755 of the
10,755 complaints filed about the Chrysler Pacifica
are about the steering —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2017.
While driving my vehicle at approximately 75 MPH on the interstate the steering wheel froze/stuck while executing a long sweeping curve. The steering wheel would not turn and my wife whom was drivng was applying excessive pressure to the steering wheel to keep the vehile from running off the shoulder of the road almost lost control of the van when the steeringwheel broke loose and over corrected and the van made a sudden, sharp turn. This occured during an essentual 2 hor drive to a medical appointment. This vehicle matches the exact failure criteria currenly under active investigation by the NHTSA under PE25009 for steering binding. The manufacturer (Chrysler) refuses to honor or repair this known defect under warranty creating a sever and immediate hazaard for families operating these vans at highway speeds.
NHTSA complaint #11763987 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving my Pacifica with my special needs children to thier therapy appointments. The power steering light came on all of a sudden going down the highway at 50-55mph. Steering became extremely difficult. I was barely able to take the the turn to pull into the parking lot. This is even more dangerous as their is a drop-off on the other side if i had not managed to turn aggressively enough. It scared both of my children and myself. The dealership wanted $206 diagnostic fee which we cannot afford. The light will go off and we regain steering once it has been off for a few minutes then light kicks on and we lose steering again.
NHTSA complaint #11764108 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica that I recently purchased a couple months ago. I've noticed now that while I'm driving and steering in a slight curve or turn the steering wheel almost gets stuck and locked up and I have to use extra force to correct it. There isn't any recalls on this yet but I have researched it and it's apparently a known problem with these minivans.
NHTSA complaint #11763940 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was about to pull out into a main road with my 3 kids in the car, and my steering wheel locked up and became impossible to drive, had to quickly reverse and could not make it home. I then received an error message on my dash saying power steering unavailable, service requested. The car only has 118,000 miles on it.
NHTSA complaint #11763944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
noticeable "sticking" or binding feel during gradual turns-often near the 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock steering wheel positions-which can cause unexpected oversteer at highway speeds. Very scary feeling since you almost loss control of your vehicle at highway speed. I read many forums which they report the same issue
NHTSA complaint #11763858 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
During the turns the steering wheel in 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid locks-in. It requires extra force to unlock the steering wheel. This usually happens when the wheel is at 11 or 1 o'clock (30 degrees either direction). This is more noticeable at slow turns like on exit ramps.
NHTSA complaint #11763313 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This is in regards to the potentially death-inducing NHTSA Campaign # PE25009. Within the past two weeks, I have experienced an intermittent and concerning steering problem with my 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. When traveling approximately 20–60 MPH and making a gradual turn, particularly when the steering wheel is positioned around the 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock position, the steering appears to "stick" or bind rather than naturally returning toward center. I must apply additional force to the steering wheel to overcome the resistance and bring the vehicle back toward a straight driving path. This behavior is extremely concerning because the steering does not respond normally and unexpectedly requires additional steering force to correct the vehicle's path. When this occurs during normal highway or city driving, there is a significant risk of unintentionally applying too much steering input while attempting to overcome the binding. This could cause the vehicle to suddenly move outside its intended path, potentially resulting in a lane departure, collision with another vehicle, or loss of vehicle control. There are no warning lights or dashboard alerts associated with this behavior. This makes the issue particularly concerning because a driver may have no indication that a potentially serious steering problem is occurring until the steering resistance is encountered while the vehicle is in motion. I have not yet had the vehicle inspected by a Chrysler dealer, so I cannot identify the specific component causing the problem. However, I have since found numerous reports and discussions describing similar steering behavior involving 2017 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles. Given the potential consequences of unexpected steering resistance or binding, I believe this issue warrants investigation.
NHTSA complaint #11762765 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Having the same issues as earlier models of Chrysler vans with the steering rack tension when going around curves. It’s been doing this for a couple of months now.
