2018 Chrysler Pacifica

Blown head gasket

While driving my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica FWD with approximately 86,000 miles, I have noticed abnormal steering behavior when going around gradual curves. The steering does not feel smooth and natural through the turn, and I feel like I have to pull/force the steering wheel to continue through the curve. The steering can feel like it is sticking or resisting rather than smoothly following the turn. This is concerning because it affects the vehicle’s steering response while driving. I brought the vehicle to a mechanic, who inspected it and diagnosed a problem with the steering rack assembly. I was quoted approximately $3,400 to replace the steering rack assembly. I am reporting this because I understand NHTSA is investigating steering problems involving 2017–2018 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles, including reports of steering sticking during gradual turns. The steering wheel does not simply pull to one side; rather, it feels as though the steering itself is resisting or sticking while I am making the turn.

My 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid unexpectedly rolled after being parked in my residential garage. The van has very low mileage ~60000 miles and is still under Battery Manufacturer warranty. The vehicle had been operating normally and was parked with P displayed on the instrument cluster. It remained unused for approximately 6 days. When the garage door was opened, the vehicle unexpectedly rolled several feet. I believe the closed garage door may have prevented it from moving earlier. A family member who happened to be present stopped the vehicle before a potentially more serious incident occurred. The vehicle and garage door were damaged. Afterward, the vehicle would not start/enter READY mode. The P indicator flashed, selected gear indicators flashed, and “Service Transmission” appeared. The vehicle ultimately required towing. An independent diagnostic scan identified multiple faults, including P07B5-00 (Park Pawl Position Sensor 1 Circuit Performance), P1625-00 (Park Pawl System Failure), and P0AA4-00 (Hybrid/EV Battery Negative Contactor Circuit Stuck Closed). Stevens Creek Chrysler later verified P0AA4-00 as ACTIVE. Their initial reset/weld-check procedure failed and the DTC returned. The dealer then opened Chrysler STAR Case 102963024. Chrysler Technical Assistance provided a PIN/procedure, after which the reset succeeded and vehicle operation was restored. The vehicle was subsequently road-tested and returned to me. However, neither Chrysler nor its authorized dealership has explained why a vehicle parked with P indicated was able to roll, whether the Park-related DTCs were connected to the incident, or whether the condition could recur. I am reporting this because an unexplained rollaway of a parked vehicle presents a serious safety risk. I remain concerned whether the vehicle is safe to park and whether similar incidents may affect other Pacifica Hybrid vehicles.

Steering wheel gets stuck on curbes at higher speeds (1 o clock angle). Needs to be pulled back into place to avoid accident. This problem began at around 80k miles on the car. Also gets stuck at 11 o clock as well. My family does not feel safe driving this vehicle because of this issue.

While driving the vehicle, the steering wheel is sticking between the 11 o’clock and 1 o’clock position.

The wheel suddenly became difficult to turn while driving due to a loss of power steering, but it soon regained normal function. However, not many trips after that, the power steering completely failed. It has not regained function.

intermittently, but increasingly, when turning the wheel it feels almost like it gets temporarily stuck or like i no longer am controlling the steering. i notice it more often to the right, but have felt similar to the left. its a bit disconcerting, a bit like when your car starts to slide on ice. i haven't lost control yet but it does not inspire confidence.

When in a turn the steering wheel can feel stuck and you have to jerk the wheel to get it unstuck. Which could cause issues if there are cars driving next to you. This seems to be happening more and more often.

SUDDEN, INTERMITTENT STEERING LOSS. THE VEHICLE CAN BE INSPECTED ANY TIME. MY SAFETY AND OTHERS ARE AT RISK. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPAIR PROBLEM "SERVICE STEERING SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHT COMES ON.

Another incidence of a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica with "sticky" or intermittent loss of power steering while driving. This is not chronic at this point in time but is a problem that can catch one out if not paying attention. I ran my vin # and it shows no outstanding unfixed recalls but obviously this is a recurring safety problem that needs to be addressed. Recall V53 / NHTSA 19V-348 are the numbers that pop up from NUMEROUS complaints describing this very same issue.

