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).
On Sunday January 13th while getting off highway lost power steering while taking exit. Due to lack of power steering van went off the road up an embankment and damaged vehicle. I called Chrysler on 1/14/2019 and reported issue. Claim #57836097. I was told that someone from incident reporting team would be contacting me within 4-5 days. I have since called them again on 1/22/2019 and again today 1/28/2019. I have no choice but to drive vehicle because I am a 100% disabled veteran and in a powerchair. The van is customized for my powerchair and my only means of transportation. The power steering keeps going out intermittently and now other electrical issues are occuring now as well. The passenger side window comes down on its own, traction control light on dash goes on and off, stability warning flashes on dash and of course power steering light comes on and says service. …
I purchased my vehicle 10/29/18 and its been a great vehicle til about July 2019. I have taken it to the dealership for them to fix a clicking noise in the front left side and everytime they change a bunch of parts but dont fix it. Now its a loud squeeking noise everytime I back out my driveway or pull off in drive. Ive taken 3 times and they cant figure out what it is. Ive have to rent a vehicle and the dealer also let me use a 2 door loaner knowing I have 4 kids. They keep saying bring it back Monday. Well thats only 1 problem. 3 times already when I put my car in reverse my backup camera comes on but dont go off when I put it in drive. So while im driving down the road my backup camera is on and is very distracting and dangerous. This past weekend my husband was driving while we were going somewhere, well we were in traffic on a very steep hill so he had to stop. …
The first incident occurred when I was in a parking lot. I got into my car and when I went to press the brake and push to start, my brake was locked and my computer started flashing service electronic stability control, park brake unavailable, enter auto-theft code and other numerous error messages. I had to have my car towed to the closest service and they didn't find anything wrong. Yesterday I was in traffic at a stop light and my car dinged, the check engine light came on, and my car said to put it in park and restart (this happened twice at the same light) then the error messages starting flashing (service air bag, service electronic stability control, blind spot alert unavailable, etc) today when I went to start my car the engine did not come on and the same error messages starting flashing as well as the check engine. …
Electrical and sensor issues. When my 2018 Pacifica is started in the morning I receive a FCW (front crash warning) after driving approximately one half mile and stopping at a stop light near my house. I have the gas saver on and my van will usually shut off. When I stop at the light, the console will flash FCW when no objects are in front or near me as well as two other censors flashing. The van completely shuts down and then flashes "start stop required". I then have to place the vehicle in park, turn it off, restart it, then shift back to drive all while in at an intersection. This has happened at least 12 times and creates a risk of being rear-ended. …
While driving approximately 35 MPH, control panel stated "vehicle not in park" and then completely shut down. I had to coast into a parking lot. I put the vehicle in park and van restarted immediately. However, when I put the van into d (drive) the car reversed! I immediately braked and then preceded to drive forward. The "vehicle is not in park" has happened approximately 3 other times while driving but the engine never stopped. This is the 2nd time my vehicle has stalled while driving. It looses all power!!! The first time it was in the dealership, they could not detect any issues. It was very similar except the panel stated "vehicle is not in drive". This should not be happening to a brand new car! This is a safety issue and recalls should be placed as I have seen several other vehicles with similar problems. I have 3 small children and luckily they were not with me.
Several times, while driving 20-30mph as well as when stopped at a red light or a stop sign, the car has lost power steering (steering wheel locks, brake seems to lock in place), unable to accelerate or decelerate, dashboard flashes some message along the lines of "stop/start required" or "shift to p then desired gear", but even when attempting to shut off the car and restart, sometimes this does not even work. At times it has taken 2-3 minutes to even get the car to shut off completely in order to try to turn it back on (as if the car is completely frozen). This has happened on side streets, as well as at a stop sign and a red light on a busy road, which left me blocking traffic for several minutes, unable to operate my vehicle. This has happened at least 5-6 times in the last year, most recently twice in the last week.
1. In motion on city streets vehicle has harsh shifting, jerks like its shifting into a different gear while driving under 40 MPH. This started happening two weeks or so after purchasing this vehicle brand new and does this once to twice a week. 2.) in motion on streets and freeway the stereo goes black randomly and will not turn back on, radio also will randomly jump from multiple stations including am/fm, CarPlay, etc. While driving. 3). In motion driving on city streets the vehicle antilock brake system kicked in while pulling out of driveway and stopped vehicle dead in its tracks with 3 children in the vehicle. I made multiple attempts and was unable to release antilock brake system for one hour until it automatically shut off and then was able to drive back into driveway.
Two incidents which happened within 4 months of each other. I have had the car less than 9 months. Most recent was April 3rd, 2019. I was waiting at a traffic light when I went to let my foot off the brake to drive when all of sudden the car stalled. An alert came up on the screen to tell me the there was an issue with the electronic stability control. I had to turn the car off and back on again to get it to drive. I had two small children in the car both times it has happen. It's my only car. It says there is no recall for this. When you google this problem though apparently it's very common with this van and Chrysler has no fix. Many people had this happen to them while the car was in motion. This is extremely concerning & you should demand Chrysler fix this issue please.
We bought the car as a certified used car from a dealership in February, 2019. The car is a 2018, and had 22,000 miles at time of purchase. The car first stalled in late March, 2019. It stalled while at a red light, and cars had to be directed around the car. My child was in the car with me at the time. An error message appeared with something regarding the stability control. Since that first time, the car has stalled at a light 2 more times. We are bringing the car back to the dealer for service. When we called to let the dealer know the issue, they said they've never heard of this happening. I find that hard to believe with so many similar complaints. I am very concerned that this is a known issue that is not being addressed.
My 2018 Chrysler Pacifica car stopped while I was driving. I had slowed down to make a left turn and it shut itself off. It quickly flashed a message about stability control and then showed stop, start, restart required. The car was still in drive. When I tried pressing the brake it was very hard and wouldn't move. I put the car in park and tried shutting it off and restarting it, but couldn't. I had a line of cars behind me, including a school bus and put my hazards on. I'm not sure how many tries it took, but I was finally able to get it to start and drive home. I have since driven the car without incident but I am very nervous that it will happen again. It seems like a huge safety risk.
Traction Control complaints in other Pacifica years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica, 4% of the model year's 889 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2018 Chrysler Pacifica traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control 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 traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 12,000 miles, and 76% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to stability & traction control 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.