2018 Chrysler Pacifica: harsh or hard shifting

Filed Nov 9, 2026 · Engine, Steering · WI

This issues has been ongoing as the vehicle makes a loud clunking noise and the steering wheel shakes and its almost like it jumps while in a slow turn. The vehicle loses power steering while going down the rod and it's like the steering wheel gets stuck at the 11 and 2 position and you have to manually force it to come free then the power steering comes back. during low-speed turns is when you feel the vibrating and clunking. I have checked all of the steering components and the only thing i cannot physically check is the Rack and Pinion. I believe the vehicle is doing two different things as the steering comes back so that is possibly a dead spot in the pinion or the rack gears. or most likely it's a sensor issue like the sensor is being told to not sense or not reading the correct values. either way it is unsafe for this issue as I have almost hit vehicles head on because you have to physically move the steering without any assist in an instant causing an almost over reaction when the power assist kicks back on. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION I HAVE PUT MY KIDS THROUGH AND NO LONG FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. I will be driving my other vehicle until this is resolved.

Filed Nov 1, 2026 · Steering · MI

While driving, the vehicle experiences a sudden and intermittent "catching" or sticking sensation in the steering wheel. This issue happens exclusively when initiating a slight turn to the left, specifically around the 11 o'clock steering wheel position. There is no noise (no clunking, clicking, or grinding) associated with the failure. When the steering wheel "catches," it requires additional physical force to pull the wheel past the sticking point. Once it breaks free, the electric power steering suddenly engages with a sharp jolt, which causes the vehicle to momentarily jerk or oversteer.

Filed Oct 7, 2026 · Electrical, Steering · FL

The transmission shifts harshly, clunks when shifted into Drive or Reverse, and hesitates before suddenly lurching. Engine RPM rises before the transmission engages, and some describe the resulting jolt as feeling like being hit from behind. The steering wheel locks stiffly during gentle turns to the right, then suddenly releases causing a jolt back to the left at times, all other times it requires a hard pull of the wheel manually to get the steering to release, which also causes a hard jerking to the opposite direction. Battery and stop/start system: Repeated Auxiliary battery replacements which power the stop/start system and warning lights. On 5 occasions the Aux battery has been replaced and within a week the system fails with no diagnostic readings identifying the cause. This leads to harder drains on the main battery. The main battery (purchased from Autozone, has been replaced on warranty because it never makes it past the 2-year mark) occasional starting difficulties, and inconsistent stop/start operation. Dash Screen: The screen freezes or turns blank while operating the vehicle. Complete loss of cabin temperature control. At other times the display will freeze on the Chrysler brand logo and is completely unresponsive to any haptic touch. The software just freezes. Even after complete shutdowns and time outs the display does not reset immediately. It's a coin flip if it's going to work. These problems have been ongoing since I purchased the vehicle in 2019. Dealerships have recognized them and consistently say that until Chrysler is forced to fix this the Dealerships can't do anything about it without charging me repairs/replacement.

Filed Aug 16, 2026 · Steering · MI

I have a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. At approximately 110,000–115,000 miles, I began experiencing an intermittent sticking sensation in the steering while driving. When traveling straight and then making a gradual steering correction or beginning a turn, the steering wheel sometimes feels like it sticks in the straight-ahead position. It requires noticeably more effort, or an extra push, to get the wheel to turn rather than steering smoothly. This occurs while the vehicle is in motion and is especially concerning at higher speeds because it interferes with making small, smooth steering corrections. The vehicle also has a noticeable clunk or hard shift at approximately 35 mph while driving. I do not know whether this is related to the steering problem, but I am including it because it is another abnormal condition occurring while the vehicle is in motion. I learned that the federal safety agency has opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25009 involving 2017–2018 Chrysler Pacificas for intermittent loss of electric power steering. The symptoms described in that investigation, including a sticking sensation during gradual turns and increased steering effort, closely match the steering problem I am experiencing.

