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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2018 Chrysler Pacifica Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
158about this part
Share
18%of 891 total for the year
Median mileage
15,000miles
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 158 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica, 18% of the 891 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 15,000 miles. 4 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 2 recall campaigns on record are filed under a similar system.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“When in slow or bumper to bumper traffic slowing down at a traffic light or to make a right or left turn. When you go to accelerate my transmission throws a hard shift like something just hit the back of the van and pushed it forward .I took the van to the dealership twice between february and may 2020 they keep telling me they cant find the problem.”

NHTSA complaint #11326205, filed 2020-05, 26,000 miles

“While I am at a quick stop - stop sign, rotary, light, intersection - my vehicle will shut off without warning, causing me to have to put the car into park, restart, and put the car back into drive before I am able to continue in motion. This causes me to stall for 30 seconds - 1 minute with traffic piling up behind me.”

NHTSA complaint #11390447, filed 2021-01, 29 miles

“We bought the Chrysler van new in 2018. One year (~10,000 miles) later, the van developed rough upshifting. It does not happen every time but it occasionally bangs into gear very violently under slow acceleration at 30 - 35 MPH. We took the van to Chrysler mechanics but they could not reproduce the rough shift so they would not do anything about it. Every time it happens, it scares me to death. It feels like a sledgehammer hit the van!”

NHTSA complaint #11415755, filed 2021-05, 10,000 miles

“The car randomly shifts to what sounds like neutral and has the rpms skyrocket while driving around 10-15 MPH. After 2-5 seconds of loss of momentum the transmission engages and jerks the car forward like it was rear ended. This happens 3-4 times a day. The dealer states nothing is wrong, we cant replicate the problem . This car is not safe to drive, but its our family vehicle and is needed on a daily basis.”

NHTSA complaint #11089180, filed 2018-04, 20,763 miles

“When I am accelerating, the vehicle is slipping 30-40 MPH, almost like a violent jolt. (at times seems like someone is rear ending us) I have brought it 2 dealerships, 1 said it couldn't duplicate the issue, the other dealership said it's a normal feature of the car. This makes me extremely concerned for the safety of my family. This has happened numerous time (like every day) I have brought the vehicle in twice now, last on 8/16”

NHTSA complaint #11245463, filed 2019-08, 34,750 miles

Related recalls

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2026218%
2025310%
20241328%
20234227%
20227333%
202112032%
20203923%
20197423%
201815818%
201747331%
20081414%
20078827%
200610915%
200513010%
20049611%

Other parts of the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica

Engine
378 complaintsElectrical system
290 complaintsSteering
186 complaintsOther or unknown
114 complaintsFuel system
48 complaintsElectronic stability control
37 complaintsVehicle speed control
35 complaintsBrakes
31 complaintsSuspension
20 complaintsBody and structure
19 complaintsForward collision avoidance
15 complaintsSeats
10 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology