Problems · by component
2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid engine problems
63 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid cite engine, 28% of all 224 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
63
28% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
7
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Vehicle states "Stop Safely Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon" with a red turtle logo. I have restarted the vehicle, and the warning persists. I am bringing in the car to the dealer next.”
“On [XXX], my vehicle produced a large red wrench and a turtle warning on a busy highway and I was forced to pull to the side with my [XXX] son in the car, as the vehicle lost motive power. It was towed to the dealer and after several days, they told me the issue was due to normal wear and tear in the transmission. I had to escalate to a service manager to even get a diagnosis after 5 days in the shop. I believe my transmission issue is due to a failure of the fix implemented in the 03A/NHTSA 23V-010 recall. It has been documented that the software update did not fix the issue. My vehicle experienced the exact series of failures described in the recall. Chrysler is refusing to fix my vehicle, even though they had extended the warranty on my Pacifica to unlimited miles/unlimited years because of all of the transmission issues the model has experienced. I would appreciate it if someone could look into this and Chrysler's unwillingness to stand behind their products and provide fixes for their recalls that work.”
“The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred immediately after the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V010000 (Electrical System, Hybrid Propulsion System). The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer requested that the vehicle be diagnosed and provided the cost for the diagnostic test. The contact declined to pay for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 100,800.”
“After refueling on a recent road trip the check engine light came on. After driving for a little bit to get to a hotel for the night white smoke started coming out the back of the car. To me the incident seems similar to the recall for other 2018 Chrysler Pacifica's, noted below, but did not apply to my VIN so wasn't completed for my car. The mpg's kept going down because I believe too much fuel was being fed to the engine resulting in the white smoke. When taken to the dealer there was a pending error code to the catalyst. It is currently at the Riser Chrysler Dealership in Hot Springs, AR awaiting further diagnostic and repair. NHTSA Campaign ID: 18V740000”
“I was driving with my family on the interstate and was exiting when the car shuddered and I lost propulsion. Interior electrical power was still functional. This occurred as the car was switching to gas mode as I had been been driving about 30-35 miles on electric at that point. The gas motor never came on. I was able to roll into a gas station since we were on a bit of a downhill. Shut off car and waited a beat then started car again, battery showed 1% and was able to pull 2 more feet into gas station and off to side before it completely died again (battery at 0%). I feel extremely fortunate that this didn't happen a moment earlier when I was on the expressway and that were able to get off of a busy road. I had the vehicle towed to nearest Chrysler dealer and had a friend drive me and my family to a nearby car rental place. After two weeks at the dealer, we were informed that the issue was likely the Power Inverter Module. We are still without car and waiting for updates from service department.”
“I was driving on the freeway and my engine suddenly stopped out of nowhere. A console message informed me to shift from Drive to Park. The accelerator did not work. This happened 4 times before I could get off the freeway. The first time I pulled into the shoulder, but I still had to get off the freeway. I had to wait about 10 minutes each time for the engine to start again until I could pull off the freeway and wait for AAA. I did not feel safe waiting on the freeway. I'm aware that there is a recall and that Chrysler has extended my engine warranty to 10 years. This is unacceptable because: 1. Replacing a part or wire does not ensure my transmission will not give out again. I was fortunate this last time, but I may not be so the next time this happens. I could die or cause harm to others, especially if I am travelling fast in the carpool or fast lane. 2. My car is paid off and has only 40,100 miles on it. But I have lost money and value in my car. 3. Chrysler knows there is a grave problem and should recall all affected vehicles to replace the entire transmission. The company is putting tens of thousands of people's lives at risk by not doing so.”
Showing 6 of 63 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.