Filed Feb 9, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · WI

As I was leaving the gas station the Check engine light flashed on and off then the car was like turning on and off fast and a loud clunk sound and the Fuel pump module exploded gas sprayed all over the gas station. Huge fire hazard and the car began to smoke Vehicle experienced a sudden catastrophic fuel system failure involving fire risk and loss of propulsion. The incident occurred without warning and created a serious safety hazard to occupants and surrounding traffic. This vehicle is a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Similar failures involving fuel system and hybrid control logic have been widely reported. The manufacturer was contacted but declined to properly document the safety incident. This failure is not consistent with normal wear and tear and represents a potential safety defect. Key details to include when submitting online: - Sudden loss of propulsion - Fire risk / fuel involvement - Hybrid system interaction - Manufacturer declined to document incident

Filed Jan 13, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · GA

On October 31, 2020 (before our purchase of the van) the previous owner had to take the van to Chrysler for hesitation in the transmission shifting. On June 14, 2021 (only two weeks after purchase), we had to drop it off for intermittent shifting issues with what seemed like skipped gears. No engine light came on, and the van was returned stating an inability to reproduce the issue. On February 7, 2022 we brought the van to Chrysler after taking it in a few times to Carmax to resolve the the disabled "Start/ Stop" System. The light would intermittently come on indicating the system was unavailable, and shifting would be erratic. An inspection and recall work for the PCM was performed. In June of 2023, the UConnect System stopped working intermittently. The gears were still shifting roughly with the shift knob becoming increasingly more difficult to turn. An independent shop found no solution with an unknown timeframe on the delivery of a new transmission. In June of 2023 while driving, the van shut off completely while in motion. After a few minutes, it started up again and drove as if nothing was wrong. June 24, 2023, we took the van to Chrysler with the same issues. At the time there was still a back order of transmissions for the van. Upon contacting Chrysler, we found out that there was a recall effective on the new transmission and the company rush ordered the part to the shop. As well, the Uconnect system was also addressed. The issue was fixed. After a few years of reliable service, the van functioned normally with rough shifting and start/stop system failures still an issue. In January of 2024, the van would not start at first try. Often my wife was able to get it started after sitting for awhile. In other cases, changing the key fob helped. Changing the AUX battery repaired the issue temporarily. Now it won't start at all. The starter was misdiagnosed by an independent shop with Chrysler finding a failed transmission once again.

Filed Sep 29, 2025 · Engine, Steering · MI

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)

Filed Sep 11, 2025 · Steering, Transmission · 121,000 miles · WA

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.

Filed Jun 30, 2025 · Transmission · OH

While attempting to accelerate experiencing a loss of power, an/or hard shifting. Pulling out from parking lot or street from a stop, there is a delay in getting the car to move. Moves slowly but then gradually builds up. Also at times there appears to be shifting issue, when attempting to accelerate the vehicle will do a hard jolt forward. In reviewing online this jolting is a common theme with the pacific but yet there has been no further action taken by Chrysler. Told my two different mechanics that Pacifica's are known to have issues with their transmissions and that I should not expect any type of recall for this due to the potential cost.

Filed Feb 13, 2025 · Transmission · 30,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions, after the vehicle was stopped, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed with an abnormal clunking sound while the transmission shifted from 1st to 2nd gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that on one occasion while stopped at a red light, the transmission failed to shift into 2nd gear from the 1st gear. The vehicle was pushed over to the side of the road for approximately 20 minutes. The contact then pressed the PUSH to START button twice, held the accelerator pedal for 10 seconds, turned the vehicle off for two minutes, and then restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an Auto Parts store where a handheld diagnostic tool retrieved DTC: P0732. The contact stated that the code was cleared. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Filed Jul 8, 2024 · Transmission · MI

At low speed 12-18 mph the transmission hard shifts. It slams so hard that you feel like someone rearended you.

Filed Feb 15, 2024 · Transmission · AZ

When driving slow or even coasting, between 5 to 20 MPH, the transmission SLAMS, KICKS, CLUNKS with speed up little bet . You don't even have to have your foot on the gas, it just does it. It's also happened when accelerating from a low speed, like from 10 Mph to 30 mph. And happen at the freeway when leaving the gas to lower the speed will kicks and Speed ​​up a little and one time in Crossroads my foot over the break the engine was off then i released my foot the engine start I couldn't take left because the light came red so i put it on reverse didn't move then forward same the transmission doesn't respond then i put it on parking and wait then put it reverse and moved that's i was blocking one line of my left to right side.(( Its look like with all Incident the transmission shut off and on or shift it self to N then return back D ))