10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
85,828 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2005 Chrysler Pacifica:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #26

Jun 222014

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 138,821 miles
I experienced violent vibration and or/shake in the steering wheel. With a thumping under my feet.when I got home I jacked up my car to see what was going on. And was shocked to see the rear motor mount had broken through the cross member and not much attachment remaining.

- Battle Creek, MI, USA

problem #25

May 162013

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 109,000 miles
Violent shaking of 2005 Chrysler Pacifica. Took 2005 Chrysler Pacifica in for inspection and was told the engine cradle crossmember was rotted and the bolts that hold the power steering rack and engine up were missing. Mechanic told me he would not release the 2005 Chrysler Pacifica back to me because it was unsafe to drive. Called Chrysler and they told me they would do nothing to repair it.

- Springvale, ME, USA

problem #24

Mar 242014

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 113,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at speeds over 50 mph, a vibration was present. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered that the engine cradle and the sub frame had rusted. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000. Updated 06/27/14 the tie rods and lower control arms were replaced. Updated 07/08/14

- Wethersfield, CT, USA

problem #23

Feb 192014

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 116,000 miles
While driving and turning the steering column makes a horrible whining noise, then stopped completely. I could not turn the wheel and the car stalled. I had fixed it once before. It cost $1,200 and now it is doing it again. The repair shop will not fix it again, they said it is a dealer problem. I have been round and round with the Chrysler Corp. And of course, they will not fix it or reimburse me. Rusted undercarriage is also worrying me - just waiting for an accident and looking up lawyers. But money is so much more important to this company rather than human life. I had purchased insurance for this vehicle for just such an emergency - and when I called, both times, they denied the coverage. I cancelled the policy after paying $1,500 into it and got back $355. Never, ever again with this company.

- Toledo, OH, USA

problem #22

Jun 282012

Pacifica

  • 72,000 miles
Bought this car used from a dealer owned the car for approx 8 months we were making a right hand turn heard this really loud noise and the car would no longer run. We were told the subframe and motor mounts were broken. Now 1 1/2 years later my car has been acting very strange the transmission is slipping the car wont go if you step on the gas and my mechanic has informed me that once again I have broken motor mounts. I have owned this car for almost 3 years and have only put about 30,000 miles on it this should not be happening.

- Walpole, MA, USA

problem #21

Mar 132014

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 92,000 miles
Took vehicle to mechanic for routine maintenance. Upon inspecting the underside of the vehicle the subframe of the vehicle is rusting and has holes some as large as three to four inches in diameter.

- Oak Park, IL, USA

problem #20

Feb 242014

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 121,214 miles
While operating my 2005 Chrysler Pacifica limited edition I heard a loud clunking, popping, sound coming from my front end, which was exacerbated when I turned either left, or right. Also, I have a constant shaking which I feel through my steering wheel, which becomes more pronounced while I am braking. Anytime I drive over any type of bump, pothole, or even just an uneven road surface it clunks. It sometimes makes a clunking sound even when I am operating on an even road surface. As I start pulling away from a stopped position, I often feel, and hear a jerking & lugging, which sounds like the engine is moving around inside the sub frame (engine mounts). I brought the vehicle to a local independent mechanic who informed me that the sub frame was so rotted, that the control arm has pulled off of the sub frame. He also stated that the part of the sub frame that holds the engine in place, is so rotted that the engine could actually break free from the vehicle, and could result in a serious crash. He showed me several holes, where the sub frame has actually rotted completely through, and I am able to see out the other side of the metal. He said that it would cost me thousands of dollars to replace the rotted parts. I am a stage 4 terminal cancer patient, and need my vehicle to travel back & forth, 60+ miles, for the treatments necessary to keep me alive. I am not able to work, and therefore cannot afford to pay the costs required to repair, and/or replace the rotted parts on my vehicle, as well as the damage that the rotted parts have caused to other parts of my auto. I had another mechanic check my vehicle, for a second opinion. He told me that there is no way that this is normal wear, rusting, or rot, for a vehicle that is not even 9 years old. He said exterior body panel rust, or rot could be very possible, but definitely not rot in the sub frame.

