2018 Chrysler Pacifica: jerking or lurching

Filed Nov 6, 2026 · Steering · WI

Steering wheel binding/sticking under continuous lateral load at 30+ mph on banked right-hand ramps, requiring breakaway force to unstick. It jerks the vehicle and my passengers look at me like I'm crazy. Only does it on right hand turns, left seems fine. No noises. Very scary as I'm afraid that it isn't going to unstick one of these times, or the sudden jerk when it releases is going to cause an accident. It started doing this several weeks ago and happens pretty much every time now. If I make small steering adjustments while going around the right hand bank, it doesn't seem to happen. Only when I hold the wheel at a constant position while traveling around the curve.

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 Sep 6, 2026 · Steering · NY

Reference: the federal safety agency CAMPAIGN NUMBER: PE25009 In the last month, I've noticed steering problem with my mini van. I have to use both hands to steer in a curve and it jerks when coming out of the curve. It feels as if i am loosing control of the van. It also happens when i am changing lanes and steer the wheel past 11 and 1 oclock. It feels as if the car is fighting me to steer.

Filed Aug 25, 2026 · Steering · TX

When in a turn the steering wheel can feel stuck and you have to jerk the wheel to get it unstuck. Which could cause issues if there are cars driving next to you. This seems to be happening more and more often.

Filed May 27, 2026 · Steering · TX

2018 Chrysler Pacifica exhibits severe 'sticky' and binding steering at highway speeds (70+ mph). When maintaining a straight line or slight left curve, the steering wheel notches and resists physical effort when trying to turn back to the right. Correcting the vehicle requires sudden, excessive force to break the electronic resistance, causing a jerky movement that risks overcorrection and loss of vehicle control. This is a severe, intermittent tracking and safety hazard under the ongoing the federal safety agency EPS gear investigation.

Filed Apr 2, 2026 · Acceleration, Transmission · NJ

The van has just approx 55000 miles. While driving on highway, it suddenly lost power and from 60mph it came down to 20 miles in a matter of few seconds after few violent jerks. I was lucky that no vehicle was behind me. After that I pulled a side and then again started. It kept jerking and loosing power. Very carefully I got it to a mechanic. They are checking but they say looks like transmission issues. Engine light also came on. This happened few months ago however it was not this bad and my mechanic looked and he could not find anything. That problem went away after that incident. Kindly advise what to do in this situation. Chrysler Pacifica 2018 This van has lots of problems in other crucial area also like air fender switch, oil hose and cover that went bad as they are made of plastic. Then the trans mounts broke. It costed me dearly. Please Advice what to do? Best regards [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 22, 2025 · Steering · NC

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.

Filed Sep 16, 2025 · Steering · MA

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

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 Sep 11, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · NC

The vehicle jerks or hesitates to shift into gear when I get near 35 mph. It is forceful and loud. Somewhat like initial jerk pulling off from a roller coaster. My safety and the safety of my children have been at risk because slow moving vehicles are a hinderance to the flow of traffic. I have almost been rear-ended several times as the speed limit has increased in an area and I can't increase my speed as quickly as others behind me. Also, the delayed acceleration with the force of the jerk causes me to move forward too fast. This seems to be a transmission problem that all of the dealers in the area try to ignore. They claim they cannot reproduce the error but it happens each time I drive it. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, nor insurance representatives as I have not YET had an accident from this safety issue. There were no warning signs when the issue first appeared. I first noticed it the day after purchasing it from Westgate Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM, 6421 Old Westgate Rd, Raleigh, NC 27617. I reported the issue to them within days of noticing and brought the vehicle in several times for troubleshooting. I have since switched servicing over to Crossroads Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Henderson. They recognized that my batteries were both dying and replaced both of those. That never stopped the jerking/hesitating, it just made it less intense. I brought it into that dealership as well for this issue several times and they cannot reproduce the issue either. I have searched online for solutions and on a Pacifica forum online, many other owners note this issue with low mileage on their vehicle. This is indeed a manufacturer issue that it seems the manufacturer wants to cover up and dealers have no solution for it because of this.

Filed Sep 11, 2025 · Steering · TN

When negotiating some turns the steering wheel "sticks" and resists turning back out of the turn a little. It makes slight corrections jerky.