2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-IN Hybrid

No clear pattern

17.1% of complaints about the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-IN Hybrid arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2018 vehicle, but with only 375 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is electrical system (83 complaints), typically at 4.3 yr or about 6,617 miles.

Complaints: 375
Median age at failure: 3.8 yr
Median mileage: 5,492 n=182
Crash / fire / tow: 8% of reports
Safety recalls: 2 1 do not drive

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Electrical system

83 reports · 6,617 mi

4.3 yr

10.8%

Hybrid propulsion system

75 reports · 45,577 mi

4.7 yr

2.7%

Engine

63 reports · 5,492 mi

1.7 yr

11.1%

Power train

39 reports · 5,029 mi

3.8 yr

5.1%

Other

34 reports · 4,500 mi

2.6 yr

8.8%

Fuel / propulsion

19 reports · 2,000 mi

1.8 yr

15.8%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

24V536000 2024-07-18 Do not drive

Hybrid propulsion system

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles that received a software update remedy under NHTSA recall number 22V-077. The battery pack may cause a vehicle fire when parked, even with the ignition in the "Off" position.

A vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.

18V524000 2018-08-09

Electrical system:wiring:front underhood

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 Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.

A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.

In owners’ own words

Electrical system 300 mi 3 mo in service

VEHICLE UCONNECT SCREEN LOCKS ONTO FORWARD IMAGE WHILE MOVING FORWARD DOWN THE ROAD OR GOES BLACK ELIMINATING THE ABILITY TO ACCESS ANY OF THE CLIMATE CONTROL OR SOS FEATURES. EXTREMELY DISTRACTING AND REQUIRES VEHICLE TO BE PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED TO CLEAR.

Electrical system 4,900 mi 10 mo in service

I TOOK MY VAN IN FOR RECALL AND WAS FIXED ON 7/16/18 FOR CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEM. EVERYDAY SINCE THE FAN COMES ON WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE AND CHARGING (LEVEL 2) AT A VERY HIGH NOISE LEVEL. ROLLER COASTER TYPE NOISE. YOU CAN HEAR IT ALL OVER THE HOUSE. CAR SOUNDS LIKE IT IS GOING TO EXPLODE. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE THE RECALL FIX FOR CRUISE CONTROL. VIDEOS OF SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM ARE ON THE FACEBOOK GROUP FOR THIS CAR. SEARCH FOR "CHRYSLER PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID". I ALSO VIDEOTAPED THE CAR MAKING THE NOISE BUT WON'T BE ABLE TO UPLOAD SUCH A LARGE FILE.

Electrical system 3,700 mi 10 mo in service

WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 70 MPH, A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THAT THE BATTERY WAS CONDITIONING. I WAS THEN LIMITED TO 45 MPH WITH VERY LITTLE ACCELERATION, AND THE A/C STOPPED WORKING. THIS WAS REPAIRED, BUT HAPPENED AGAIN THREE WEEKS LATER WHEN ABOUT TO MERGE ONTO ANOTHER HIGHWAY WITH A 55 MPH SPEED LIMIT.

Other mileage not reported 7 mo in service

OUR THEATER SYSTEM HAS NOT WORKED PROPERLY SINCE WE PURCHASED THE NEW VEHICLE 4 MONTHS AGO. THE CAR IS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR, BUT THE SOFTWARE PATCHES HAVE NOT WORKED AND HAVE CORRUPTED THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. CHRYSLER DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR WHAT IS CAUSING THE ISSUE. MY BRAND NEW $50,000+ VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH NO EXPECTATION ON WHEN THE PROBLEM WILL BE FIXED.

Other Pacifica Plug-IN Hybrid model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.