Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2019 Chrysler Pacifica submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 42 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 42, in the owner's own words
When in gentle right turns, the steering "sticks" at about 1:00 and I have to apply force to remove the steering wheel from that position. It results in oversteering, particularly at higher speeds.
The van has a consistent steering catch when traveling most pronounced at 11 and 1. The steering hangs and then releases which causes the van to travel unexpectedly into the other lane of traffic. There are no faults or other indicators visible with the vehicle to warn the driver of an issue. The issue is more noticeable when the outside air temperature is above 85 deg F and the van has been drive 15 or so miles. Additionally, a visual inspection of all mechanical components of the van related to steering does not show any abnormal wear and tear. The van has 126K miles on it.
The steering sticks normally when slightly turned especially going highway speeds around bends. You have to “yank” the wheel from it being stuck and risk over steering off the road or into other lane. Huge safety risk.
Power steering sticks at highway speed around curves. This problem is worsening and is dangerous. The car has been inspected with repair estimates around $5,000.
I am experiencing an intermittent steering problem with my 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Limited. While driving, particularly when making slight turns or small steering corrections, the steering wheel sometimes feels as though it sticks or binds in the turned position instead of smoothly returning toward center. When this occurs, I have to apply additional force to the steering wheel to correct the vehicle’s direction. Once enough force is applied, the steering releases and moves, which can cause the vehicle to correct more abruptly than intended. This occurs at both lower and higher driving speeds and is especially noticeable during gradual turns and small steering corrections near the center position. The problem creates a safety concern because the vehicle can continue traveling in the direction of the slight turn until I deliberately apply additional steering force. This makes maintaining the intended direction of travel less predictable. There are currently no power-steering or other steering-related warning lights displayed on the dashboard. When the vehicle is stationary with the engine running, the steering wheel turns smoothly and I have not been able to reproduce the sticking sensation. The problem occurs while the vehicle is being driven. I took the vehicle to an authorized Chrysler dealership and reported the steering concern. The dealership test-drove the vehicle but stated that they could not reproduce the problem and considered the steering behavior normal. However, the problem continues to occur during normal driving. I have also been able to record video demonstrating the steering behavior. The vehicle remains available for further inspection. The exact component causing the problem is UNKNOWN. I am reporting the issue because the intermittent resistance in the steering and the additional force required to correct the vehicle’s direction could create a loss-of-control risk if the condition worsens or occurs unexpectedly during a turn.
The steering "sticks" on either right or left hand curves (more left than right) under normal driving circumstances on paved roads. This causes a "jerk" when returning the wheel to center, after or as the vehicle is coming out of the curve. Definitely concerning. Noticed shortly after we purchased the van with 100,000 miles on the odometer.
Powertrain: harsh, jerky shifting, violent, lurching gear changes, pause before engaging and high revving and lack of acceleration, mostly noticed at 50-60mph Steering PE25009 - catching or sticking when making minor or gradual turns in either direction when the steering wheel is positioned near the 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock positions. It requires extra force to break free and jerks the steering
When driving around curves the electric steering is malfunctioning. Making it unsafe to drive almost like it is sticking then when you correct it, it frees up and over corrects. This has been going on for some time now and keeps getting worse and worse. After a little research it seems a lot of other people are having this problem
2019 Chrysler Pacifica. The vehicle has ongoing steering, electrical, and power steering/EPS failures. The steering wheel intermittently jerks/pulls while driving, the vehicle has experienced random loss of steering assist, and the electrical system cuts out or malfunctions during normal use. The steering wheel lights and backup camera guidelines also disappear during driving sessions and only return after fully restarting the vehicle. The exact root cause is UNKNOWN, but the affected systems appear to include the EPS/power steering system, steering/suspension components, battery/electrical system, and possibly related control modules. My safety and others’ safety were put at risk because the vehicle has lost steering assist and had electrical failure while being driven, including a prior failure in an intersection. When the steering assist drops or the wheel jerks, the vehicle becomes difficult to control. This is especially dangerous because I transport my family in this vehicle. The issue has been reported repeatedly since purchase. The vehicle was inspected/repaired through Carvana/SilverRock’s repair process at Brockman Automotive, including rack and pinion/steering-related work. After that repair, the vehicle continued to drift and handle improperly. A later independent inspection at Davidson Automotive identified a loose/not properly secured tie rod, alignment problems, and a failed auxiliary battery. The shop could not complete deeper diagnostics until those prerequisite issues were corrected. The vehicle has also suffered abnormal front tire wear after the steering/alignment problems. Warning/symptoms before or during failures include steering wheel jerking/pulling, clunking/clanking/grinding/groaning noises, vehicle drift, service start/stop warning, electrical malfunctions, intermittent steering wheel control/light issues, loss of backup camera guidelines, and loss of steering assist. The vehicle/component is available for inspection upon request.
The steering is tight/sticking when I back out of my driveway or drive slowly around turns. It does seem stiff on highway speeds as well. Also my auto stop start check light is on about 2 months after replacing both batteries and I did have the recall somewhat associated with this completed
While driving the steering will lock up and force a jerk when trying to get the steering wheel to move. At times there is a shudder while turning at slow speeds. Originally it was only present while turning as you are on an on ramp. It now appears also while driving straight.
The steering wheel locks up partially when you turn the wheel making it super dangerous when driving. It’s done it for as long as I have had the vehicle. There was never any warning messages prior to the problem. I have not had it inspected by anyone. Unknown if it’s been reproduced by dealer.
