Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 Chrysler Pacifica owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while turning to the right, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that force was needed to maneuver the steering wheel. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted and became a worsening failure. The steering wheel seized while turning to the right or the left. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. Upon further investigation, the contact became aware that the failure was most common with similar vehicles between 60,000 and 90,000 miles. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while making a sharp left turn at slow speeds, the vehicle shuddered. There was no warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle jerked forward upon releasing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact called JT's Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM of Lexington (4838 Sunset Blvd, Lexington, SC 29072) and JT's Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Columbia (190 Greystone Blvd, Columbia, SC 29210) and was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN for the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to make a left or right turn, the steering wheel was sticking and failed to return to center. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the failure was not duplicated, and there was no fault found with the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality intermittently. The power steering warning light and the power steering malfunction message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 47,690.
Possible control arm failure, been reading online that this has been a known issue with these and nothing has been done about it. My wife was driving with our 3 small children when the vehicle went left on its own with no steering causing her to lose control jumping the west bound lanes of traffic. Luckily no traffic was coming or this would have ended badly. My wife has minor injury's and my children were unharmed
The contact owns a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at higher speeds and attempting to veer over to the left or right, the steering wheel failed to return to center. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
While my wife was driving the vehicle - the power steering catastrophically quit!!! The idiot light came on to get it serviced. Thankfully, it happened in a place that didn't cause an accident but this could have been deadly!!! The car is impossible to drive safely. I brought it to Maguire Chrysler in Watkins Glen, NY and they noticed that 2 of the bolts on the bell housing were not threaded in and things "didn't look right" (they provided a picture for me). The transmission had been replaced by Ferrario Chrysler in Elmira, NY at the end of January as a result of the recall on the loose transmission wires that could cause a loss of control. Apparently, they failed to do things right during that major operation. Maguire then refused to work on the vehicle since they didn't know what Ferrario did but that bolts actually sticking out from the bell housing were a bad sign! …
Steering wheel gets stuck in place when making wide turns and especially curves on winding roads. You have to jerk steering wheel out of what feels like a locked/stuck position. Power steering light (lamp) comes on with noise but immediately turns off. Power steering light has been coming on and off inconsistently starting in 2023. I have many videos/pictures of light on. It has never stayed on for long enough time to get it to dealer still lit and I do not have money for the diagnostic testing that dealer says they require just to have said dealer look at it and tell me they can't replicate the problem therefore there is no problem. I've been terrified of it overcorrecting itself when coming out of the stuck position while at high speeds or on narrow high elevation roads resulting in a serious accident injuring or killing myself and my family or someone else on the roadways. …
The vehicle is unsafe to operate and presents an immediate highway safety risk. Shortly after purchase, the vehicle experienced multiple safety-related failures. Headlights were inoperable from the time of delivery, requiring use of high beams at night to see the roadway. This created visibility and traffic safety issues from day one. Within the first month of ownership, the vehicle required towing. The vehicle is a hybrid and could not be shifted into neutral, yet it was dragged with the wheels locked during towing rather than transported on a flatbed. This caused damage to multiple systems. Following the tow, all four tires developed visible bulges consistent with being dragged while immobilized, creating a significant risk of tire blowout at highway speeds. Steering and alignment became unstable, with grinding noises and loss of predictable control. …
while driving at 55mph to lunch on the highway, my steering dash alarm reflected RED saying " SERVICE: POWER STEERING IMMEDIATELY, then almost without any warning the car died, power steering didn't work and I could not steer my car to a safe stop . IT DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD!!! I took a picture of the dash with my phone and would love to send it to you. I turned the car off, and after 30 seconds back on, no SERVICE WARNING initially, but then two minutes later the SERVICE POWER STEERING light came back on, but the car kept running and didn't die. Drove home, service warning went away, then as pulling into our driveway SERVICE WARNING came on again. Turned the car off, went and GOOGLED this issue and found out there was a RECALL NOTICE for all Pacifica Touring L models 2017 to 2019, for this EXACT ISSUE, but my car is a Chrysler Pacifica Touring L 2020!!!!!!!!!! …
Steering complaints in other Pacifica years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the steering of the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica, 19% of the model year's 171 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2020 Chrysler Pacifica steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica, though it has 5 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 2020 Chrysler Pacifica steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to steering 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.