2018 Chrysler Pacifica

As I am driving a warning pops up on the dash and says “ power steering unavailable service required “ while that shows up the steering wheel locks up. It goes away abruptly but it causes me to over turn.

The steering gets stuck trying to return wheel to center after going around a curve or slight turn. It usually happens at 10/11 and 1/2 o'clock positions. It gets stuck and then i have to either slow down and turn the wheel again a little farther, then try to turn it back to center to get it unstuck. This has been replicated by an independent service center. This has been going on for the past 6-7 months. Prior to this, the only thing that was noticed was when reversing and turning at the same time the wheel would shake like something was loose. if on a gravel road it can sometimes feel like the steering is shaky or loose and like there isn't full control. I took this to an independent service center for repair and they explained my whole power steering gear assembly would need to be replaced.

The back seat stow and go on passenger side closes randomly on while child is sitting in the seat. We are using a booster seat, so when it hits the booster seat it can't close any farther on the child. I had it looked at by a mechanic which said it would cost 1500 to repair. We have had to pull over and luckily have been able to get it to reverse. The seat also will try to stow when I open the side door on the passenger side. This is a huge safety concern to me as death can and has occurred in the past months.

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)

Head gasket and engine failure at 61,000 miles.

Vehicle experienced intermittent and sudden loss of power steering assist while driving. Steering becomes extremely heavy without warning, creating a risk of loss of control. This is the same symptom addressed by Recall V53 (Power Steering Assist Loss). The recall was previously marked as completed, but the defect has returned, indicating an ineffective recall remedy. Issue occurs during normal driving and is reproducible. Chrysler claims safety recalls have a warranty and will not repair or reinspect it.

While traveling 350 miles from my home with my family of five, the vehicle experienced a sudden 'Loss of Motive Power' event. The dashboard displayed the message: 'Stop Safely - Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon.' I lost the ability to accelerate and had to navigate to the shoulder in high-speed traffic. The vehicle is currently inoperable and the 12V battery has since died because the Power Inverter Module (PIM) has stopped maintaining system voltage. This vehicle had Recall 03A (NHTSA 23V-010) performed on July 7, 2023, and the more recent Recall Y40 update performed on March 11, 2026. Despite having the 'latest software remedy' installed less than 30 days ago, the vehicle suffered the exact safety failure the recalls were meant to address. This proves that the software-only remedy is insufficient to prevent the hardware failure (internal transmission wiring short). A formal Vehicle Scan Report performed at Lake Norman Chrysler (Dealer 60945) on 3/30/26 explicitly shows 'Distance Travelled with Light ON: 146 miles' (Page 14), documenting a sustained failure of the motive power system. Furthermore, the dealer’s own certified technician (J. Olmstead) provided a written Action Plan (Page 9) recommending a full Transmission and Power Inverter Module (PIM) replacement. Despite the documented 146-mile failure history and the technician's recommendation for hardware replacement under the XE1 Warranty Extension, the dealership service management is refusing to perform the repair, claiming they cannot 'replicate' the code as an active fault. I am currently stranded out-of-state with an unsafe vehicle that Chrysler is refusing to repair under the established safety warranty.

My van has had to sit in the extreme cold in my driveway with a battery pack because of no resolution. Dealer still confirms "no parts available". This poses a risk to my kids outside playing in the driveway. I'd like to push this forward or find a solution since I don't have the option of selling the vehicle.

While I was driving the car started beeping and all dashboard lights started flickering. Transmission started stuttering and engine rpm fluctuating wildly. Fortunately I was in my neighborhood and was only going about 15 mph and was able to pull to a stop. The issue is with a faulty star bus connection near the glove box. After watching a you tube on the same issue, I learned to hit the area near the glove box to reset the star bus connection. This has happened before but usually on startup. Dealer not able to repair after $1600 charge. This is the first time it happened while in motion. Again. Seems to be a common enough issue that there are several you tube videos with thousands of views.

Have lost power steering intermittently while driving.

