2018 Chrysler Pacifica Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 288 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica, 33% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 13,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “start stop” (16% of reports).
- 288electrical system complaints
- 13,000median miles at failure
- 10mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 5related recalls
- 31%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Start stop: mentioned in 45 of 288 complaints (16%)
- Put park: mentioned in 22 of 288 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 138 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 288 complaints, 10 mention a crash, 7 a fire, 3 an injury.
Chrysler Pacifica electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Pacifica | 1 | 100% | — |
| 2026 Pacifica | 4 | 36% | 700 |
| 2025 Pacifica | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2024 Pacifica | 14 | 30% | 25,500 |
| 2023 Pacifica | 43 | 28% | 32,708 |
| 2022 Pacifica | 61 | 28% | 41,607 |
| 2021 Pacifica | 152 | 41% | 18,000 |
| 2020 Pacifica | 64 | 37% | 52,000 |
| 2019 Pacifica | 98 | 31% | 18,179 |
| 2018 Pacifica | 288 | 33% | 13,000 |
| 2017 Pacifica | 393 | 26% | 25,500 |
| 2016 Pacifica | 1 | 50% | 12,733 |
| 2008 Pacifica | 24 | 24% | 79,500 |
| 2007 Pacifica | 51 | 16% | 90,000 |
| 2006 Pacifica | 57 | 8% | 78,000 |
| 2005 Pacifica | 94 | 8% | 55,000 |
| 2004 Pacifica | 109 | 12% | 82,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (5)
Hybrid propulsion system: inverter; electrical system:wiring:connectors/plugs/receptacles
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric vehicles (PHEVs). An internal transmission wiring connector may short circuit, resulting in an unexpected engine shutdown.
Risk: An unexpected engine shutdown can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the Power Inverter Module (PIM) software and, if necessary, update the instrument panel cluster (IPC) and the electronic control module (ECM) software, free of charge. FCA US will notify dealers and begin notifying owners on or about: 03/21/2023 for 2021 model year vehicles, 05/02/2023 for 2019-2020 model year vehicles, and 06/15/2023 for 2017-2018 model year vehicles. FCA began notifying owners on February 23, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 03A.
Electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Pacifica vehicles equipped with engine stop/start systems. A loose battery ground connection may result in an intermittent loss of power steering assist and/or a stall.
Risk: A loss of power steering assist or a stall can increase the risk of crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the battery ground surfaces, clean the contact surfaces as needed, and properly reassemble the ground connection, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US' number for this recall is V53.
Electrical system:wiring:front underhood
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
Risk: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
Equipment:electrical:anti-theft devices; electrical system:ignition:anti-theft:control module
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles. The Manual Park Release (MPR) plug may be removed without a tool. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
Risk: If the MPR is engaged unintentionally, the vehicle could roll away striking and injuring a bystander or cause a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the MPR plug, free of charge. The recall began July 9, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U50.
Electrical system:software; vehicle speed control:cruise control; electrical system:wiring
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Risk: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The transmission shifts harshly, clunks when shifted into Drive or Reverse, and hesitates before suddenly lurching. Engine RPM rises before the transmission engages, and some describe the resulting jolt as feeling like being hit from behind. The steering wheel locks stiffly during gentle turns to…
The steering wheel of my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica sticks when I turn to the left (around 10-11 o'clock) and to the right (around 1-2 o'clock). Going about 40 miles per hour I can take my hands off the wheel and the steering will continue to stay locked in that position until I push it out of that…
While driving my vehicle at approximately 75 MPH on the interstate the steering wheel froze/stuck while executing a long sweeping curve. The steering wheel would not turn and my wife whom was drivng was applying excessive pressure to the steering wheel to keep the vehile from running off the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2018 Chrysler Pacificas have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 288 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica (33% of the 881 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica electrical system?
Yes: 5 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 13,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica?
The most frequent phrase is “start stop”, in 45 of 288 complaints, followed by “put park” (22).
Other 2018 Chrysler Pacifica problems
- Engine problems (377)
- Steering problems (182)
- Power Train problems (156)
See all 2018 Chrysler Pacifica problems or electrical system problems across all Pacifica years.