Chrysler Pacifica 2017 — Reported problems

The stick steering sticks around long curves and turns and it takes force to correct the wheel which feels very unsafe while driving.

When going around curves or turning the steering wheel is returning back to center it acts like something in the steering system hangs up like it sticks. This may result in oversteering causing a wreck. Its when the steering wheel is in the 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock position. It can catch you off guard and be very dangerous.

On 8/16/26, my 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid would not start after being parked for several hours in an underground parking structure in downtown Detroit during a baseball game. There were no warnings before the failure. The vehicle was towed to Serra Lake Orion at a cost of about $700. The dealer found diagnostic trouble code P0AA1 (hybrid/EV battery positive contactor circuit). The high-voltage system is locked down and the vehicle cannot be started or driven. The vehicle has been at the dealer since August 18, 2026, and as of 10/1/26 has been out of service for about 6 weeks. The dealer has an open Chrysler STAR technical support case (102974656) seeking approval to replace the high-voltage battery, and the process has involved repeated requests for additional testing. I have been given loaner vehicles during this time but am approaching the mileage limit on the second. The vehicle has about 220,000 miles and I have owned it since August 2017. It has no open recalls. It previously received recall repair work on the hybrid system, including the power inverter module recall (Chrysler T34 / NHTSA 17V-371), which included reprogramming of the battery pack control module. I understand this model has also been subject to other high-voltage battery recalls. I am reporting this because a high-voltage contactor failure that leaves the vehicle unable to start or move can strand occupants, in this case in an underground parking structure, and because the repair has been delayed for more than 6 weeks. The root cause has not yet been determined by the dealer or manufacturer. I would appreciate NHTSA tracking this failure alongside other Pacifica Hybrid high-voltage battery complaints.

Under safety recall 73B, for which I had the software update done last year (nothing noted by the dealer). I have since had intermittent check engine light issues, and even had the vehicle completely shut off last winter for 10 minutes in the middle of the road. It subsequently turned on, and when brought in I was told there were no "current codes" in the system to investigate. I've now had check engine light on steady for a couple months. There are historical codes U029A-00 (lost communication with hybrid battery pack sensor module), U0412-00 (invalid data received from battery energy control module A), and current code P1D43-00 (internal control module shut off test monitoring time error). With these relating to the battery pack control module ("BPCM") and hybrid control processor, it is quite apparent that there is an issue with the BPCM and that the lack of communication and errors on the shut off test monitoring that the BPCM is malfunctioning which could cause a number of issues, such as a fire per safety recall 73B. I was told by the manufacturer that there is a 2-year period to remedy safety recall work. As this was a software update, it would appear that the software is now identifying a potential danger with the BPCM. Per that recall "...A folded or torn anode tab may result in the generation of lithium by-product over time. This defect, along with a second unidentified factor, may lead to an internal short within the pack and may result in a vehicle fire. A vehicle fire may increase the risk of injury to occupants and persons outside of the vehicle, as well as property damage. " Without proper communication (as stated earlier), I expect that my vehicle is still at significant risk. However, the dealership I've brought it to is requiring me to pay for battery pack replacement and has charged me a diagnostic fee. This while they have labeled the issue a "failed high voltage battery". My request for recall coverage was dismissed.

The steering wheel has a catch when turning from the right back to center. It feels like the power steering is cutting out and then kicks back in when turning. It is possible to leave the steering wheel turned and when you take your hands off the wheel it will stay in that position. You have to hold the wheel with both hands when turning due to the jerky turning experience. No mechanic dealer or insurance reps have looked at the vehicle. There have been no warnings, lights or messages notifying a problem.

Steering sticks during a gradual turn. It will catch up but then causes over correction. This has happened multiple times and based on my research, this is a model-wide problem. See campaign PE25009 for more details.