NHTSA complaint #11762783 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mainly driving on highways at the end of long curves the steering is sticky and it is difficult to change the steering wheel back to 12 o'clock. Unpleasant and probably unsafe driving, as overreacting could occur, if it will stick more. It is happening more and more often.
NHTSA complaint #11762413 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Reference: NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: PE25009 In the last month, I've noticed steering problem with my mini van. I have to use both hands to steer in a curve and it jerks when coming out of the curve. It feels as if i am loosing control of the van. It also happens when i am changing lanes and steer the wheel past 11 and 1 oclock. It feels as if the car is fighting me to steer.
NHTSA complaint #11762408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When in gentle right turns, the steering "sticks" at about 1:00 and I have to apply force to remove the steering wheel from that position. It results in oversteering, particularly at higher speeds.
NHTSA complaint #11762428 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The steering wheel has begun "sticking" when driving >35 mph (estimate, not measured). It seems to stick somewhere in the 10:00/1:00 range, and can be resolved by giving a small but firm counter-tug. So far, there has been no accidents, and seems to be resolved easily but there is a small concern that perhaps it could get worse or happen at an inopportune time which could be dangerous.
NHTSA complaint #11762107 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The van has a consistent steering catch when traveling most pronounced at 11 and 1. The steering hangs and then releases which causes the van to travel unexpectedly into the other lane of traffic. There are no faults or other indicators visible with the vehicle to warn the driver of an issue. The issue is more noticeable when the outside air temperature is above 85 deg F and the van has been drive 15 or so miles. Additionally, a visual inspection of all mechanical components of the van related to steering does not show any abnormal wear and tear. The van has 126K miles on it.
NHTSA complaint #11761916 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and while driving 70 MPH on a toll road, the steering wheel unintendedly pulled to the right, nearly causing the vehicle to drift out of the intended lane. The contact was able to pull the steering wheel back to center after each failure, and the steering wheel was moderately difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was test-driven, but the failure could not be reproduced; however, the failure persisted. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
NHTSA complaint #11761694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The steering at times will “stick” and a bit of force has to be used to get it to release. Also, when turning slightly at low speeds (steering wheel in the 11 or 1 position at less than 20mph) the steering will “shudder” or “vibrate.” This affects the entire steering system. The entire vehicle vibrates and it feels as though you may lose control of the vehicle. This issue has been continuous since approximately 2022. In an attempt to fix the issue, we have replaced the shocks, coil springs, front axels, front hub assemblies, sway bar links, and tie rod ends. None of this fixes the issue. This seems to be similar to the complaints contained in the NHTSA Campaign Number PE25009.
NHTSA complaint #11761745 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The steering sticks normally when slightly turned especially going highway speeds around bends. You have to “yank” the wheel from it being stuck and risk over steering off the road or into other lane. Huge safety risk.
NHTSA complaint #11761481 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving my 2018 Chrysler Pacifica FWD with approximately 86,000 miles, I have noticed abnormal steering behavior when going around gradual curves. The steering does not feel smooth and natural through the turn, and I feel like I have to pull/force the steering wheel to continue through the curve. The steering can feel like it is sticking or resisting rather than smoothly following the turn. This is concerning because it affects the vehicle’s steering response while driving. I brought the vehicle to a mechanic, who inspected it and diagnosed a problem with the steering rack assembly. I was quoted approximately $3,400 to replace the steering rack assembly. I am reporting this because I understand NHTSA is investigating steering problems involving 2017–2018 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles, including reports of steering sticking during gradual turns. The steering wheel does not simply pull to one side; rather, it feels as though the steering itself is resisting or sticking while I am making the turn.
NHTSA complaint #11761425 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Steering wheel gets stuck on curbes at higher speeds (1 o clock angle). Needs to be pulled back into place to avoid accident. This problem began at around 80k miles on the car. Also gets stuck at 11 o clock as well. My family does not feel safe driving this vehicle because of this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11760714 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.