Chrysler Pacifica Transmission Problems

PF_Flyer · October 2006

Discuss any Pacifica transmission issues here!

See also: How to find a good car mechanic

nelson33 · January 2006

The other day, I was on another forum and read that the Pacifica had its' own tranny cooler. Today, I was washing my car and noticed the smaller radiator in front of the engine radiator while looking through the grill. Looked like a square foot in size. Can anyone confirm that? I take long vacation trips in my car in the summer and always had concerns about the tranny temps on those long summer stretches, ie NY to Wisconsin, NY to Missouri, etc. That's a great idea for a family car.

fred222 · January 2006

Quite a few vehicles have separate transmission coolers, often as part of a tow package. My 69 LeBaron has one standard.
I think that you have less to worry about driving on the highway in hot weather that driving around town or towing where that transmission is always working. Trans coolers do help extend transmission life through extending the life of the trans fluid. The other things that you can do are to change the trans fluid regularly and/or to go to synthetic trans fluid. Also check you fluid for level and to make sure that it is not "burnt".

jbtrustee · March 2006

I had the clunking problems too, and my dealer double talked me dumb, eventually saying that they had to put some kind of rubber in the bushing/linkage area to solidify the connection to the axle!@ now i have had it in six timnes for a transmission problems, where the car stops, then suddenly downshifts and jerks forward. they supposedly tried to fix it four or five times til i suddenly had no forward motion at all, and the dealer now has it again. transmission completely shot. i will never again feel safe in the car. we have had to threaten legal action just to get the district manager to look at it, and it has taken weeks to get to that point. anyone else having this kind of problem?

rodut · March 2006

The transmissions are supposed to be OK. I heard that you can destroy them if you use a non-Chrysler transmission fluid.

I don't understand ... so they fixed your clunking, or not ?

pshanahan · November 2006

We bought a 2005 Pacifica Touring AWD with 19k in April 2006 from a Chrysler dealer. About a month ago we noticed the car shuddering when going a steady speed 25 - 40 mph. It also does this under very mild acceleration in the same speed range.

The first time we took it in to the dealer we bought it from they performed a TSB on it that was supposed to take care of this. It did the same thing on the drive home after the repair. We were planning on taking the car back 2 days later but before we had a chance to take it back the check engine light came on.

I took it to another Chrysler dealer (same ownership, different location). They discovered that there were 5 quarts too MUCH transmission fluid in it. The second dealer sent the car up to the original dealer who determined that the power transfer unit had blown some internal seal and we needed a new power transfer unit. After that work was done we picked up the car. While driving it home I noticed that the steering wheel wasn't straight (it was when we took it in) and the check engine light came on again. I took it back to the original dealer and they did 2 front-end alignments because the first one wasn't done right. They also "cleared" the check engine light.

The day after we picked it up the transmission appeared to be doing the same shuddering. I took it to the second dealer who discovered the original transmission problem but they are telling me that it may be a normal thing for the transmission.

My questions:
1. Does this sound right? Could this be a "normal operating condition?"
2. Has anyone else had these problems? If so, what has the resolution been?

I've spoken with an attorney that says I need to have it in 4 times for the same problem before it falls into the Wisconsin lemon law. We like the car but I can't have it be like this. We are planning a 3k+ mile trip to Florida in a few weeks and want to take the car. Thanks.

qbrozen · November 2006

our '05 Touring AWD does not shudder one bit at any speed. So, no, its not "normal."

07pacifica · November 2006

You've got a problem! I just bought a brand new 2007 Pacifica and i've had my rental car longer than i've had possession of my Pacifica.
I have the EXACT same problems. It shutters at the lower speeds of around 30mph and around 70mph. It is definitely even noticeable when the cruise control is on.
The dealer initially told me that it's a "computer" problem and "re-set" the computer.
Just like you, when I drove it off the lot, the problem was still there. My Check Engine light and ESP lights also came on.
I took it back and they took the bottom half of my tranny apart and "adjusted the valves"? Problem persisted - mechanic noticed it persisting so didn't give the car back.
Next, they took the entire tranny out and decided it was a faulty Torque Converter.
I just got a call today saying that it was done, but I won't have time to pick it up 'till Friday. I did however ask the SVC rep to tell me what was written on the ticket and she said that they wrote something to the effect that the valves were leaking excessively and the Torque Converter was replaced... Please keep in mind that this is a BRAND NEW PACIFICA with less than 1000miles on it!!!
I told the SVC Rep that I wanted the mechanic to take it home and drive it for a couple days, because I don't want it back if the problem persists....
So long and short of it, sounds like they need to drop your entire tranny!
Good Luck!

vtech72 · November 2006

Hi,

I have a 2007 pacifica touring. I have the same problem. At speeds of 25-55 I feel like the car wants to stall. It gives a back and forward movement like if it's choking. They tried to reset the computer and a update, but no luck. Did they fix yours and what was it. Any info will be great.

Thanks
vtech

vtech72 · December 2006

Any Luck!

04pacman · December 2006

About a month and a half ago I had service performed at the Dodge dealership I bought my Pac from after I was feeling a lot of vibration when rpms hit about 1500 rpms. They ended up changing a Motor/tranny mount and insulator; they said it was torn in half. I also had them do an oil change, changing to 5w/30 for winter. Well I've run thru a couple of complete tanks of gas, about 1,400 miles, and my fuel mileage is still really bad and I'm driving it the same way. Before, according to the trip computer, I was getting an average of 19+ MPG, now I'm about 14.5 - 16.8 Average MPG. Doesn't seem like much, but I do a lot of driving, about 25,000+ miles a year. I've run thru three full tanks using "Lucas" fuel treatment thinking that maybe the injectors needed cleaning and so on. My Pac has about 42,000 miles. Please help... Any Ideas of what it might be? Anyone know if the fuel-savers on EBay work?