Put the car in park car instantly cut off didn't come on. It was having electronic issues said service ABS system, service steering control and I had to get it towed. Had the whole car diagnosed brought a new battery the another was fried due to corrosion.(the issue was the wiring harness) One month later put the car in park car did not come back on stated ABS system and steering control needed to be serviced once again battery fried. Towed again once again got a new battery. Had a diagnostics.and it was the was wiring harness again. 3rd time in a year when the car shuts down, it’s impossible to use anything in the car. If the windows were rolled down, you can’t roll the windows up. If the door was left open, you can’t close the door. You can’t even shift the car to neutral even with the manual function, you can’t shift the car to neutral. Everything is locked.

The steering will intermittently stick while driving at highway speed approximately 50 miles per hour while turning slightly left or right. I am concerned the sticking of the steering could cause over steer resulting in left of center potentially causing a crash. The problem has not been diagnosed by a mechanic yet but will be checked out soon. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to steering sticking. Symptoms started approximately late July 2026

Our 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited has been having a sticky steering issue for the last several months. I really noticed it this summer when traveling through the mountains in [XXX]. The steering would stick when going around corners and I have to jerk it back to turn out of the corner. This happened multiple times on the trip. This is a very unsafe situation, especially in the mountains. My wife has been saying it has been getting more noticeable in her daily commute now. No warning lights or codes have been triggered. We have not taken the vehicle to the dealer at this point. From what I have read, this seems to be a common issue with these vans and is currently under investigation. This is to report another van with that problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I have a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica that I recently purchased a couple months ago. I've noticed now that while I'm driving and steering in a slight curve or turn the steering wheel almost gets stuck and locked up and I have to use extra force to correct it. There isn't any recalls on this yet but I have researched it and it's apparently a known problem with these minivans.

noticeable "sticking" or binding feel during gradual turns-often near the 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock steering wheel positions-which can cause unexpected oversteer at highway speeds. Very scary feeling since you almost loss control of your vehicle at highway speed. I read many forums which they report the same issue

One year ago (114k miles) I started having some rough idle, stumbling, etc. Then a cylinder 5 misfire code appeared. I swapped around coils and injectors, replaced the PCV valve, replaced lower intake manifold, coolant flush. Still no improvement. So I then replaced all the coils, plugs, and bench cleaned and tested all of the fuel injectors and reinstalled them with new o-rings. Misfire code kept returning. On Veteran's Day last year on our way back from a parade it would barely go over 35 mph with the CEL flashing. I limped it straight to the dealership. For context, I have never run the vehicle hot and have kept up on regular maintenance intervals. I gave them a detailed list of everything I did to the vehicle. They had it in the shop and did a compression test. Compression was good on the cylinder head for 1, 3, and 5. However, a leak down test was performed and showed a significant leak in cylinder 5, prompting the need to replace that cylinder head. Luckily, we still had our extended warranty and this $10k job was completely covered. Fast forward to a month ago (126k miles) I was getting a noise from the accessory drive area. After looking closer, I had to replace the serpentine belt. In order to do that I had to remove the lower radiator hoses and drain the coolant. Got everything back together and started it up. The noise I previously heard was louder and more like a chatter. Then a cylinder 4 misfire code appeared. I tore it down, looked at the plugs and coils. All checked out. Did a compression test and compression in all 3 cylinders was good at #2: 155 psi, #4: 151 psi, #6: 153 psi. Ibwent ahead and replaced fuel injector for that cylinder. Vehicle has been running for a few weeks and is still registering misfires for cylinder 4. Everything is pointing towards a cylinder head replacement, which will cost upwards of $10k, just as the previous cylinder head replacement did. This is a far too common problem on these engines.

