Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Chrysler Pacifica owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power in the middle of the road. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure reoccurred consistently. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V284000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The approximate failure mileage was 195,000.
2005 Chrysler Pacifica was purchased from a friend's grandfather who kept the car garaged the car is literally like new inside and out the under carriage looks like new no rust I was impressed but had a rattling in the front end I figured it was a strut took it in to have struts and all front end parts replaced to my surprise I get a call from the shop engine cradle and it bushings rusted out tried buying a replacement unavailable after doing some digging it's a common problem among the Pacifica I'm afraid to drive it was told when it completely fails it's going to be catastrophic incident. …
My engine in my car just shut down in the middle of driving. I was told it was a recall and was fixed yrs ago but it has happened 3 times since. Twice after getting gas and one time driving in the school parking lot. Lost all control of power steering and time of engine trouble. Car started back up and engine light came on and went back of and back on. Also smelt burning wires but couldn't find anything
I have owned a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica for seven months. Over that period, I have documented a total 6 stalling events. The common trigger seems to be deceleration while turning or slightly turning either left or right. The speeds during the stalling events have twice occurred at highway speeds, and four times while decelerating from speeds of 30 - 45 to near 0. On one occasion, while at 45 - 50 MPH and changing lanes to the right, the vehicle stalled affecting the steerability and the car ran off the road striking a hard object that caused the front tire to blow out and destruction of the front rim and bending the rear rim. A police officer was dispatched to the scene of this incident. The dealer has been consulted twice now. …
While driving from Canada (montreal) to largo (florida) the Chrysler Pacifica 2005 started to loose power and speed (highway 75 near brooksfield, fl). I could not drive the car on the shoulder as a temporary cement wall was on the right hand side for construction. A few second later, as the construction site was over I pulled my car on the shoulder and 3 cars had already stopped (they saw the fire underneath my car)and the drivers waved at me to stop. I tried to stop on the shoulder but I didn't have any brakes on the car. Fortunately, the highway was going up so the car stopped by itself and started going backwards. I turned the steering wheel to be able to stop in the guard rail and then fire was coming out from the motor (out of the fenders). …
Took our 2005 Chrysler Pacifica in for oil change and they informed us that the engine cradle is rotting out and that our engine could fall out and that would result in a bad accident. We called Chrysler and they would do nothing!!! We found out that many other people who own this same car had the same problem on the internet because the Chrysler manufacturer of this car did not coat the frame correctly when it was built. This was chryslers mistake when this car was made and it is no fault of the owners that purchased these cars to have this terrible costly and dangerous problem. This should be under a recall but it is "not" and now it will cost us $3000.00 to have it repaired to make our car safe. We are the original owners of this car and it has always been keep in a garage. There is only 4800 miles on this car and this should never have happened. …
Our vehicle has had a shake to it for a couple years. We have had it looked at numerous times and have been told they can't find anything wrong with it. Our vehicle went into a shop today as the inspection is due by end of jan. 2015 . The shop called and advised our engine cradle is rusted thru. Advised us it would cost a couple thousand dollars to repair. I did some looking on the internet, found out Chrysler had a recall on engine cradles that were not property coated which allowed rust to damage the cradle. I contacted Chrysler - and was told that the recall was for veh made between 2/23/04 - 3/31/04. My vehicle was made 7/04. My daughter, on our advice, owns the same year of the vehicle. Her vehicle was made 9/04. Chrysler told me they can't help me and ended the conversation. There are so many complaints on the internet all dealing with the engine cradle issue. …
I had been having issues with my vehicle sputtering while driving on and off for a few months. I had a tune- up done which worked for a few weeks until it started up again. I was driving my children to school when the car started to jerk front and back and the engine would alternate between reving up and sputtering like it was going to die out. I managed to drop my kids of at school and get back home. My husband took the car in and they service guy said that it would cost around $5000.00 to repair. He stated that the engine mount was cracked and the frame was rusted which had caused damage to some of the vehicle wiring. We took it to another shop and the service guy at this shop said the same. He told us that the vehicle was not safe to drive that the engine could essentially fall right out while I was driving it. Needless to say I decided not to drive the vehicle again. …
My vehicle began stalling while being driven on the street and highways, when turning and while stopped for light changes. Had to have battery "jumped" or charged several times. Battery had to be replaced twice because of discharged from alternator. Had alternator replaced. Battery continued to drained. Vehicle ran for one day and completely shut down while in motion. After jump starting the battery, vehicle ran for a couple of minutes. Was told by service mechanics, battery or alternator problems even after having those parts replaced. Finally had the vehicle towed to dealership that specialized in chryslers and was shock when he stated it was the PCM (powertrain control module) which I believed and researched was part a recall for 2005 pacificas in 2006. Told by the dealership that the fuel pump was fixed which is not the problem of this vehicle. …
Typical rust through of engine cradle sub frame (k frame) of a Pacifica SUV almost causing the engine to drop through to the ground. Discovered the rust through, and subsequent engine shift, in mid October 2015 @ approximately 144,000 miles, while car was up on a lift. Car was no longer drivable due to this condition. Had a local Chrysler dealership's repair shop to replace the cradle frame and motor mounts shortly thereafter. They disavowed any help or their involvement in getting Chrysler to cover the repair of a known defect. Called Chrysler's customer service and was told my Pacifica was not part of the extended warranty issued for a small number of and short production run of pacificas. Am attempting to again contact Chrysler customer service via letter and ask for help with the cost of repairs. Also trying to join the class action group that is suing Chrysler over this issue. …
NHTSA investigations
Engine stalling
On February 27, 2006 rq06-002 was opened in response to 60 complaints of engine stall, mostly during left-hand turns, in model year (my) 2004 to 2006 Chrysler pacifica vehicles that were outside the scope of recall 04v-113.in March 2004, daimlerchrysler initiated recall 04v-113 on 34,561 my 2004 pacifica vehicles to correct a condition that could result in engine stall while making a left-hand turn after a…
Engine stalling
In a November 8, 2006 letter, daimlerchrysler corporation (dcc) submitted a defect information report to NHTSA concerning two separate defect conditions that could result in engine stall while driving in model year (my) 2005-2006 Chrysler pacifica vehicles (NHTSA recall no.
Engine complaints in other Pacifica years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2005 Chrysler Pacifica?
NHTSA has 434 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2005 Chrysler Pacifica, 35% of the model year's 1,244 complaints. The component named most often is engine (53 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Chrysler Pacifica engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2005 Chrysler Pacifica, though it has 2 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 2005 Chrysler Pacifica engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 97,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 7 fires and 3 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.