What breaks most · 2003 to 2026 model years
Chrysler Pacifica problems by year
Owners have filed 6,936 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Chrysler Pacifica across model years 2003 to 2026. Three years stand out: 2017 for engine complaints, 2005 for body and structure complaints and 2004 for body and structure complaints. The quietest years are 2003, 2016 and 2024.
- Years to check closely: 2017, 2005, 2004
- Fewest complaints: 2003, 2016, 2024
- Complaints on file
- 69362003 to 2026, all trims
- Worst year
- 20171509 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 20498 fires · 173 injuries · 13 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 70kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 96Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 896 | 32 | 2 | Body and structure (323) | |
| 1244 | 25 | 2 | Body and structure (413) | |
| 726 | 20 | 1 | Body and structure (198) | |
| 326 | 8 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (88) | |
| 102 | 2 | 0 | Electrical system (24) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Suspension (1) | |
| 1509 | 46 | 11 | Engine (521) | |
| 860 | 27 | 12 | Engine (371) | |
| 306 | 11 | 7 | Electrical system (93) | |
| 166 | 7 | 5 | Electrical system (62) | |
| 364 | 11 | 7 | Electrical system (147) | |
| 204 | 6 | 10 | Powertrain and transmission (70) | |
| 151 | 3 | 14 | Engine (47) | |
| 41 | 2 | 11 | Electrical system (12) | |
| 27 | 3 | 9 | Air bags (8) | |
| 11 | 1 | 5 | Electrical system (4) |
What fails on the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 35% |
521 | 7 | Shop engine parts for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 31% |
468 | 5 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 26% |
388 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 18% |
268 | 7 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 14% |
213 | 5 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 6% |
89 | 15 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
82 | 12 | Shop brakes parts for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 5% |
68 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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The auto start/stop malfunctioned and then the engine sounded like it was going to die. It is available to look at. I thought it was going to stop in the middle of the road. Unknown Unknown The auto start stop light came on and said it was unavailable. They just first appeared today. And the engine light is on.
-
The contact owns a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the sub-frame was corroded. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 166,544.
-
Upon taking a the vehicle to a mechanic, i was informed the subframe which supports the engine is rusting to the point it will not hold the engine causing catastrophic failure. I have become aware chrysler is aware of the future failure and will not fix it.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Chrysler Pacifica years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2017, 2005, 2004 carry the most filings on the Chrysler Pacifica. The 2017 alone has 1509 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Chrysler Pacifica problem?
On the 2017 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 521 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Chrysler Pacifica problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Chrysler Pacifica complaints that include mileage is about 70,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.