This is in regards to the potentially death-inducing NHTSA Campaign # PE25009. Within the past two weeks, I have experienced an intermittent and concerning steering problem with my 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. When traveling approximately 20–60 MPH and making a gradual turn, particularly when the steering wheel is positioned around the 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock position, the steering appears to "stick" or bind rather than naturally returning toward center. I must apply additional force to the steering wheel to overcome the resistance and bring the vehicle back toward a straight driving path. This behavior is extremely concerning because the steering does not respond normally and unexpectedly requires additional steering force to correct the vehicle's path. When this occurs during normal highway or city driving, there is a significant risk of unintentionally applying too much steering input while attempting to overcome the binding. This could cause the vehicle to suddenly move outside its intended path, potentially resulting in a lane departure, collision with another vehicle, or loss of vehicle control. There are no warning lights or dashboard alerts associated with this behavior. This makes the issue particularly concerning because a driver may have no indication that a potentially serious steering problem is occurring until the steering resistance is encountered while the vehicle is in motion. I have not yet had the vehicle inspected by a Chrysler dealer, so I cannot identify the specific component causing the problem. However, I have since found numerous reports and discussions describing similar steering behavior involving 2017 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles. Given the potential consequences of unexpected steering resistance or binding, I believe this issue warrants investigation.

Mainly driving on highways at the end of long curves the steering is sticky and it is difficult to change the steering wheel back to 12 o'clock. Unpleasant and probably unsafe driving, as overreacting could occur, if it will stick more. It is happening more and more often.

Steering is sticking at 11:00 and 1:00 positions.

The steering wheel has begun "sticking" when driving 35 mph (estimate, not measured). It seems to stick somewhere in the 10:00/1:00 range, and can be resolved by giving a small but firm counter-tug. So far, there has been no accidents, and seems to be resolved easily but there is a small concern that perhaps it could get worse or happen at an inopportune time which could be dangerous.

On XXX, my 2017 Chrysler Pacifica suffered a catastrophic malfunction on [XXX], only 3.4 miles after I picked it up from Mall of Georgia Chrysler. The dealership had kept it for over two weeks to diagnose an intermittent “Service Shifter” warning and communication fault codes. While driving in traffic, the gear indicator unexpectedly cycled among Drive, Neutral, and Park. The vehicle stalled, moved unpredictably, displayed flashing warnings, and sounded chimes. I could no longer reliably control its propulsion or determine whether it would remain in gear. This nearly caused a multi-vehicle collision before the vehicle became disabled and had to be towed. This was not merely a “Service Shifter” warning. The safety event involved an unexpected Neutral condition, loss of reliable propulsion and gear control, stalling, and a simultaneous electrical malfunction. Christian Brothers Automotive had replaced both batteries and the service shifter module. The warning continued, with stored codes U0103, U1465, U1467, and U11E3. Mall of Georgia Chrysler identified the same codes but again replaced the main battery and service shifter module. The vehicle malfunctioned after those repairs, was returned for further diagnosis, and then suffered this roadway failure immediately after its next release. Despite repeated repair attempts, no root cause has been documented. The dealership proposed replacing another transmission-related module and electrical component but could not guarantee the repair. I am concerned that parts are being replaced through trial and error while the safety defect remains unresolved. Chrysler TSB 21-027-17 Rev. A addresses transmission shift and drivability concerns in certain 2017 Pacificas, including code U0103. I ask NHTSA to investigate this as a loss-of-propulsion, unintended-Neutral, transmission-control, and electrical-communication safety defect—not simply a dashboard warning. The vehicle remains unsafe to operate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The steering at times will “stick” and a bit of force has to be used to get it to release. Also, when turning slightly at low speeds (steering wheel in the 11 or 1 position at less than 20mph) the steering will “shudder” or “vibrate.” This affects the entire steering system. The entire vehicle vibrates and it feels as though you may lose control of the vehicle. This issue has been continuous since approximately 2022. In an attempt to fix the issue, we have replaced the shocks, coil springs, front axels, front hub assemblies, sway bar links, and tie rod ends. None of this fixes the issue. This seems to be similar to the complaints contained in the NHTSA Campaign Number PE25009.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and while driving 70 MPH on a toll road, the steering wheel unintendedly pulled to the right, nearly causing the vehicle to drift out of the intended lane. The contact was able to pull the steering wheel back to center after each failure, and the steering wheel was moderately difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was test-driven, but the failure could not be reproduced; however, the failure persisted. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 139,000. The contact stated that while attempting to resell the vehicle at the dealer, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy and that the actual mileage was 158,000.

