2017 Chrysler Pacifica · symptom sheet
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard
- 213owner reports
- 30,000median miles
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Jul 6, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
468 of the 1,522 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 213 of those describe transmission shudder. Only stalling is reported more often on this car.
Narrower sheets: Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear (152 reports) · Transmission slips (29 reports)
Tick what matches of 213 reports
Transmission shudder on other Pacifica years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2026.
What this problem usually is
This is the biggest drivetrain group on the site: a transmission that shudders, slips, hesitates or bangs into gear. It's the everyday version of transmission trouble, where the car still drives but doesn't drive right, and it has three narrower sheets of its own for jerking, hesitation and slipping.
What got replaced
Few of these reports name the part that was replaced.
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2017 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
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.
All 11 recalls on the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the transmission and drivetrain on the Pacifica
Transmission fault leading to loss of motive power. Closed mar 27, 2024, led to recall 23V-010.
None of these investigations covers the 2017 model year.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 17,000 and 44,110 miles, from the 155 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 3 service bulletins or notices for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Gear Ratio DTC?s, Transmission Shift Concerns, Does Not Shift At Times, Shudders
VALVE BODY Complete For concern of harsh shifting occurring during one or more of the following events: - Upshifting from 2nd to 3rd - Upshifting from 4th to 5th - Downshifting 4th to 3rd while coasting - Downshifting 2nd to 1st while coasting - During lift foot or ...
The Vehicle May Experience Harsh Shifting
What owners wrote
“Around 79k miles the car began hesitating and rough idling. From the OBDII sensor: Error Code P0301: Cylinder 1 misfire detected”
Filed Mar 13, 2023 · 79,000 miles
“At low speeds when shifting into 2nd gear the car slips, rpm's raise and then it suddenly and aggressively jerks into 2nd gear. If the start and stop feature is enabled and you are in a situation where the feature is engaging and disengaging like traffic then after a few of the jerks into 2nd gear it seems the PCM will get discombobulated and display a P0732 error.”
Filed Oct 9, 2022
“Getting sharp Jerks when shifting gear there is problem in transmission, i have seen lot's of people are having same issue when i google & in youtube videos, customers are facing issues & company is taking fat profits & not providing any fix. Just have to keep reseting it that can last depending on your car usage.”
Filed Sep 16, 2022
“When accelerating slowly from a dead stop, the transmission will sometimes hesitate/ pause to shift and then shift with a hard bang. Most often this happens while accelerating in the 10-20 mph range but will sometimes happen while in the 20-30 mph range. It only happens if accelerating very slow. Quicker acceralation-no problems.”
Filed Feb 9, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 213 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 384 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 187 reports
- Steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks 142 reports
- Engine overheats or leaks coolant 132 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 115 reports
- Battery dies or the car will not start 106 reports
- Power steering cuts out or goes heavy 93 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 86 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 85 reports
- Multiple warning lights come on at once 54 reports
- Sliding door won't open, close or latch 44 reports
- "Shift to Park" or "Service Shifter" warning comes on 34 reports
- Adaptive cruise or lane keeping misbehaves 30 reports
- Traction control or StabiliTrak light comes on 27 reports
- Auto start-stop will not restart the engine 27 reports
- Suspension noise, struts or alignment 25 reports