- New Bedford, MA, USA

problem #19

Jan 252014

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 104,400 miles
Excessive rusting of engine cradle. Possibility of front end of subframe falling out of the car.

- Buffalo Grove, IL, USA

problem #18

Nov 152013

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 162,929 miles
When driving the vehicle it shakes on passenger side some awful, scary too feels like its gonna fall down on the street or the tire is gonna fall off.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #17

Oct 292013

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 153,000 miles
Vehicle was submitted to authorized New York inspection station for yearly state-required inspection. Vehicle failed inspection. Inspector cited multiple holes in the "cradle" frame member supporting engine, steering, and suspension parts. "cradle" was completely perforated in several places by corrosion, and showed signs of additional corrosion which would ultimately lead to more holes. Cradle was judged structurally compromised. Inspection station consulted NY dmv and it was determined and reported to me that vehicle is unsafe, and that replacement of cradle would be required to return vehicle to service and to pass New York state inspection. It was explained to me that a minor impact -- such as encountering a pothole at speed, or hitting an object with the frame or body of the vehicle -- could cause collapse of the front end structure of the vehicle, loss of steering control, loss of the engine from the engine compartment, collapse of the suspension system, and potential resultant fire, explosion, and injury or loss of life to occupants of vehicle or others in the vicinity. The consumer stated the vehicle left his wife stranded. She was unable to steer or brake while driving many times, the previous year. On one occasion while driving, the engine light illuminated, and the vehicle just stopped, leaving his wife in the middle of the road. The consumer replaced a faulty sensor. Updated 03/27/14

- Stony Point, NY, USA

problem #16

Jul 082013

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 100,000 miles
I was driving down the road to pick up my son. Turned left at the light, my car stalled, completely shut down. I started it again and the steering started to pull or lose grip, then came back. I have put over $2,000 into this car after I paid for a warranty which they never honored. The frame has been replaced and will probably have to be replaced again. The electrical is faulty and the alignment is always off a little even though it has been re-aligned 3 times. The engineer that designed this car should be made to drive it.

- Toledo, OH, USA

problem #15

Jun 082011

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 67,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle vibrated violently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the tie rod was defective and needed to be replaced. The remedy failed to repair the problem. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage 67,000 and the current mileage was 91,000.

- Pine Grove Mills, PA, USA

problem #14

Mar 272013

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 116,000 miles
Driving down the street and the car started shaking and then something sounded like it snapped and the steering wheel was almost locked and could not steer. Had it towed to the mechanics and he said the under frame and the brackets attached from the chasis to the frame holding up the engine had broken off. I got home looked online and found out that there are a lot of complaints about rusting in the under frame and that it is a very unsafe condition.

- Orange, CA, USA

problem #13

Oct 152012

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 92,000 miles
Multiple issues with this car! I will start with the problems that didn't almost kill myself and my children. The ABS light would stay on and the dealer had no resolution. The car would stall while turning. I replaced the battery five times in four years. While idling in the driveway the drivers seat reclined by itself, would not respond to the controls and started smoking! the dealer claims they could not diagnose the problem! lastly, while driving my sons to school, the car was handling poorly and because it was dark and raining, initially I believed that it was wet road conditions. To maintain control of the car, I was traveling in the slow lane and my speed was approx. 30 mph. Upon approaching the top of a small hill, the steering began to vibrate violently, at this time I believed that the car had a flat tire and that was what had caused the poor handling while driving. I immediately hit the button for my hazard lights and began to try to ease into the emergency lane and attempt to stop the car. It was instantly apparent that the car brakes and power steering were not working, which left me struggling at 30 mph and accelerating because of the I was now on the downward side of the hill, to try to maintain control of the car! I was able to keep the car from completely veering to the right and ultimately hit a 5 inch concrete curb that is a turn out for the corner gas station. Upon hitting the curb the car then sprang to the left back into the highway lane. Miraculously, no other vehicles were traveling in that lane at that moment! once, we were out of the car, I learned that the car did not have a flat tire but a part of the front end had broken and caused the passenger front tire to collapse into the wheel well...unbelievable! I believe this to be a defect of the car, in addition to he multitude of other defects of this car!!