While driving vehicle suddenly, and randomly, has a loss of engine response whole pressing the accelerator. Engine randomly shuts off while parked or at a traffic light, and can be difficult to restart after causing a traffic hazard.

When driving steering at a slight angle to the right it feels like it sticks when corrected with a slight turn to the left.

As I was entering [XXX] between [XXX] and [XXX] the check engine light came on and a warning about finding a service charging station. The accelerator then stopped working, the car stalled out and I was unable to drive the vehicle. Thankfully, I was able to navigate the car to the breakdown lane as it decelerated. I then had to get a tow to the dealership. The engine light came on several times over the last few months prior to this incident but the dealership at shoreline Chrysler jeep dodge were not able to fit in the car to diagnose the issue. Their negligence led to this dangerous situation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

When encountering a long gradual curve on the highway, the steering sticks and does not return to center unless a conscious effort is made to turn the steering wheel back. If this is not done the vehicle would continue into a state of over-steer. Although this typically happens at highway speeds (55-75 mph), it has occasionally occurred at slower speeds (35-45 mph). This has been reported to two different Chrysler dealers numerous times since I purchased it in February 2018 and neither acknowledged the condition. Each time both said that I am the only owner to report the incident. This has occurred in virtually every state along the I95 corridor from Massachusetts to Florida. The current odometer reading is 101,386.

While driving the yellow EPS (electrical power steering) light came on. Steering felt more stiff than usual. After parking the vehicle and turning the engine off to make a stop and coming back to turn it on (approx. 5 minutes later) the light was now red. Power steering had completely failed and would not work at all.

1) While in a gradual turn, with the steering wheel in the 10 or 11 o'clock position, and/or in the 1 or 2 o'clock position, the steering gets stuck and requires to over correct. This happens pretty much all the time and it is very scary at the moment. It feels like you need to yank the wheel so much that you might hit a car next to you. Apparently this is a very known problem with this 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. At the dealership, we have just been brushed off and told they cannot re-create the problem, but yet you can google search and see how many people have this problem. The vehicle is available for inspection. There are no warning lamps or messages when this happens. This has been happening since we bought the car in 2018. 2) Loss of power while in a turn. Quite a few times I have been making a left hand turn at an intersection and during the time I am accelerating, there is a couple second period where it feels as though I have lost power and am just coasting, but then the power kicks back in. I'm not sure if the car is not getting fuel to it, or if its power steering. It just feels dead, but there are no warning lights, messages or symptoms prior or during. I have not had this inspected yet, and it has happened a couple of times in the last couple of months.

Engine experienced premature valvetrain failure (camshaft/lifter issue) at approximately 145,000. Vehicle developed ticking noise, misfire, and loss of power. Diagnosis confirmed camshaft/lifter damage requiring major repair. This appears to be a known issue with the 3.6L Pentastar engine and is documented in Chrysler STAR case S2309000013. Failure creates potential safety concern due to loss of power while driving. Vehicle is out of warranty, and manufacturer has not provided consistent support for repair despite known pattern failures.

2018 Pacifica with 3.6L engine. Blown head gasket at 69k miles with coolant leaking into cylinder 5. The engine is very hesitant upon acceleration and can be dangerous when pulling out into traffic. This is an all too common issue and needs to be addressed by Chrysler. Engines should not be failing this at 69k. I change oil every 4k miles which is way ahead of the recommended schedule by Chrysler. Coolant was done by the dealer after radiator replacement for a radiator leak at 52k miles.

electronic stability control light came on and car shook. states I need to service it.

On February 16, 2026, my vehicle was diagnosed by Safford Brown Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram with a failed catalytic converter/manifold. While I am approximately 17 days past the 8-year calendar window for the Federal Emissions Warranty, my vehicle has only 77,337 miles. This is 2,663 miles below the 80,000-mile federal limit. The failed Bank 2 Maniverter assembly has a confirmed crack that allows raw exhaust fumes and carbon monoxide to enter the vehicle cabin via the HVAC system. Warning lamp appeared on 2/13/26.