2018 Chrysler Pacifica Driver assistance Problems

• July 19 (PM): While driving, the vehicle displayed: ◦ Service Hybrid Electric System (red wrench) ◦ Check Engine Light • July 20 (AM): All warning lights had cleared. • July 20 (PM): While driving, the following warnings appeared simultaneously: ◦ Service Hybrid Electric System (red wrench) ◦ Check Engine Light ◦ Service Electronic Stability Control ◦ Parking Brake Temporarily Unavailable ◦ FCW Unavailable – Service Required ◦ LaneSense Unavailable – Service Required I needed to find an alternate parking spot since the parking brake was not working. • July 21: All warnings cleared except the Check Engine Light, which has remained illuminated continuously since then. • July 25: Upon starting the vehicle, the following warnings returned: ◦ FCW Unavailable – Service Required ◦ Service Hybrid Electric Vehicle System ◦ Parking Brake Temporarily Unavailable ◦ Service Electronic Stability Control ◦ Service Shifter ◦ Check Engine Light Again needed to find an alternate parking spot with parking brake not working. Once again, these warnings disappeared after the next restart, with only the Check Engine Light remaining. Took car to dealership for service. Expected issues had to do with recall work that was completed earlier in the month. They said it was not and that the it was due to loss of can c bus communcation because the star connector failed.

NHTSA ID

11755706

Incident

Jul 20, 2026

Lots of power going up steep hills. Especially while AC is on. Almost complete loss of power yesterday with vehicle behind me.

NHTSA ID

11754761

Incident

Aug 3, 2026

Odometer 66466. Hybrid battery charge level 100%. When starting the vehicle the issue started with the transmission shifter knob stuck in gear Park. After turning off and on a few times, the transmission shifter knob would shift into Reverse. I then drove it to a dealer service for repair. During the drive several dash warning messages appeared. Also, the blind spot warning system did not function and the backup camera did not function. Dash warning messages while driving to dealer service: Parking Brake, TPS, Service Electronic Stability Control, engine, Red wrench, amber throttle, Brake, Service Electronic Throttle Control, Service Hybrid Electric Vehicle System. stability control, Blind Spot Alert, Arrived at dealer, kept engine on, brought service tech rep to vehicle and demonstrated the issue while in service bay. Mileage 66474. Last message I saw, Service Hybrid Electric Vehicle System. Friday, April 10 2026. The vehicle was in the shop for Service Hybrid Electric Vehicle System just 750 miles previous to this system failure. Dealer is unable to fix problem. Hybrid System still under warranty. Hybrid battery replaced last year, 12 volt battery replaced twice after. Vehicle is beyond unreliable, there is significant risk of failure at any time.

NHTSA ID

11740295

Incident

Apr 10, 2026

Chrysler performed the 73B recall and n my van in August of 2025. Ever since performing this recall the van has a continuous stream of check engine lights and error codes. The van has been at the dealership at least 6 times for well over 100 days. The check engine lights and error codes always return. The hybrid battery recently had a failure code, and was replaced. I didn't even make it home before I got a check engine light and error codes. The dealership cleared the check engine light and sent me on my way. The codes returned and the van is back at the dealership. The codes I have been getting are : Service Hybrid System, Parking Brake Temporarily Unavailable, Service Electronic Throttle Control, Service Shifter( I was not able to drive as it wouldn't go into gear), Service Electronic Stability Control, Blind Spot Alert, and Service Airbag System. On the longest service visit (over 80 days), Chrysler ended up just telling the dealership to erase the stored codes and return the van to me. They test drive it 50 miles. The error codes returned. They currently have the van again for the same reason.

NHTSA ID

11736983

Incident

May 5, 2026

The contact owned a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle in a parking lot, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the accelerator was inadvertently depressed, causing the vehicle to unintendedly accelerate. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle accelerated and crashed into the wall. After the vehicle crashed into the wall, there was an abnormal sound of air coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the sound was not coming from the radiator. Additionally, none of the air bags inside the vehicle had deployed during the crash. The contact and a passenger inside the vehicle sustained bruises in the crash from the seat belts. Medical attention was sought following the crash. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed from the scene and deemed a total loss by the Insurance Provider. The 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 54,000.

NHTSA ID

11735074

Incident

May 1, 2026

Mileage

54,000 mi

The van has just approx 55000 miles. While driving on highway, it suddenly lost power and from 60mph it came down to 20 miles in a matter of few seconds after few violent jerks. I was lucky that no vehicle was behind me. After that I pulled a side and then again started. It kept jerking and loosing power. Very carefully I got it to a mechanic. They are checking but they say looks like transmission issues. Engine light also came on. This happened few months ago however it was not this bad and my mechanic looked and he could not find anything. That problem went away after that incident. Kindly advise what to do in this situation. Chrysler Pacifica 2018 This van has lots of problems in other crucial area also like air fender switch, oil hose and cover that went bad as they are made of plastic. Then the trans mounts broke. It costed me dearly. Please Advice what to do? Best regards [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11728776

Incident

Apr 2, 2026

Vehicle was put into reverse and did not stop, it hit a pole. Then the driver tried to put in drive to get it off of the pole and it accelerated quickly and the driver could not stop the vehicle. There was little time to react as it hit the side of a building and airbags deployed. Driver stated that the car accelerated on it's own once it was put into gear.

