2019 Chrysler Pacifica: misfire or rough idle

Filed Oct 19, 2026 · Engine · IA

At 105,000 miles the check engine light came on, at which point the vehicle experienced rough starts and a rough idle. Vehicle also began emitting white/gray smoke from the exhaust upon starting. Upon diagnosis it was determined that coolant was leaking into #4 cylinder requiring head gasket replacement. Total repair came to $4,287.07. This is a known issue commonly being experienced by other Pacifica owners. This major mechanical issue is a safety issue and could easily have stranded my family on the road. We were fortunate to have been home and located near a known and trusted mechanic when the issue presented.

Filed Sep 5, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · WV

On 7/16/26 vehicle would not start; high-pitched noise heard near engine during no-start diagnosis. Towed to Goldy Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Huntington WV. Per dealer invoice #27136: blown 500-amp main battery fuse found; after jumping past fuse, white smoke from exhaust and no coolant in system, diagnosed as blown head gasket. Repair: both-side head gasket replacement plus fuse assembly. Vehicle in shop 7+ weeks, returned 9/4/26 with new unresolved issue: strong smell of burned electronics and antifreeze in cabin. All failed components available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: head gasket failure/coolant intrusion caused engine hydrolock, a sudden uncommanded loss of engine power that can occur without warning, including while driving in traffic. Burned-electronics smell raises electrical/fire risk; antifreeze odor raises cabin fume exposure and window-fogging visibility concerns. Confirmed by dealer: Yes. Goldy diagnosed and documented the fuse failure, coolant loss, and head gasket failure in writing, and performed the repair. Manufacturer/police/insurance inspection: Not by police or insurance. Spoke by phone with a Chrysler HQ rep 5 times (8/13-9/1/26) who was informed; no confirmed independent physical inspection by manufacturer beyond dealer's own diagnosis. Warning signs: P0304 misfire on cylinder 3 appeared first, progressing to complete no-start with high-pitched noise, prompting the tow-in and hydrolock diagnosis.

Filed Aug 21, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · MA

My 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Touring L Plus is experiencing coolant leaking into a cylinder, diagnosed by. This has rendered the vehicle undrivable. The Pentastar 3.6L V6 engine used in this vehicle has a well-documented pattern of coolant intrusion into cylinders due to head gasket failure across the 2017–2019 Chrysler Pacifica model years, based on extensive owner complaints already on file with the federal safety agency and reported by consumer advocacy organizations. Despite this known pattern, no recall currently exists covering this specific defect for 2019 model year vehicles. This is a safety concern because coolant intrusion into a cylinder can cause sudden misfires, rough running, loss of power, and potential stalling while driving — creating a hazard in traffic, particularly at highway speeds or during turns/merges. I contacted Chrysler Case Management regarding this issue. The manufacturer has attempted to attribute responsibility to the dealership rather than acknowledging this as a manufacturer defect in the engine design/manufacturing, despite the well-documented pattern across multiple model years of the same engine. I have also not been provided a rental vehicle despite my vehicle being undrivable.

Filed Aug 8, 2026 · Engine · VA

While driving, the vehicle began to sputter and the check engine light illuminated. A scan at a franchised dealership showed a stored code for a cylinder 4 misfire. Further diagnosis found coolant intrusion into cylinder 4, indicating internal failure of the left cylinder head and/or head gasket, allowing coolant into the combustion chamber. Upon removing the left valve cover and camshafts, the technician found a broken head gasket and a warped left cylinder head. The dealership replaced the left cylinder head, head gasket, cylinder head cover gasket, and oxygen sensor, refilled coolant, and replaced the PCV valve as a maintenance item. After repair, the vehicle was test driven and no further misfire was detected. This failure occurred at approximately 72,000 miles, low mileage for a major internal engine component, shortly after the factory powertrain warranty expired, leaving the owner responsible for the full repair cost. A misfire caused by coolant entering a cylinder can cause sudden, unexpected loss of engine power and rough running while driving, a safety concern in traffic, on highways, or when merging and passing, since reduced power can make it hard to maintain speed or accelerate out of a hazardous situation. Continued driving with undiagnosed coolant intrusion can also cause secondary engine damage, including hydrolock. The failed cylinder head and gasket were not retained by the owner; the dealership performed the repair as part of the invoiced order. The manufacturer has not independently inspected the vehicle beyond the dealership's diagnosis, photographs, and repair documentation, available on request. This appears to be a recurring issue on this engine platform, as similar cylinder head/gasket coolant intrusion failures, with matching misfire codes, have been reported by other owners of similar model-year minivans with the same engine, typically presenting in the 60,000-85,000 mile range, shortly after the factory powertrain warranty expires.