The foam is showing through on the child’s headrest. It’s the fabric does not fully cover it, and it can be accessed by the child. The bottom part of the cushion my child is able to grab it and pull it off of the car seat while he is riding in it, it is only secured by two little pieces of Velcro so he ripped up the Velcro and exposes the harness tightening strap, and the button in order to loosen his harness he can reach the button and loosen the harness on his own, becoming a safety hazard while I am driving in the car because his stripes are no longer tight to fit, and he could slip through them and become projected from the car seat in the event of an accident

Steering wheel got hard while I was driving home. Warning light came on. I pulled off of highway and got on access road to drive home. It was hard to turn steering wheel. The next day I took it to dealership and they said my van was not covered under recall but yet there is a recall on this problem. Not sure why my van is not covered thru this recall. I would like to know why if yall can respond to this.

Steering sticks when turning at a lower speed which causes me to have to over steer in the opposite direction and have to steer back fast when it frees up so I do not swerve. This happens frequently.

Vehicle steering wheel regularly gets stuck when doing slight turns to the left. This started at least around February of 2026 if not end of 2025, however didn't know i could file a complaint until now and it is getting worse. Have to increase force of turn to overcome the sticking and has nearly caused accidents with me and my family in the vehicle. it is increasing in it's frequency to be a near (multiple time) each day issue. it has not been inspected. no warning lights or messages occur for this, however I do get at different times a warning light that the battery saver backup can not work at specific times, unrelated to the times i have the eps issue. upon searching it is the exact issue others desribe " The 2017–2018 Pacifica models have documented complaints and federal investigations regarding an EPS defect. The steering gear or motor can stick or catch near certain turns (like 11 or 1 o'clock), requiring extra effort before releasing abruptly." this

Head gasket leaking and may cause engine to lock up while driving

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was displayed on the instrument panel soon after the vehicle was purchased. An independent mechanic replaced the EVAP purge valve, but after the repair, the power steering assist failed, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. A mobile mechanic attempted to clear the codes, but the power steering failure persisted. The vehicle was then towed back to the independent mechanic, where a diagnostic test provided several fault codes, including electrical, ABS, brakes, traction control, rack and pinion, and the check engine warning light was displayed. The vehicle remained with the mechanic unrepaired. The dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 107,000.

The contact owned a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at the residence and unoccupied for over 24 hours, the contact's son smelled smoke, looked out the bedroom window, and observed flames coming from the tailgate and the rear of the vehicle. The contact's son notified 911, and the fire department responded and extinguished the fire. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to Next Gear Auto Sales (Easton, PA). The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was not insured. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Steering is sticking on curves, creating a hazardous condition. Condition comes and goes

The contact's girlfriend owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was attempting to open the rear passenger’s side sliding door, the door detached from the track. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,450.

The electric power steering intermittently sticks when the steering wheel is returned toward center after a turn. When this occurs, the wheel does not return to center on its own and requires noticeably increased effort to move. When the resistance releases, the wheel moves abruptly. Our local mechanic at Ashburn Auto Care reproduced the issue and he described it as “violently snapping back” The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This regularly occurs at over 35 mph or so on highway curves and off-ramps all and has happened approximately 20 times since I first noticed it in July of this year. It seems to occur most often when coasting to the right and then pulling back towards center. Several times, it has caused me or my wife to oversteer and requires us to quickly react in order not to hit another car or leave the road. This is a family vehicle that regularly carries children. No warning lamps or messages appeared before or during these events. There are no diagnostic trouble codes stored. The problem has been reproduced by our independent mechanic but no solutions were provided. Our next step is to visit the dealer but I wanted to document the problem here before I do.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and approaching a red light, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, shifted into park, and shifted back into drive, and the vehicle returned to normal operation. The message "Shift into Park" was displayed on the instrument panel. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The contact researched and became aware of a recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that the steering wheel was sticking intermittently while turning, causing the steering wheel to overcorrect after being turned. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000.

