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.
Chrysler Pacifica steering noise problems
29 of the 7,089 owner complaints about the Chrysler Pacifica describe clunking or noise when steering, most of them for the 2004 model year.
- owner complaints
- 29
- worst model year
- 2004
- typical repair cost reported
- $4,000
- typical mileage
- 82,000
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Harsh shifting 6Jerking 5Stalling 4Knocking 4Power steering loss 2Grinding brakes 2Ball joint 2Wipers 1
What owners say
Makes a clicking popping noise when turning the wheel. The sound is highly noticeable when stationary or moving very slowly, and occurs specifically when the steering wheel is forced almost all the way to the bump stop either way. Dealership quoted over $4000 for electric rack and pinion. I had just paid $17000 for it without an extended warranty.
My electric steering has been making noises for a long time. The dealership failed to find the noise the first three visits. On the fourth visit it was verified but they told me that Chryler's flex care warranty denied it. I hear it is a very common problem and Chrysler does not want to address it.
Steering is clicking when stationary while turning the wheel and also while idling over bumps. Brought dealership and would need an entire steering gear assembly replacement
2019 Chrysler Pacifica. The vehicle has ongoing steering, electrical, and power steering/EPS failures. The steering wheel intermittently jerks/pulls while driving, the vehicle has experienced random loss of steering assist, and the electrical system cuts out or malfunctions during normal use. The steering wheel lights and backup camera guidelines also disappear during driving sessions and only return after fully restarting the vehicle. The exact root cause is UNKNOWN, but the affected systems appear to include the EPS/power steering system, steering/suspension components, battery/electrical system, and possibly related control modules. My safety and others’ safety were put at risk because the vehicle has lost steering assist and had electrical failure while being driven, including a prior failure in an intersection. When the steering assist drops or the wheel jerks, the vehicle becomes difficult to control. This is especially dangerous because I transport my family in this vehicle. The issue has been reported repeatedly since purchase. The vehicle was inspected/repaired through Carvana/SilverRock’s repair process at Brockman Automotive, including rack and pinion/steering-related work. After that repair, the vehicle continued to drift and handle improperly. A later independent inspection at Davidson Automotive identified a loose/not properly secured tie rod, alignment problems, and a failed auxiliary battery. The shop could not complete deeper diagnostics until those prerequisite issues were corrected. The vehicle has also suffered abnormal front tire wear after the steering/alignment problems. Warning/symptoms before or during failures include steering wheel jerking/pulling, clunking/clanking/grinding/groaning noises, vehicle drift, service start/stop warning, electrical malfunctions, intermittent steering wheel control/light issues, loss of backup camera guidelines, and loss of steering assist. The vehicle/component is available for inspection upon request.
When turning slightly right or left, the lower steering column makes a clicking sound while staying stuck and you have to forcefully move the steering wheel in the opposite direction to get the steering unstuck. A safety hazard of possible over correction could send someone into oncoming traffic.
The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and turning the steering wheel in either direction, the steering wheel was sticking, with a knocking and jerking feeling coming from the steering wheel. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure list in the federal safety agency Action Number: PE25009 (STEERING). The contact stated that the vehicle experienced the failure listed in the federal safety agency Action Number. The failure mileage was 120,000.
More often than not, the steering wheel column gets stuck at 10-11 o’clock positions and 1-2 o’clock positions. So it typically happens when making slight bends on my local roads and highways. This requires a hard jolt on the steering wheel to get it un-stuck. This is extremely unsafe to do at high rates of speed and/or with traffic on either side of me and it feels only a matter of time before it results in an accident. When I brought the car into the dealer for a different repair, they noted in their follow-up inspection a, “rep clunk from steering gear the wheel both ways” and quoted me $4800 for repair. I’m assuming that’s to replace the entire steering column, which is pretty outrageous considering the part is less than $900 OEM and would be about 2-3 hours of labor. I purchased the car 6 months ago as a certified pre-owned car from a dealership and the CarFax report came back completely clear, recall repairs weren’t even mentioned on it. I’ve seen some discussions on online forums describing a similar issue.
I had the power steering or from their repair journal (68525334-AB GEAR RACK 19075120) replaced at 7062 miles from new as it was making knocking noise from the front of the driver-side. now at 29,650 miles the exact same noise and sound is coming from the same side. Unfortunately for me it just got out of basic warranty now in May. from their journal at: CUSTOMER STATES THERE IS A CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FR ONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WHENEVER HE MAKES A TURN OR TURNS THE WHEEL BACK AND FORTH WHEN SITTING STILL (TireWheels Concern) steering rack has a internal popping noise when turning wheel. steering rack is making a internal pop noise then turning wheel back and forth. replace steering rack and set toe.
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.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Chrysler Pacifica steering noise
Which Chrysler Pacifica years have clunking or noise when steering problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2004 (6 complaints), 2005 (5 complaints) and 2017 (5 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix clunking or noise when steering on the Chrysler Pacifica?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,000 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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