Filed Jul 6, 2026 · Engine · NY

A misfire code came up. Had plugs done.. didn’t solve problem now blowing white smoke burning antifreeze. Head gaskets bad. We just bought this 2019 7 months ago. And it only had 68,000 miles on it now 71000 miles on it. We thought we would get the newer better vehicle and having engine problem in a car that we paid 22000 dollars for. Going to be an expensive fix on a problem that shouldn’t be occurring on a car with that mileage.

Filed Dec 27, 2024 · Engine · MI

The 2019 Chrysler Pacifica limited with 3.6l Pentastar engine had a check engine light come around 90,000 miles. The vehicle would suddenly lose acceleration power without warning, especially while getting onto the freeway. It was found that there is a known issue with the 3.2 and 3.6l Pentastar engines where the camshafts begin throwing metal shavings into the cylinders. The issue first presented itself as a cylinder 6 misfire with error code P0306. After replacing the spark plugs, coils, and VVT solenoids, the problem continued until the metal shavings were discovered. The design flaw of the engine causing the camshaft to produce metal shavings into the cylinders that lead to the sudden loss of acceleration is a major safety concern.

Filed Oct 29, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · NY

Head gasket failure at 68500 miles. It causes a misfire in the engine and could cause an accident from the car bucking once it consumes the engine coolant and also causes overheating and a lot of smoke to come out of the tailpipe making it less visible for others on the road to see, if behind a car like mine

Filed Oct 10, 2024 · Engine · MI

The check engine light came on. The day it came on, when starting the vehicle, it started shaking while in idle and when initially driving. The same day I had the engine read and a cylinder 6 misfire came up on the report. When I began driving, the car was shaking and it felt like it could stop abruptly which could have caused an accident. Yes, it was inspected and it was diagnosed that the head gasket is blown. Yes, the check engine light came on. It should be noted that when my local mechanic diagnosed the problem, two other Chrysler Pacifica's and two other vehicles with the v6 engine have the same issue.

Filed Aug 29, 2024 · Engine · NC

I am the mechanic that was hard to work on this vehicle and I am feeling this out for the customer but I am submitting it in my name . Vehicle has code p105c and p0303. The first code is pending permanent and stored, it is saying the intake valve is stuck in a low lift position. The second code is for cylinder 3 misfire. We had the coils switched over from cylinder 3 to cylinder 5 and made sure that the wiring was not damaged and the same code keeps coming back for that cylinder as well as the p105c. It causes the vehicle to start shaking while going down the road almost causing an accident. There is a recall on the 2020 Pacifica having the same code but there isn't a recall on the 2019 which has the same engine.

Filed Oct 23, 2023 · Engine · TN

Leaked coolant into cylinder 6 at 47,090 miles. Head gasket replaced under warranty by dealer on 4/26/22. Currently experiencing cylinder 6 misfire, rough idling and using 16 oz coolant per month at 66,683 miles. Dealer recommended new head gasket and new head on 10/20/23.

Filed Aug 4, 2023 · Engine, Transmission · AZ

Van was idling rough and started to struggle to start in the morning, at times needing to try a few times before it would start up. Once driving the van is still idling roughly and at red lights feels as if it will not be able to drive at all. The check engine light came on so we had the error code read at AutoZone throwing the P0303 Cylinder 1 misfire. We first took it to our local mechanic where he was unable to fully diagnose the issue, he recommended we then take it to the dealership. Our van is currently at the dealership with coolant leaking into the head gasket. We have opened a case with the dealership and are independently pursuing them taking responsibility for the faulty parts. The car did not 'drive hot' at all and not temperature gauge change occurred at all. I cannot safely drive or count on this van to drive my four kids around at this time. This is a design/manufacturing flaw as I have recently found out that it is occurring in Chrysler Pacifica's at a high rate around 60k miles. We are at 63k in a 2019 and are now told we must pay 4,500k to replace the head gasket that the coolant has leaked into. This issue is common with this model and there is no guarantee that this will prevent the same issue with another cylinder or force us to buy a new engine on a 4 year old car.