NHTSA ID

11698911

Incident

Nov 12, 2025

This van is a 2018 modified with a handicap accessible rear ramp. We purchased this van in 2021 and since it has spent 6 months the first time at the shop then it was at our facility totally not running for another 6 months we paid 400 dollars to tow it to a dealership they replaced the transmission it ran for 2 months and now doesn’t start it’s in limp mode and when it does start and run when your driving it loses all power suddenly. We have only put 3800 miles on this van in the time we’ve had it and we owe over 25,000 still on it. Nobody can figure out what’s wrong with it but we are very small residential care facility and we are unable to transport residents because we have a broken van that we still pay for do we can’t purchase another one.

NHTSA ID

11698382

Incident

Dec 13, 2021

At a stoplight the FCW ( forward, collision), warning dash light went on and engaged the brakes, thankfully, no movement was taking place.I had to put the car in park and then drive to be able to resume.This indicates that it could have occurred at high speeds, potentially causing a collision

NHTSA ID

11695562

Incident

Oct 25, 2025

Electrical adaptive, cruise control, forward collision warning, and shifter all malfunctioned. It is available for inspection. There was failure to accelerate at an intersection which almost caused vehicle to be rear ended. The error codes have been pulled and shown by O’Reillys auto parts. The vehicle is pending inspection by an independent mechanic. The adaptive cruise control the Ford collision, warning and service shifter warning lamps all appeared shortly before this problem occurred.

NHTSA ID

11682670

Incident

Aug 21, 2025

Van was working fine one day and the next, before I even started it, when I pressed the brake pedal to start the van, there was a buzzing noise from the braking system and pedal went almost to the floor. Once I started the vehicle, the noise stopped and the pedal travel returned to normal. However at the same time, the warning light / message for several of the systems came up (ABS, traction control, collision detection, parking sensors, etc) along with several messages (ParkSense Unavailable, FCW Unavailable Service Required, Service Antilock Brake System, Service Electronic Stability System). Using an OBDII code reader displayed several "communication errors" (start with the letter "U"). I researched it on the Internet and it would appear that this is caused by a common failure of the "star connector" ("bus module" to connect various components in the van). I ordered a replacement part (which I haven't received yet) but not completely surprisingly, about 1 week after the issue occurred, today my vehicle was running properly with no more errors. I'm hoping NHTSA forces FCA to fix this issue under a recall. I've read of several other owners suffering the same issue and IMO, this is a security risk as ABS and traction contol (along with other systems) are disabled when this happens. In included pictures of the dash when it happened (note all the warning lights) and of the dash when if fixed itself (no warning light although MIL is still on (I haven't cleared it))

NHTSA ID

11672062

Incident

Jun 30, 2025

Recurrent intermittent power steering failure and intermittent engine stall. Steering wheel gets stuck when turning right while driving at speed on highway. Steering wheel gets very heavy and requires some force to get it back to center. If I let go of the steering wheel, it would stay in the same position until I move it back. When driving at slower speeds, usually when navigating around turns or roundabouts, the engine will stall and then drastically jolt into gear. Two different mechanics have not been able to identify the root cause. They have checked alignment, electrical codes, and other potential issues without any answers. After research, I believe I am experiencing similar issues as detailed in the Safety Recall V53 / NHTSA 19V-348 Power Steering Assist. My VIN was not included in the recall , but I believe my car is showing similar concerns. I have requested a local Chrysler dealer look into this issue specifically and I have an upcoming appointment.

NHTSA ID

11667648

Incident

Jun 16, 2025

Hello: My 2018 Pacifica hybrid was just recalled, and serviced, yet the hybrid battery only last a few miles before needing to be recharged. Also, when in reverse the back up camera doesn’t always come on and doesn’t beep when approaching an obstacle. It will also stay on while driving forward.

NHTSA ID

11659306

Incident

Apr 30, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the back-over prevention camera image remained displayed on the radio display screen. The cause of the failure was not yet been determined. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V886000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION, EQUIPMENT). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11657227

Incident

Apr 28, 2024

Mileage

80,000 mi

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while reversing, the back-over prevention camera screen failed to function as intended. The back-over prevention screen displayed a black screen. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with computer and electrical system failure. The contact was informed that the back-over prevention assembly, instrument cluster, and electrical system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

NHTSA ID

11655919

Incident

Oct 31, 2024

Mileage

135,000 mi

In the dash bord power steering not aveleble warning also stop start not responding then servic charging....... not safe to drive this car at all. I had to go the dealership more than four times a year recently spending a lots of time and money. Again engen lights come up.

NHTSA ID

11632962

Incident

Dec 18, 2024

While driving on a 4-lane highway, I received a message on the dashboard "Vehicle will shut off soon". I had just a few seconds before power to the vehicle was limited. The engine stopped working and another message was displayed: "Battery Conditioning Leave Ignition in Run." After that the car would no longer move and I was in the middle of the right lane. Luckily I could get my children out safely. The vehicle was towed to the local Chrysler dealership where it is waiting for repair.

