steering periodicall locks up. This doesn't happen offten and only lasts a second or two but at high speeds does give a scare to the driver. Also when turning the steering in a tight turn like in a parking lot, the steering jerks/wabbles.
Power steering impaired while going about 35-40 mph around gentle curves. Carplay will no longer work with the USB port wired to phone.
When taking turns the steering "sticks" amd it takes extra physical force to "unstick" the car. While unsticking by turning the steering wheel harder than normal, it either crosses into uncoming traffic or runs off the shoulder. It unsticks but with the extra physical force, it generally causes you to over correct and/or swerve/veer all over the roadway. 2018 with 72k miles
The steering sticks when when turning in curve left and right turns causing me to sometimes over correct.
PE25009 - My van has a fault in alignment with this investigation. On long turns with the wheel between 11 and 1 the steering feels heavy then it feels like the system overcorrects. It has done this intermittently for a few months now.
While driving at a steady 65 mph, I suddenly lost power steering, which severely reduced my ability to steer the vehicle. I was able to safely brake and pull over. After turning the car off for a few minutes, steering function returned to normal. A few hours later, during a second drive at approximately 35 mph, I experienced the same issue again while turning onto my street. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and required significant effort with both hands to maneuver the vehicle into the driveway. This sudden loss of steering control posed a serious safety risk-not only to myself, but also to other drivers on the road-and could have easily resulted in an accident. No warning lights or dashboard alerts were displayed at any point. The vehicle was towed from my home to the dealership. Upon inspection, the issue was reproduced, and it was confirmed that the power steering system had failed and required repair, along with related components. All necessary repairs were completed and paid for out of pocket.
Absolutely, [XXX] — here’s a more natural, human-sounding version of your the federal safety agency report draft: --- Vehicle Issue Report: Chrysler Pacifica I’m reporting ongoing issues with my Chrysler Pacifica that I believe could be safety-related: Clunking Sound: The vehicle makes a clunking noise when shifting gears. Steering Stickiness: The steering doesn’t always respond smoothly — it occasionally sticks when turning. This makes the car go wider than intended during turns and lane changes, which feels unsafe. I’m concerned they may point to a larger mechanical issue and could affect driver control. I’d appreciate it if the federal safety agency could look into whether this is part of a known defect or something that needs further investigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My 2018 Chrysler Pacifica has ongoing electrical problems that match the same symptoms described in existing recalls, but my VIN is not included in those campaigns. The issues began around 08/30/22. The vehicle has experienced stalling, electrical shutdown, dashboard warning lights, loss of power steering issues, failure of the start-stop system, dead batteries, loud creaking, popping, squeaking noises from the front suspension, especially when turning, backing up, steering lock, or going over bumps. These events began in 2021 and continue despite numerous repairs at mechanics and dealerships. Despite repairs and inspections, the problems continue. I have reviewed the federal safety agency recalls and found recall numbers 18V524000, 20V334000, 19V143000 as well as battery ground recall for 2017–2019 models, and my vehicle’s problems are identical to those safety issues. The dealer confirmed that my VIN is not covered, so I have been responsible for repair costs. These defects create a serious safety hazard, especially when the vehicle stalls or loses power while driving. It places my family and other drivers at risk of a crash. We have been stranded on highways and in the center of busy intersections due to loss of power. I strongly request that the federal safety agency investigate whether the existing recalls should be expanded to include additional VIN ranges, since many 2018 Pacifica owners (myself included) are experiencing the same electrical failures. I have had the vehicle inspected/repaired on: 4/15/21, 9/15/22, 10/2/23, 11/22/23, 8/10/24, 7/21/25, 8/7/25, 9/23/25 for battery ground, electrical module replacement, wiring repair, and strut repairs. The issues persist despite these attempts.
Problem: Steering wheel sticking in turns. I own a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The issue am facing with my car is that the steering wheel is sticking while trying to turn. This issue seems to be happening to so many Chrysler Pacifica owners.
Over the past two weeks, on three occasions, the steering "stuck" momentarily (for about a second each time) during low-speed small turns at around 15 mph. Once, a "Service Power Steering" message appeared for approximately 2 seconds, then disappeared; we did not see this message again. Yesterday, the steering locked completely when moving the vehicle from a parking space. We were unable to steer at all while trying to move the vehicle forwards or backwards out of the space at about 5 mph. Turning the vehicle off and on again did not resolve the issue. A "steering wheel and exclamation point" warning light appeared on console. Vehicle was towed. Dealer's service department will investigate.
Steering seems to catch at times, generally when the steering wheel is around 1 and 11 o'clock, steering wheel has to be turned harder to be straightened out which and lead to over correction and can possibly cause an accident, this has happened multiple times while driving
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to turn the steering wheel slightly to the left or the right, the steering wheel was sticking, causing the contact to use added force to straighten the steering wheel. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the electronic steering system had failed. The contact was informed that the steering system needed to be repaired, and the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,500.
When going into a turn, the steering wheel hangs and requires more force to straighten out
The steering wheel sticks forcing you to almost have to jerk the wheel to stay in your lane. Seems to be highway only. Very dangerous This was not a one time occurrence. Happens every time the car is driven on the highway
Often when making a gradual turn such as exiting an interstate onto the off ramp, the steering wheel will stick/lock at the 3 o clock position. This requires considerable force to return the wheel to the 12 o clock and straight position. I took it into the dealership and they found nothing wrong but it seems like an issue with the steering rack. I've heard numerous reports of others encountering this as well and I want it to be known this is a common issue. There is no grinding, scraping or noise indicating something is broken but seems to be a manufacturing defect. It is extremely dangerous and can sometimes be rather difficult to correct the wheel.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at speeds above 30 MPH, after making a slight turn to the right, the steering wheel became sticky, and added force was required to turn the steering wheel back to center. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed of the federal safety agency Action Number: PE25009 (STEERING). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the investigation. The failure mileage was 114,000.
The steering occasionally makes noises and sticks while turning. I feel that if this happens at the wrong time it could potentially cause an accident.
When negotiating some turns the steering wheel "sticks" and resists turning back out of the turn a little. It makes slight corrections jerky.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed low speeds, the electric power steering stopped functioning properly after the contact heard an abnormal crunching sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly jerked and jolted during acceleration as if the transmission was slamming into gear. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for regular maintenance service, and the contact was informed that the motor mounts needed to be replaced. The vehicle failures were not diagnosed during regular maintenance service. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,000.
The contact owns 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving and making a slight left turn on several occasions, the steering wheel became stuck and failed to return to the center. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel was forcefully returned to center to straighten the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. No further information was available. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
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