2017 Chrysler Pacifica Problems, Recalls & Reliability
2,350 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, alongside 11 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 22,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2008, 2019–2020, 2022.
Avoid
Where 2017 sits among all Pacifica years
What owners report
“Car starts shaking while driving, with engine light coming on. Also shaking while idling.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Pacifica
“Transmission slipping then shifting hard into gear. The time between shifts is several seconds making pulling out into traffic difficult and dangerous. This happens when the vehicle is at low speed under low to moderate engine load.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Pacifica
“While I am driving the vehicle will shut completely off without warning. I have to pull to the side of the road and restart the vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Pacifica
“When making a gradual turn it sometimes feels as if the power steering is stuck in the direction of the turn.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Pacifica
“I was driving when my car suddenly stopped and displayed a message to shift to start. My gear shift locked and i had to restart the car to drive.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Pacifica
“Our pacifica roughly jolts forward when accelerating to about 15mph just after being stopped. It feels like being hit hard from behind. It has been an ongoing issue for over 9 months now. I have young children in the car and it is very scary.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Pacifica
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,223 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 25,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 10,792 and 45,992 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (11)
Rollx Vans (Rollx) is recalling certain GMC Yukon, Sierra, Chevrolet Express 2500, Ford Transit, E-250, Toyota Sienna, Sienna Hybrid, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Voyager, Pacifica, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ram Promaster vehicles equipped with…
Fix: Rollx will work with Q'Straint to inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2026. Owners may contact Rollx's customer service…
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric vehicles (PHEVs). An internal transmission wiring connector may short circuit, resulting in an unexpected engine shutdown.
Fix: Dealers will update the Power Inverter Module (PIM) software and, if necessary, update the instrument panel cluster (IPC) and the electronic control module (ECM) software, free of charge. FCA US…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Pacifica vehicles equipped with engine stop/start systems. A loose battery ground connection may result in an intermittent loss of power steering assist and/or a stall.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the battery ground surfaces, clean the contact surfaces as needed, and properly reassemble the ground connection, free of charge. The recall…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles. The Manual Park Release (MPR) plug may be removed without a tool. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the MPR plug, free of charge. The recall began July 9, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500,…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles equipped with a 3.6l engine. The engine control software may become out of sync with the crankshaft position sensor, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine control software, free of charge. The recall began March 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles equipped with the 8-passenger seating option. In certain passenger seating and vehicle situations, the second-row center seating position seat belt buckle could cause the left…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install a shorter second-row seat belt buckle, free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at…
Vantage Mobility International, LLC (VMI) is recalling certain 2017 Chrysler Pacifica lowered floor vehicles modified by VMI. The rear pinion bracket on both sides of the vehicle may crack, causing the axle not to be centered and the wheel to wobble.
Fix: VMI will notify owners, and dealers will replace the pinion brackets, free of charge. The recall began on August 14, 2017. Owners may contact VMI customer service at 1-800-488-9082. VMI's number…
Vantage Mobility International, LLC (Vantage Mobility) is recalling certain 2017 Chrysler Pacifica lowered floor vans modified by Vantage Mobility for wheelchair accessibility. The affected vans have rear brake lines that might have been crossed during the…
Fix: Vantage Mobility will notify owners, and dealers will correct the rear brake line attachments, free of charge. The recall began on July 3, 2017. Owners may contact Vantage Mobility customer service…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2017 Pacifica vehicles manufactured February 22, 2016, through April 28, 2016. The center overhead seat belt stow clip may fracture and prevent use of the seat belt in the third-row and/or second-row…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the third-row and, if necessary, second-row center overhead seat belt stow bezel, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Preliminary Evaluation to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences of alleged defects related to the electric power steering (EPS) system in model year (MY) 2017–2018 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles. ODI has received 94…
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
On February 11, 2022, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) issued a safety recall (NHTSA Recall 22V-077) on all 2017-2018 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) produced between August 12, 2016 through August 7, 2018. The recall addresses ignition “OFF’ fires that originate at the high voltage…
Led to recall campaign 18V049000.
Technical service bulletins
533 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and body & structure — are on file for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2017 Pacifica TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica reliable?
The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica drew 2,350 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2017 Chrysler Pacifica problems?
The top reported problems for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica are engine (534 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (466), and electrical (399).
At what mileage do 2017 Chrysler Pacifica problems show up?
Owners most often report 2017 Chrysler Pacifica problems around 25,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 10,792 and 45,992 miles.
Does the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica have recalls?
11 recall campaigns apply to the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.