My vehicle has developed an intermittent and potentially serious safety-related failure. When the Engine Stop/Start system automatically shuts the engine off at a red light or stop sign, the vehicle sometimes fails to restart. At the same time, the electronic gear selector becomes locked, preventing me from selecting Neutral or moving the vehicle out of the roadway. The vehicle is therefore effectively immobilized in traffic. The only recovery method I have found is to disconnect both the main and auxiliary batteries for approximately 10 minutes, reconnect them, and then restart the vehicle. The check-engine light also comes on when the failure occurs. Both the main and auxiliary batteries have already been replaced on August 3rd, 2026, so this is not simply a matter of replacing an old battery. I brought the vehicle to the dealer on August 14, 2026 for inspection. Because I had previously been forced to disconnect the batteries to recover the vehicle, no diagnostic trouble codes were available when the dealer performed its inspection. I understand why this makes diagnosis more difficult, but the absence of codes after the system has been reset does not eliminate the underlying intermittent failure. I am particularly concerned because Chrysler has issued service information addressing closely related problems on the 2018 Pacifica, including S2008000075, concerning no-start, Stop/Start inoperative and Service Shifter conditions, and PCM bulletin 18-001-19, which addresses 2018 Pacifica conditions involving engine restart performance, battery state-of-charge performance, improper powerdown, ECU performance, and TCM/shifter communication faults. My vehicle also previously received the Y65 Engine Stop/Start campaign in 2021. Now in persistent no-start condition remaining in the failed state and can't be reset. The instrument panel powers up, the check-engine light remains illuminated, the vehicle produces a click when the Start button is pressed.

The steering is sticky at highway speeds. While making slight curves, the steering feels momentarily unresponsive and then suddenly catches up to create a high potential for loss of control.

This report is for a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica with 90,100 miles. The check engine light came on in July 2026. It was a cylinder 5 misfire. The spark plugs and ignition coil were replaced. The check engine light came on again about 2 weeks later (cylinder 5 misfire again), was dismissed and reset by the shop, and came on again about 2 weeks later. This time, the shop diagnosed cylinder 5 misfire due to "cylinder 5 is leaking coolant into the cylinders." They quoted $12,000 for engine replacement. Went for 2nd opinion at a Chrysler dealership. They confirmed cylinder 5 misfire due to coolant leaking into cylinder 5. Cylinder 5 had low compression. Tech recommended replacing cylinder head for $6200. My research shows that this issue is common for the Pacificas, so I reached out to both Chrysler and the dealer for goodwill assistance with the repair. It was declined due to the van being older than 2019. I cannot continue to drive it with this issue, due to the safety risk of engine failure while operating.

When driving at higher speeds, around 50 mph +, the steering wheel gets stuck into position. You have to over correct it out of the stuck position to stay in the lane. When in a turn, it get stuck around 1 or 11 o'clock and you have to pull hard to the left or right to get it out of the stuck position, which makes you drift into the wrong lane in the stuck position, then swerve towards the wrong lane to fix it. It seems to be getting worse over time. When driving at low speeds, 5mp +, when in a turn, the whole steering wheel column shudders when going back to the straight position. It happens when turning into driveways and parking lots, and can be very startling. The vehicle has been taken to Chrysler service centers multiple times but they always say they can't recreate the problems.

NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: PE25009 The steering now appears to stick while going into and out of corners on the highway. The problem gets worse as speed increases.

Driving down the road at medium speeds, steering seems to bind or catch at about "1-3pm" when turning to the right - had two near misses and several others that would have been if I had not been on alert. This issue developed in the last 200 miles. Current mileage is 99,995.

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver, and the vehicle stalled. The message "Power Train" was displayed on the instrument panel. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the auxiliary battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

I have a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. At approximately 110,000–115,000 miles, I began experiencing an intermittent sticking sensation in the steering while driving. When traveling straight and then making a gradual steering correction or beginning a turn, the steering wheel sometimes feels like it sticks in the straight-ahead position. It requires noticeably more effort, or an extra push, to get the wheel to turn rather than steering smoothly. This occurs while the vehicle is in motion and is especially concerning at higher speeds because it interferes with making small, smooth steering corrections. The vehicle also has a noticeable clunk or hard shift at approximately 35 mph while driving. I do not know whether this is related to the steering problem, but I am including it because it is another abnormal condition occurring while the vehicle is in motion. I learned that NHTSA has opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25009 involving 2017–2018 Chrysler Pacificas for intermittent loss of electric power steering. The symptoms described in that investigation, including a sticking sensation during gradual turns and increased steering effort, closely match the steering problem I am experiencing.

Driving at speeds above 50 mph the steering wheel sticks or catches when I’m trying to turn. If you check subreddits and other places online, this is a very well known issue that needs to be addressed. It could be very dangerous if you couldn’t correct it while in a curve. I’m surprised this isn’t a recall already being that it happens at high speeds and deal with the steering rack.

While driving my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Limited, the steering intermittently sticks or binds slightly when traveling through gradual curves. When exiting the curve, the steering wheel does not naturally return to center and requires additional manual input to straighten the vehicle. The issue is most noticeable during gradual turns and creates concern about potentially overcorrecting when returning the vehicle to a straight path. The vehicle has approximately 102,000 miles. The symptoms appear consistent with those described in NHTSA investigation PE25009 involving 2017–2018 Chrysler Pacificas.