Most common 2018 Chrysler Pacifica problems
Share of the 889 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chrysler Pacifica complaints by model year
Best Pacifica years: 2024, 2025, 2020. Years to avoid: 2017, 2018, 2021, 2005. Compare all years →
2018 Chrysler Pacifica recalls (12)
Equipment adaptive/mobility › Wheelchair restraints/securement › Latch/anchor
Rollx Vans (Rollx) is recalling certain GMC Yukon, Sierra, Chevrolet Express 2500, Ford Transit, E-250, Toyota Sienna, Sienna Hybrid, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Voyager, Pacifica, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ram Promaster vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints.
Remedy: Rollx will work with Q'Straint to inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2026. Owners may contact Rollx's customer service at 1-800-956-6668.
Electrical system › Wiring › Connectors/plugs/receptacles
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric vehicles (PHEVs). An internal transmission wiring connector may short circuit, resulting in an unexpected engine shutdown.
Remedy: Dealers will update the Power Inverter Module (PIM) software and, if necessary, update the instrument panel cluster (IPC) and the electronic control module (ECM) software, free of charge.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Pacifica vehicles equipped with an 8.4 inch radio display, 360 degree surround view camera system, and seat back video screens. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed on the radio after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Electrical system › 12V/24V/48V battery
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Pacifica vehicles equipped with engine stop/start systems. A loose battery ground connection may result in an intermittent loss of power steering assist and/or a stall.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the battery ground surfaces, clean the contact surfaces as needed, and properly reassemble the ground connection, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019.
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower arm
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica hybrid vehicles. The right front lower control arm may separate from the steering knuckle.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the right front knuckle and lower control arm for damage, replacing the components as necessary.
Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018…
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Show 6 more recalls
Power train › Axle assembly › Axle shaft
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles. The front axle halfshafts may have been incorrectly assembled, preventing the shaft from being properly secured to the constant-velocity (CV) joint.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left or right halfshaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began September 18, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Power train › Automatic transmission
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica non-hybrid vehicles. A component in the transmission may not have been welded properly, possibly causing the transmission to not transmit engine power to the wheels.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Equipment › Electrical › Anti-theft devices
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles. The Manual Park Release (MPR) plug may be removed without a tool. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the MPR plug, free of charge. The recall began July 9, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U50.
Electrical system › Software
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab…
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018.
Equipment
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling various Dodge, Chrysler, and RAM vehicles equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. A list of the affected trailer models is available at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17V824-0103.pdf.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began February 14, 2018.
Seat belts › Rear/other
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles equipped with the 8-passenger seating option. In certain passenger seating and vehicle situations, the second-row center seating position seat belt buckle could cause the left outboard seat belt to become unlatched.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install a shorter second-row seat belt buckle, free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica:
Loss of motive power due to an internal wiring connector short.
On July 22, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened investigation PE22-008 regarding complaints alleging a loss of motive power condition potentially due to a transmission malfunction in Model Years 2019-2021 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV).
Ignition-off high voltage battery fire (Remedy effectiveness of Recall 22V-077)
On February 11, 2022, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) issued a safety recall (NHTSA Recall 22V-077) on all 2017-2018 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) produced between August 12, 2016 through August 7, 2018. The recall addresses ignition "OFF' fires that originate at the high voltage (HV) battery pack assembly.
Intermittent Loss of Electric Power Steering
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Preliminary Evaluation to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences of alleged defects related to the electric power steering (EPS) system in model year (MY) 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles.
Transmission fault leading to loss of motive power
On July 22, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE22008 to investigate allegation of loss of motive power, potentially due to transmission malfunction, in certain Chrysler Pacifica vehicles. In a January 17, 2023 letter to NHTSA, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) submitted recall notice 23V-010 involving a transmission motor wiring defect in 67,118 model year (MY) 2017-2023 Chrysler Pacifica plug-in…
What 2018 Chrysler Pacifica owners say
Engine & cooling all 381 →
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle stalled. The message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact stated that she shifted to park(P) and turned off the vehicle and the vehicle failed to restart. A local mechanic met the contact at the scene and assisted in restarting the vehicle. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer several times; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure started to occur after the head gasket was replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. …
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving 30-35 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal beeping sound. The message "Stop Safely - Vehicle will shut off soon" was displayed, and the vehicle stalled. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart, and the contact continued driving. The contact stated that the failure had previously occurred while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed. The contact's husband was able to pull to the side of the road, and the vehicle was able to restart after an extended period. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed as a low voltage failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE22008 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
Electrical system all 290 →
The contact owned a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while in reverse(R) and reversing into a parking spot, it was difficult to accelerate over a patch of ice. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle accelerated quickly and failed to stop while depressing the brake pedal and the vehicle drove through a fence and crashed into a brick building and stopped. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the U-Connect phone feature disconnected independently. The failure had never occurred before. The contact stated that the U-Connect failure might have been linked to the unintended acceleration failure. No injuries were sustained. A Police report was not filed. The fence and a side of the brick building were damaged during the crash. …
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that since 2019, the "Auto START/STOP feature unavailable" message was displayed on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the vehicle intermittently failed to start, the vehicle was jerking and hesitating while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle also shut-off unintendedly while driving at various speeds. The vehicle had been towed to a dealer on several occasions and the auxiliary and the main batteries replaced; however, the failure returned approximately a year and a half later. To prevent the failure from recurring, the contact disabled the Auto START/STOP feature to prevent the vehicle from stalling. …
Steering all 185 →
The hybrid battery coolant heater (part 68443445AC) was confirmed a problem, however the dealership wont review ANY recalls on my vehicle until I pay $1700 to replace that part. However, there are MULTIPLE incidents online showing this is a problem with this vehicle and should be a recall as this is obviously defective within the first 150000 miles. My car has roughly 124K miles, making it just outside the warranty coverage. Shortly before this lamp warning (check engine) came on my steering wheel started "sticking" making it hard to steer in a curve, causing me to veer off the road. Within 7 days of this happening, is when my check engine light appeared, throwing code POE15. The heat now also takes much longer to warm up- like 30 minutes longer. The dealership said none of the issues are connected, however after online research I have determined that is not true.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed low speeds, the electric power steering stopped functioning properly after the contact heard an abnormal crunching sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly jerked and jolted during acceleration as if the transmission was slamming into gear. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for regular maintenance service, and the contact was informed that the motor mounts needed to be replaced. The vehicle failures were not diagnosed during regular maintenance service. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,000.
2018 Chrysler Pacifica engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6-cyl plug-in hybrid | CVT | FWD | 32 / 33 / 32 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 9-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 28 / 22 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica a good car?
Based on 889 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2018 Pacifica rates avoid: 2.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the Pacifica at the same age. It is one of the Pacifica years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica?
The engine & cooling — 381 complaints, 43% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (290) and steering (185).
How many recalls does the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica have?
There are 12 recalls for the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica, the most recent from December 17, 2025 (latch/anchor). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chrysler Pacifica?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2024, 2025 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2005. See the full Chrysler Pacifica years comparison.
At what mileage do 2018 Chrysler Pacifica problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 14,000 miles; 81% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.