2018 Chrysler Pacifica transmission and drivetrain problems
194 of the 1,099 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica name the transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA’s “Power Train” heading — the transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading). Filed under the same heading: 62 manufacturer bulletins, 2 recalls, 1 NHTSA investigation. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA complaint database5 of the 194 reports a crash · 1 a fire · 1 injury. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2017: 1 · 2018: 19 · 2019: 27 · 2020: 9 · 2021: 13 · 2022: 23 · 2023: 22 · 2024: 34 · 2025: 22 · 2026: 24
Half of the 70 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the transmission and drivetrain problem between 5,000 and 27,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
1,099 complaints in all about the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica, 24 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Power Train” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Chrysler Pacifica transmission and drivetrain problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the transmission and drivetrain. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Our car’s battery ran out and left our car blocking both lanes of our traffic. We tried to shift into neutral but weren’t able to. We found an online tutorial about a panel that contains a string to pull which would enable us to shift to neutral. When we opened the panel, we found the string was missing.
With Chrysler, recalls are never ending. Last year there was battery recall (Z11) that took 10 months to fix. Just after I got that fixed in Dec-2022, in Feb-2023, we have a new recall, where the vehicle is pretty much rendered useless as it can stop anytime on freeway.
I purchased the van with 153k on it and could here clunk on transmission engagement but purchased anyway thinking I could find parts a repair. Turned out no parts availble so I drove until it failed at 156k. When it failed the vehicle lost motive power and would roll away in park.
I was driving on the highway when the check engine light came on and it started running rough. I pulled off the highway and into a parking lot. When I slowed down, I heard a clanging that sounded like metal on metal. After parking, smoke started pouring out from under the hood and it erupted in flames. The vehicle was destroyed
2108 Hybrid Pacifica stalled a couple of times on freeway on our recent trip . Here are the details : About 2 hours after driving on freeway. - then, dashboard showed few errors and eventually showing "service charging system" - then displaying "shift to P to start" and "D" symbol is flashing.
What is on file about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecalls filed under this heading
- 18V492000 HighJul 26, 2018 · 5 vehicles
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica non-hybrid vehicles. A component in the transmission may not have been welded properly, possibly causing the transmission to not transmit engine power to the wheels.
- 18V493000 HighJul 26, 2018 · 61 vehicles
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles. The front axle halfshafts may have been incorrectly assembled, preventing the shaft from being properly secured to the constant-velocity (CV) joint.
NHTSA investigation
- PE22008 Transmission fault leading to loss of motive poweropened Jul 22, 2022 · closed Mar 27, 2024
- On July 22, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE22008 to investigate allegation of loss of motive power, potentially due to transmission malfunction, in certain Chrysler Pacifica vehicles. In a January 17, 2023 letter to NHTSA, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) submitted recall notice 23V-010 involving a transmission motor wiring defect in 67,118 model year (MY) 2017-2023 Chrysl…
62 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P0303 P0A3F P0A43 P0513 P057B P0740 P0A45 P1572
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica
Source: the same files- engine problems 442 complaints
- electrical problems 371 complaints
- steering problems 186 complaints
- hybrid system problems 75 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre transmission and drivetrain problems common on the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 194 owner complaints naming the transmission and drivetrain on this model year (18% of everything owners filed about it), and 62 manufacturer bulletins, 2 recalls, 1 NHTSA investigation are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the transmission and drivetrain on the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica?
Yes — 2 campaigns are filed under this heading: 18V492000, 18V493000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do transmission and drivetrain problems show up on the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 12,700 miles; half of them between 5,000 and 27,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Power Train" heading cover?
The transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.