Cylinder 3 misfire, combustion gases in coolant, coolant consumption but no leak, probable failed head gasket

- Saint James, MO, USA

A blown head gasket (and possibly warped head) were causing a cylinder 3 misfire. The vehicle has only 70,000 miles and has had regular maintenance performed. It appears the motor design is faulty, likely causing a build up of heat in the engine compartment or internal to the motor resulting in blown head gaskets. This is apparently a common problem and Chrysler should develop a solution to handle the issue.

- Savage, MN, USA

Cylinder head inside the engine has a Crack with antifreeze leaking into the engine. I had been driving the car prior to being able to make an appointment at the dealership. Luckily there was not a crash due to this.

- Batavia, IL, USA

The contact owns a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, smoke came from underneath the hood; however, the contact turned off the vehicle. The contact waited for the smoke to settle before restarting the vehicle. The contact was able to drive the vehicle for a short distance, and then the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed due to extensive melted engine parts. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

The engine is failing due to poor design and parts. Coolant has leaked into the motor causing a misfire and likely a ruined engine. With this damage, the engine can stop at anytime risking all occupants especially if driving at higher speeds. This is a minivan intended to safely transport families. It has not been to the shop yet. There was first a fuel pressure sensor check engine code and then after that was fixed we scanned the stats few weeks later and now there is a misfire. This is all a far too common issue for Chrysler Pacifica with the 3.6 L Pentastar motor.

- Holland, MI, USA

Currently have 62,254 miles on my car and the head gasket is now faulty requiring a repair that-??s almost $4,000. Check engine light came on prompting it to be looked at and head gasket was root cause. Appears to be a very common issue with Pacifica-??s but no service bulletins or recalls associated with this issue yet.

- Grand Rapids, MI, USA

My car won't start it says that the engine or accessory is on when it isn't. I had this same problem last year during covid so I replaced both the batteries last year. Now it's doing it again. This time how ever the light is flickering on the drivers side. The doors when I first got it and sometimes says still that there not enough power to operate sliding doors.

- Bronson, KS, USA

- The car still has open recall Z11 ( RU PHEV hybrid traction battery fire). - The car had open recall XE1 RU PHEV transmission open. - The car became stranded refusing to put the transmission into gear. - Had to tow the car to the dealership. The dealer stated the traction battery fuse was blown. The dealer could not pinpoint the root cause of the issue, nor did chrysler have parts readily available to fix. The car still shows there's an open short. - The dealer could not complete diagnosis because of the Z11 recall. They stated that the traction battery can not complete self check procedure. - Chrysler is unresponsive in following up on the issue.

- Fort Lee, NJ, USA

In November 2022, roughly 2 weeks before Thanksgiving our 2018 pacifica showed an engine code on the way home, it read to be a misfire. We were already enroute and near home so we cotinued driving. The low coolant light came on briefly as we were pulling into the driveway and the engine became hot. When I looked under hood I could hear a gurgling noise and noted th coolant resovoir to be empty. The next morning I added coolant and used a Gasket leak detection kit to confirm a blown head gasket. Vehicle was dropped off on a Monday and was in the shop for nearly a month waiting on parts. We were very fortunate to be so close to home. Failure occured under warranty but upon research found that the issue was fairly common among vehicles with this engine, some failures as low as 40k on the engine.

- Saint Leonard, Md 20685, MD, USA

Got a check engine light for misfire cylinder 4. Take it to a dealer and told its blown a head gasket at 76k miles. They act like this has never happened. Start reading all the forums and it-??s a widely known issue that the manufacturer won-??t correct. Could have an accident or catastrophic failure caused by their negligence.

- Wentzville, MO, USA

I purchased this vehicle Certified Used from a Chrysler dealership 2/2020 and it did well until about 1 month ago. The motor was running "rough'' and sometimes losing power. Diagnostic code P0303 came up and I am told by our mechanic that the 3rd cylinder is ''blown''. Most likely due to dropped valve guide and / or warped head. When I began to look up reasons for this problem online, MANY problems just like this for the 3.6L V6 Pentastar motor. I was told not to drive it any more than I absolutely have to as it could / will lose power without warning. I don't know if this has been confirmed by dealer or ISC but it is on many forums and subject to class action lawsuit. There has been no other inspection besides my local mechanic. Engine light did come on when problem first began about 1 month ago.

- Savannah, GA, USA

My Pacifica Hybrid van has been at a Chrysler dealership (Castle Rock in Colorado) for over six weeks now to have the Z11 recall addressed. It is clear that neither Chrysler nor their dealers know how to properly fix this (potentially lethal) issue with their vehicle batteries. Chrysler have failed to provide a loaner vehicle, even though it is stated in their recall letter that they would, and their "Customer Care" hotline have been unable to assist in any way. No one will call me back or otherwise inform me of next steps.

- Parker, CO, USA

Rough idle when starting cold. Cylinder 3 misfire. Loss of coolant. Jolt when accelerating.

- West Nyack , NY, USA

Engine noise and rattling as well as coolant levels dropping dramatically. Mechanic advised head gasket repair and upon further inspection a NEW ENGINE on a 2018 vehicle. With more research, I see this has affected other Pacifica owners.

- Willow Spring, NC, USA

Pacifica 2018 Model. The engine light started coming on. The car started shaking strongly at start but gets normal after some minutes. Took it to dealership. Dealership said same problem you are discussing. Coolant was gone. Head gasket gone. The cylinder 5 misfiring. The engine needs to be replaced. This problem is affecting just too many owners. Request Chrysler to acknowledge that it is a problem.

- Grayson , GA, USA

Head Gasket Failure

- Jackson, MI, USA

Check engine light came on. Came back with a misfire in the 5th cyslinder. confirmed by the dealer and the head gasket replaced. issue remains

- Mokena, IL, USA

Warped cylinder head (right side) causing cylinder misfires and loss of power; loss of coolant. Engine could have hydrolocked while driving. Check engine/P0303 code shown 17May2023 Dealer inspected 18May2023 and found warped cylinder head. Engine: 3.6L V6 24V VVT Engine with ESS; engine origin Mexico. 2018 vehicle with 69,000 miles odometer.

- Tempe, AZ, USA

Van has been clunking/slipping through transmission when accelerating. Stop/Start function error relayed and had a rough idle noticeable when started cold. Car would shut down on occasion when coming to a stop. Battery was recently replaced, assuming due to start/stop battery(also been replaced) draining main battery. Technician indicated Misfire on cylinder, coil swapped, spark plugs replaced and 100,000 mileage maintenance completed per recommendation due to scope of work. Van returned then upon first start, extremely rough idle and exhaust smelled the worst I've ever smelled, choking even. Van taken under warranty at least 2 times for transmission and abrupt shutdowns due to safety concerns with vehicle. Never replicated at dealership.

- Kansas City, MO, USA

Car began to idle roughly and the check engine light came on. A scan returned the code that indicates a misfire in cylinder 3 of the engine. Our local service station was unable to fix the problem, but stated it could be a leaking head gasket. We took the car to a dealership, where they diagnosed a crack in the engine block, with coolant leaking into the engine cylinder. The dealer service department is saying the engine needs to be replaced, at the cost of around $16,000. The car is at around 85,000 miles, far too early to have engine problems of this magnitude. This issue has been widely reported among other owners of 2017-2022 Pacificas...all similar cases. A misfire in an engine cylinder (usually 3 or 5) which ends up being diagnosed as a cracked engine block requiring a replacement.

- Hopewell, NJ, USA