The car has developed an unsmooth turning sensation that I noticed at highway speeds causing over / understeering curve turning. It is gradually becoming worse over the last few months, but it is not a daily driven vehicle, maybe once a week or so.

I have been had intermittent loss of power steering during gradual turns and then suddenly it returns. Very dangerous situation!!

I have had this happen twice in the last few months, most recently in the last three weeks. I was driving on a 45 mph highway with the cruise control set at 49 or 50 miles per hour. On the most recent time, I was coming to a red traffic light and applied the break to slow down. However, the van kept going forward even though I was pressing the break pedal totally down. The van slowed somewhat, but the van kept going. I put the van in neutral and was able to stop, but the engine kept going, presumably at the speed set on the cruise control. I stopped the engine By putting the vehicle in Lo, which I believe shut off the engine. By that time I was partly in the intersection. Luckily I had no cars in front of me or behind me, and no one was crossing in front of me. Otherwise I would have had a collision. I called and made an appointment at my dealership, [XXX] on XXX. They test drove the van but couldn't duplicate the concern. According to the Invoice, they "Captured VSR No DTCS related to concern. Checked for sofware updates, None related to concern. Checked for SBS or star cases related to concern. None found." The summary concluded:" System is operating as designed at this time. Updated TCM, BCM and PLGM." I don't know what all of that means, but I think that they did a thorough inspection of my van and couldn't find out what was causing the Cruise Control to not shut off. I did some research online and I found that there were 2 recalls in 2018 for the 2017 and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica that appear to have attempted to correct this exact issue, but it showed that my vehicle, with my VIN, was covered by FCA Safety Recall U64, NHTSA 18V-332 and the recall status showed that my vehicle was "Repaired." Has anyone else had this problem, because this creates a very scary, dangerous event. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

At speeds between 20-80mph, the steering wheel sticks while turning to the right. I have to force it to come back to center after the turn. It does not do this all the time but has become more frequent lately. As yet, it does not do this while turning to the left.

Recently, in the last 2 weeks since the writing of this post, I've noticed a sensation when doing a gradual turn anywhere between 20-60 MPH, and the steering wheel is at the 11 or 1 o clock position, the vehicle "sticks". I then have to put force on the steering wheel to get it back to center and straighten out the driving path. This puts me and other drivers on the road in danger because it's extremely easy to oversteer and swerve off the road or into another driver, injuring or killing passengers. Although I have not taken this to a dealer yet, there are numerous articles online clearly stating this is a very dangerous issue-specifically with my 2017 model year. I see no warning lights that accompany this behavior. And that makes it all the more dangerous. Without any awareness of the issue, it's a lot more probable to experience the behavior and cause an accident.

Periodically, the steering wheel will stick between the 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock position. The vehicle will not track back to center/driving straight and you have to overcome the sticking of the steering wheel. This is very dangerous!

The steering is very sticky. Especially at higher speeds in curves. It is sticky most at the 11:00 and 1:00 spots on the steering wheel. It takes some strength to drive the car through mountains as it is difficult to make sure the wheel is moving correctly through the turn.

My 2017 Chrysler Pacifica (VIN [XXX], approximately 99,880 miles) intermittently loses electric power steering assist while driving. The Service Power Steering warning illuminates and steering effort increases substantially. Assist returns on its own without restarting the vehicle. Failures correlate with extended driving and heat. I scanned the electric power steering module directly. It reports DTC C2217 (electric power steering module internal) and C2210 (ECU over-temperature), both stored and currently present. Live data captured at idle in park shows 7.98 Nm of driver steering input with 0.00 Nm of assist torque and 0 amps of system current draw, confirming assist was fully inactive. Battery voltage was steady at 14.1 to 14.2 volts throughout, ruling out a supply or ground fault. The module also reports an implausible internal temperature reading while drawing no current, indicating an internal electronics fault rather than a genuine thermal event. This is a non-hybrid, front-wheel-drive vehicle. Intermittent loss of steering assist at speed presents a crash risk. I am aware of investigation PE25009 covering the EPS system on 2017-2018 Pacifica vehicles INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)