Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred immediately after the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V010000 (Electrical System, Hybrid Propulsion System). The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer requested that the vehicle be diagnosed and provided the cost for the diagnostic test. The contact declined to pay for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 100,800.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle decelerated and failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the hybrid vehicle battery capacity warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light also remained illuminated. The cause was not yet determined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the check engine warning illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
This is the third and fourth time we have had this issue with our van. The previous two times were on May 25, 2019 and June 4, 2021. In this incident, my wife was driving our van with our two kids and I down Northwest Highway in Arlington Heights, IL. We were going about 35 miles per hour when several alarms and warnings appeared on the driver's dashboard including 'SERVICE HYBRID SYSTEM', a red wrench with a red lightning bolt through it, the orange engine warning light, and red battery warning icon, and a message appeared saying 'SHIFT VEHICLE TO PARK'. (See attached photos.) When my wife pressed the accelerator pedal nothing happened. We were able to coast and turn down a side street. We put the vehicle in park, turned it off and we're able to restart it. We immediately notified the dealership and drove it there. On the way to the dealership, we made a stop. …
While driving at 60mph, vehicle shut off and would not allow me to accelerate. Error message displayed on speedometer, vehicle must be in park to shift gears. The PRNDL blue LED was flashing as well. Several indicator lights on my dashboard illuminated too. Vehicle has approximately 9300 miles on it. This is a pacifica e-hybrid. After pulling off the road I was able to restart and the van worked in "limp home" mode with the red turtle displayed. I then limped the van to a gas station, shut off the van, topped off the fuel tank which had been at 1/4 full, and after a few minutes restarted. After restart, only the yellow check engine light was displayed and the van operated normal. I have read a safety recall exists but Chrysler is saying it is not an active recall for my specific VIN even though I am experiencing the same problems as other owners. …
While driving an a well paved road, I received a check hybrid system alert on my dashboard. Then several lights bean to flash including the blind spot alerts on the side view mirrors and several other alert system. Adaptive cruise control and lane change failure alerts also went off. I was only two miles from home and managed to get back. The engine did not cut out. The next morning, it started up but just a few miles into testing it out, the same alerts and light appeared, but this time the engine died along with the power steering. I coasted to roadside, turned off the car, and waited for 5 to 10 minutes. I started it up and drove it home. The engine remained on but the lights and warning continued to flash. The emergency lights also cut out periodically. I managed to drive the car to a Chrysler dealership I've visited in the past. …
With Chrysler, recalls are never ending. Last year there was battery recall (Z11) that took 10 months to fix. Just after I got that fixed in Dec-2022, in Feb-2023, we have a new recall, where the vehicle is pretty much rendered useless as it can stop anytime on freeway. My friend who has the car had the vehicle suddenly lose traction and stop in freeway (this happened last week). Fortunately nothing happened as he was able to exit safely. Given it hit so close to home, I am scared to drive my Chrysler Pacifica car anymore. When i contact Chrysler for possible remedies like offering a rental assistance e.t.c they are adamant and refuse to help in anyway. I don't understand this ; I have brought a car in good faith and for no fault of mine , i need to spend on "rental car" now? …
I was driving on the freeway and my engine suddenly stopped out of nowhere. A console message informed me to shift from Drive to Park. The accelerator did not work. This happened 4 times before I could get off the freeway. The first time I pulled into the shoulder, but I still had to get off the freeway. I had to wait about 10 minutes each time for the engine to start again until I could pull off the freeway and wait for AAA. I did not feel safe waiting on the freeway. I'm aware that there is a recall and that Chrysler has extended my engine warranty to 10 years. This is unacceptable because: 1. Replacing a part or wire does not ensure my transmission will not give out again. I was fortunate this last time, but I may not be so the next time this happens. I could die or cause harm to others, especially if I am travelling fast in the carpool or fast lane. 2. …
On [redacted], my vehicle produced a large red wrench and a turtle warning on a busy highway and I was forced to pull to the side with my [redacted] son in the car, as the vehicle lost motive power. It was towed to the dealer and after several days, they told me the issue was due to normal wear and tear in the transmission. I had to escalate to a service manager to even get a diagnosis after 5 days in the shop. I believe my transmission issue is due to a failure of the fix implemented in the 03A/NHTSA 23V-010 recall. It has been documented that the software update did not fix the issue. My vehicle experienced the exact series of failures described in the recall. Chrysler is refusing to fix my vehicle, even though they had extended the warranty on my Pacifica to unlimited miles/unlimited years because of all of the transmission issues the model has experienced. …
I was driving with my family on the interstate and was exiting when the car shuddered and I lost propulsion. Interior electrical power was still functional. This occurred as the car was switching to gas mode as I had been been driving about 30-35 miles on electric at that point. The gas motor never came on. I was able to roll into a gas station since we were on a bit of a downhill. Shut off car and waited a beat then started car again, battery showed 1% and was able to pull 2 more feet into gas station and off to side before it completely died again (battery at 0%). I feel extremely fortunate that this didn't happen a moment earlier when I was on the expressway and that were able to get off of a busy road. I had the vehicle towed to nearest Chrysler dealer and had a friend drive me and my family to a nearby car rental place. …
Engine complaints in other Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid?
NHTSA has 64 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid, 29% of the model year's 224 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 5,000 miles, and 88% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 7 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.