Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Chrysler Pacifica owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
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 that the main battery and the auxiliary battery had been replaced on multiple occasions. The dealer had not yet determined the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the frequent battery failures caused the vehicle to stall while driving at various speeds with the battery and check engine warning lights illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was diagnosed with a cylinder #3 misfire. Also, the contact mentioned that the vehicle would jerk forward upon depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, several unknown warning lights Illuminated. The message to "Pull over and turn off Vehicle" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several minutes; however, the message remained displayed while driving to the residence. The dealer was contacted; however, the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The contact stated the failure reoccurred on several occasions. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000.
On Thursday, July 3, we were on our way out of town and had just gotten on a highway when I smelled something burning, saw smoke (we thought was steam at the time) coming from the hood and heard the engine making a grinding, or rattling noise so we pulled over immediately. My husband got out of the car to start to take a look when another vehicle who had just passed us backed up and motioned frantically saying "Your car is on fire!" So we got out and looked under the front of the car and sure enough, there was liquid spilling onto the ground and fire coming from underneath. So we quickly got away from the car and called 911. Another gentleman who had been going West also stopped to make sure everyone was okay and was also calling 911. Within 10-14 minutes the front of the car was totally engulfed in flames.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle in her garage, the gear shifter indicator light was not illuminated while shifting from the drive (D) to park (P) and the vehicle was not able to turn off after pushing the START/STOP button. Additionally, the rear liftgate door was not able to open as needed. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact's neighbor disconnected the fuel lines and was able to turn off the vehicle; however, the instrument panel light and headlights were not able to be turned off. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. Additionally, the check engine and the STOP and START warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that on the last occasion, the vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the battery was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was scheduled for a service appointment. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact had to press the PUSH-to-Start button several times for the vehicle to restart. The contact stated that the lights were out on the gear shifter. The driver was able to shift to park and then continued driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a corroded wire in the active grill shutter system. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact replaced the battery. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer and also the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine temperature gauge displayed that the engine was overheating. The contact drove the vehicle to a safe location and waited for the engine to cool down. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket. The contact was informed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and agreed to supply the parts needed for the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 83,538.
Engine complaints in other Pacifica years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica?
NHTSA has 381 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica, 43% of the model year's 889 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2018 Chrysler Pacifica engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica, though it has 12 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 12,000 miles, and 69% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 6 fires and 2 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.