We bought our van new in 2019. It has always made a grinding noise when making hard turns. The dealer said it was normal. Flash forward to a few weeks ago when we hit 105k miles. We started noticing more grinding noises and sensations when turning the wheel. Additionally, we noticed a tugging sensation on the wheel when going over 60 mph. It felt like the lane assist was turned on, but it wasn’t. We took our van to our trusted auto repair garage. They did a series of tests which included isolating the sound of clicking and grinding to the electronic steering gear. We were told that this part would cost $5400 to replace. We believe that this part is going bad too early in the life of our van and would like the NHTSA to investigate.
Electrical power steering assistance system. The steering wheel starts becoming difficult to smoothly turn in corners over 30-miles per hour. Steering wheel required excessive force to overcome the resistance caused by the steering system (almost like having a non-power system steering system in turns). No issues on straight roadways. No warning lamps light. Getting worse (only used for local travel). It requires a physical effort to turn the steering to remain on track within a curve. It has yet to be confirmed by a dealer: Williamsburg Chrysler sold me this vehicle 3-months ago as perfect (but as-is). If YOU suggest a dealership trustworthy enough to evaluate the system I will go there, otherwise I know of no dealership in my area who knows (or cares) to troubleshoot issues that are not so obvious parts are not falling off. NOTE: I noticed a Safety Recall V53/NHTSA 19V-348 Power Steering Assist exists but not specified for my 2019 Pacifica. The description is exactly what I'm referring to.
While driving the car is unable to switch gears from D to L gear and has no power to accerlerate up hill.
Power steering failure October 11, 2024. Car battery malfunction. Thankfully I was in the slow lane and was able to drift to the shoulder of the highway. My safety of my entire family was put at risk. This includes me, my wife and 2 kids. The problem was confirmed by a dealership and I was able to replace the battery. The problem has not been reproduced, and no there were no warning lamps.
Steering wheel sticks when attempting to return to straight position after a curve. Usually occurs when turning right but sometimes left. Only occurs at highway speeds, not on city streets. Chrysler dealer inspected vehicle, said no problem was found, recommended having tire alignment checked. Front tires did not need alignment but rear tires did and were aligned. Unfortunately, this did not correct the problem. This appears to be the same steering problem reported to affect 2017 and 2018 Pacifica per NHTSA investigation. Note: incident date, below, is date problem was first noticed. Problem is ongoing.
It malfunctioned on October 25th, it started working briefly the same day, but ultimately quite again until we reset it in the early evening. Reset being disconnecting the battery for an hour then reconnecting. After that, it worked fine the next day, throughout the drive home, and all week until it quit yesterday, Nov 2, 2025. It hasn’t worked since, even after a reset since yesterday Mov. 2, 2025. When making a hard left turn, the steering wheel system stopped completely!!! This caused it to be EXTREMELY HARD to steer the car and it steered the van towards traffic!!! If my wife had been driving, we would have been involved in a MAJOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT! No steering at all, who designs a steering system that has the possibility of, when failing, puts the vehicle & passengers at risk of serious injury or death!!!
While driving down the 70 mph interstate my steering went out and I had 5 people in my van. There was no warning or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. My sister [XXX] and my mother who is [XXX] was stranded on the interstate with traffic speeding by at a high rate of speed. We had the vehicle towed to the dealership and they reported the power steering rack failed and it will cost over $5,000 to repair. I purchased this vehicle brand new in 2019. The mechanic I have repairing this vehicle reports this is a manufacturing issue. This is a dangerous issues and this vehicle should be recalled. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The steering on this vehicle has a catching sensation, especially when changing lanes at high speeds, or travelling down a curvy mountain highway. The steering seems to require extra effort to get back to a center position. The problem is most noticeable when making slight turns (such as changing lanes) at higher speeds.
The contact owns a 2019 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, after making a slight adjustment of the steering wheel to the right, while returning to center, the steering wheel was sticking and required extra force to return the steering wheel to center. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken to another dealer, but was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V348000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
When driving in longer, gradual curves - the steering wheel "sticks". You can feel it isnt responsive, and you have to apply more pressure than you should to get it out of the "stuck" spot. Which makes the car over correct at times. It has happened dozens of times by now - so wasnt a one time thing. Most recent was a last night.
The steering wheel gets sticky when making turns and sometimes seems to be stuck when turning the wheel from a turn.
when driving into a left curve the chrysler pacifica minivan at roughly 10:00 on the steering wheel, the steering wheel locks and is very hard to get out of the locked state. in order to clear the locked state I have to jerk the wheel hard back to the right to get it free. I feel that it will eventually either stay locked in that position and cause a head on collision or if overcorrected will cause the vehicle to swerve to the right and cause a crash. I feel this is a very unsafe situation and have talked to many people with this problem and they have also said the same thing. Also i have read several forums on the internet about others across the country having the same issue. secondly the backup camera has started to not work recently. it started around the same time that the locked steering situation occurred. also some of the buttons on the steering wheel are not functioning properly. volume up when pressed causes the volume to go down and vice versa. i believe that there is an electrical issue in this vehicle and it is affecting the steering along with other items. please initiate the recall for the steering because i do not feel safe with this happening and especially if it is raining. thank you
The contact owns a 2019 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at higher speeds, the steering wheel failed to return to center after making a turn to the left or the right. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic for a diagnostic test; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. 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 52,000.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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