- Barnesville, GA, USA

problem #12

Sep 282012

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 130,000 miles
I was pulling into a left hand parking spot when the vehicle stalled/completely shut off. Dashboard lights were still on. I was able to coast backwards down a slope and back into another open parking spot. I had no power steering, and brakes were very hard to depress. I looked up the problem on the internet and looked up open recalls. I found a recall similar to what happened, but when I called both daimler-Chrysler and a local Chrysler dealership and gave the last 8 characters of my VIN, they informed me there were no open recalls for my vehicle. From what I researched, this might happen several times and I am quite concerned with my safety.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #11

Aug 112010

Pacifica

  • 60,000 miles
I was driving on the freeway, and all of a sudden the car turns of. I had my niece in the car. The steering wheel wouldn't move. I could've crashed and caused a major fatal accident. Shortly after that I needed to replace the engine. Luckily I had warranty. The dealership couldn't figure out why the car would turn off. This happened about 3 times. And still does. Now im having problems with the motor. I've doesn't over 8000 dollars fixing this car out of my pocket. The car is almost paid off. I need help. I feel like Chrysler has stolen money from me since I purchased this car. Not fair. Not right.

- Houston , TX, USA

problem #10

Aug 232012

Pacifica

  • miles
I was traveling with my children down a state highway when I noticed that my "miles to next service" light was saying my next service was due in 4555 miles. How odd, I thought, but didn't have time to ponder it further as I was going around at curve at 45 miles per hour with cars both behind me and oncoming, when I realized that my steering had inexplicably given out. I attempted to brake, only to realize that my brakes, too, had malfunctioned and weren't working. I threw on my flashers and did everything in my power to get that car safely to a halt at the side of road. It was only due to my efforts that my children and I were able to safely evacuate the vehicle before more dire consequences occurred, because the Chrysler Pacifica was completely dead. Thankfully, a kind passerby helped me push the car off the road before someone hit it, and I called aaa for a tow. I still don't know what caused this potentially lethal malfunction, but I had adequate fuel in the car and had the oil changed less than two weeks prior so it wasn't simple owner neglect. No, it was a Chrysler malfunction that could have caused my children and I our lives today.

- Old Saybrook, CT, USA

problem #9

Feb 012012

Pacifica

  • 150,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that the fuel gauge malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to stall. The contact stated that there was fuel in the vehicle however, the fuel tank displayed a reading of empty and caused the vehicle to stall. The contact also stated that when she tried to fill the fuel tank, fuel would spew back out as if the tank was full. The contact also stated that the rack and pinion had to be replaced three times. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 150,000 and current mileage was 160,000.

- South Sioux City, NE, USA

problem #8

Dec 012011

Pacifica

  • 102,000 miles
A letter was sent to some 2004-2005 Chrysler Pacifica owners that the front engine cradle and suspension mount frame warranty was being extended to 15 years or 150,000 miles to owners in states that use road salt because off corrosion problems. They go on to carelessly explain that if your are not experiencing vibration and shaking you need to do nothing-- by the time its that bad its almost to late! mine was not shaking but I had my Pacifica inspected any way and found rust holes in front frame, one was the size of my fist and on the other side may be three or four fingers wide. I stopped driving the vehicle immediately and called the phone # listed on the notification letter twice, both times they denied a problem because it was not listed as a recall on their web site and besides my vehicle did not fall into the VIN block "? there are cases listed on the internet where state dmv inspection stations have failed these vehicles because they were unsafe to drive because of frame corrosion. I am having the engine cradle replaced at my expense. How can a manufacturer have such a flippant attitude about a known serious safety issue" does this fall under a hidden warranty or recall.

- Cedar Rapids, IA, USA

problem #7

Jun 172011

Pacifica 6-cyl

  • 50,000 miles
2005 Chrysler Pacifica loses power steering when rains and wet.

- Merritt Island, FL, USA

Read the next 6 complaints »