NHTSA ID

11608056

Incident

Aug 8, 2024

I had had multiple incidents when the Van would get stuck in a gear or would lose the ability to accelerate. The passenger doors, specifically the right side passenger door would get suck and continuously open because it could not close. The rear view cameras would get stuck and after reverting to D it would stay on the screen for at least 5 min before switching back. The screen would also go blank. The van would also get stuck between gears or would shut off at a stop light.On this particular day I was driving and was starting to slowdown for the light signal. The van suddenly jolted and stopped completely. I tried to turn it on and it would not start. I was very lucky that the car behind me noticed me slowing down and did not hit the van. I tried to turn on the van and the electrical function would turn on but not the engine. Then after continuously trying to start it the gear function would not move. I also want to add that at the time of purchase the van was missing a air duct and I was not made aware of that. I was told by the dealer that it had active recalls but they were not able to fix the recalls because the engine would not start. It had an active recall for the flash software and for the start stop. Dealer tried to tell me it overheated, however this is false, there was no white smoke and no other indications that the van had overheated. I wasn't able to add that the electrical in the vehicle is a problem. The radio and screen would just go blank at times.

NHTSA ID

11602762

Incident

Apr 9, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11587614

Incident

Mar 8, 2024

Mileage

67,000 mi

The vehicle display reads "Service Charging System" and switches into limp mode where the vehicle is prevented from driving faster than 15 mph. After leaving the van sit for a time, it drives ok. I took the van to a Chrysler dealership twice after this happened, and the dealership could not resolve the issue. After the second time this happened, the dealership contacted an engineer at Chrysler to try and resolve the problem, but they could not. Chrysler says the problem stems from the charger that is being used, but the error/limp mode occurs not after using a charger. I am concerned that the vehicle will switch over to limp mode at any time presenting a safety risk.

NHTSA ID

11573989

Incident

Feb 15, 2024

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The shifter module fails or malfunctions and it put the vehicle in park. All the electronic controls in the vehicle malfunctions even when the vehicle is driving like the ABS, displays, throttle, ADAS and all other controls How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle suddenly starts throwing the warnings while you are driving - sometimes in the freeways, it also jerks, throttle and other controls and displays goes blank, you are not sure even if the emergency flasher is activated Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? It started almost 2 years ago in Dec 2021 when the check engine light first came, dealer tried to fix by replacing the 12 volt battery but the problems started slowly and in August 2022 disabled the vehicle completely. The vehicle had been with the dealer most of the time since then and its still not fixed as of today

NHTSA ID

11549099

Incident

Dec 1, 2021

The transmission shifts hard when traveling around 14 mph then will jerk (like being rear ended), slows down then accelerates on its own. I'm afraid it will cause an accident. Chrysler said it is supposed to work like that and nothing is wrong with it. I have had 3 diagnostic tests done it and it shows nothing is wrong.

NHTSA ID

11525582

Incident

Jun 28, 2022

On 5/31/22 I took my vehicle for service due @ error. The dealership Mac Hakil I-55 Jackson MS slept my vehicle until 6/2/23 telling me it was my battery charging $813.00. I feel this was a ripped off

NHTSA ID

11525081

Incident

Jun 2, 2023

Car was on cruise control. While approaching traffic, attempt was made to release cruise control by braking. Brake system was locked, vehicle started accelerating and revving. Brakes would not work, had to swerve to avoid collision. Managed to fidget with the gear knob. Finally managed to gain control of vehicle. I figured I gained control because I must have shifted the gear into Neutral somehow. I had my entire family of SIX in the car. Without having gained control, the vehicle would have accelerated until I crashed it. It accelerated past 80mph before I could gain control

NHTSA ID

11507118

Incident

Jan 27, 2023

Reverse camera screen remained on after reversing and during a ~30 minute drive. Stopped vehicle, shutoff engine, opened door to trigger interior electronic shutoff. Restarted vehicle and backup camera still remained during drive until eventually changing to full blue screen with "Camera System Unavailable" message at the top. (photo available) The event occurred during extreme winter weather in Oklahoma 1/30/2023 and is an obvious safety issue. The constant rearview display while driving is very distracting and disorienting. Additionally, the vehicle climate control settings for defog, heat, and other settings are unavailable for determining and adjusting to external environmental conditions, as experienced during the winter weather event leading to full interior fogging and reduced visibility (another mechanical safety issue prevalent to this vehicle series). This issue is found under NHTSA Campaign 19V886000 for 2018-2019 year models however, our VIN is not included. I contacted the original dealer service department, and they informed me of no related recall for our specific VIN as well. I contacted FCA/Chrysler Customer Service in reference to recall VE2 as indicated in NHTSA recall 19V886000 and informed no recall as well and no other assistance or direction. Our vehicle VIN should be included in the recall.

NHTSA ID

11504695

Incident

Jan 30, 2023