07pacifica · December 2006

Yes, got my car back and been driving it the entire weekend with out any problems. The thing drives great and shifts excellently.
They essentially rebuilt my entire tranny. The torque converter wasn't bad, but they just replace them when they go into the trans. Apparently there were a couple "front bushings" in the front pump assembly that weren't installed properly and caused excessive leaking and it's inability to shift properly.
The long and short of it is they need to disassemble the transmission.
The Svc Record said:
Low presence of metal in pan for under drive clutches. Remove Transmission and replace Torque converter, all input clutch seals, front pump assembly, and Seal Rings. Clean valve body, solenoid. Pack and flush cooler. Reinstall Transmission.
So the Front Pump and seals is really where the problem was.

I hope this helps!!

vtech72 · December 2006

Well I have been to Service 4 Times already with no luck. I just got a call from chrysler that they will be sending a transmission part to my service dealer. I don't know what part they are talking about, but I will find out and post it. I started the Lemon Law process. Let see what brews out of this. There is a problem with the transmission of the 2007, but I guess I'm the test for the fix.

trying · January 2007

I have 2006 AWD Pacifica. Within days we had a front bearing replaced. Followed by a strut. We had the recall for stalling. We had stalled earlier and was charged over $200 to have deposits cleaned, because we do "local driving". Our Sirius radio never worked because the number is already in use and no one will help us. Now the transmission is not all that smooth with occasional hesitation. The Perform Service light is always on even after repeated trips to have it turned off. This week the fan for the heater starting making a sound like there is lose paper in the fan area. The mileage runs around 14 in town and 21 on the highway. We don't use the computer because it never changes. I do the math. We also have wind noise from the sunroof. The dealer says its the roof rack and they don't know what to do about it.

qbrozen · January 2007

well, if you have problems that can't be fixed, such as the service light and radio, it sounds to me like you should be speaking to a lemon law lawyer.

Your mileage, by the way, is right around normal. Actually, 21 highway is better than I've ever done.

vtech72 · January 2007

Well they changed the torque converter, and it's running great now. The only thing that I notice is that when coming to a compete stop the transmission downshifts hard. Does anyone notice this. They say it's normal.

qbrozen · January 2007

i notice that on occassion. But its not too hard, really. So I guess we have to determine just how hard we are talking about. Basically, if I had a cup of water in the holder, it might ripple slightly on the downshift.

I think, if it concerns you, request to take one on their lot for a test drive. See if its the same.

cb42642 · January 2007

I have a 2007 pac and it has been in the shop 5 times already with transmission problems. They have replaced the torque converter, did 3 software updates on the computer and it is in the shop right now with the same problem. They have told me that Chrysler engineers has had to totally redesign and rebuild the torque converter. The dealership is supposed to have one of those new torque converters and are installing it in my vehicle right now. This is unacceptable!!! What should I do from here?

qbrozen · January 2007

if it still is not fixed after this attempt, it sounds like you can certainly seek to have it repurchased under the lemon law. depends on the law in your state, so you should speak with an attorney who specializes in it. I believe in my state, 3 attempts to fix the same problem with no resolution qualifies it.

scrappy10 · February 2007

I just purchased a 2007 Pacifica . We love the car , but encountered tranny problems as well . at 1500 miles the check engine light came on and the tranny would not shift at all , it was locked in 1st gear so we drove home (3 miles) at 10 mph. Service dept had it 8 days , and we just got it back. We are going to Florida in April (the reason we bought a new car) now I'm worried if we'll make it there. It sounds like this a blossoming problem. The mechanic who worked on it said they had the tranny totally apart , replaced some seals and what not. It seems ok now , but we do notice a shudder at about 45 mph which we felt from the first week we had it. I smell a recall???????

veliger · March 2007

I have a 2 week old 2007 base model (company car) with the 3.8L and 4 Speed Auto. I have the shuddering problem at low RPM, high engine loads at about 35 and 45 mph. It feels like the engine is lugging in a manual, but I guess it has to be the Tranny. I guess it's time to take it to the dealer at 1400 miles.

Jason5 · March 2007

I believe a great deal of this "shuddering" is due to the locking torque converter on both versions of the transmission.

s_harper · April 2007

I just wanted to mention that my dealer (Willison Chrysler in Toronto) informed me that there is now a service bulletin for the shuddering problem. I sent him a link to this thread and he investigated the issue with Chrysler. They've ordered the parts but they haven't come in yet. Thanks goes to everyone here for posting their experiences. I'm sure it helped me avoid multiple trips to the dealer.

Scott

mntnpeak · April 2007

Regarding your Mpg. It looks like your economy is dropping. During the winter months, mine tanks to around 17. During the summer it can be around 20-21 mpg. I don't know if Gas is a different mixture where you are, but in Michigan it changes during the summer

s_harper · April 2007

As a follow up to my post regarding the service bulletin on the '07 Pacs shuddering problem:

The parts arrived. They had the car for two days. We picked it up yesterday. The problem seems to have been fixed. We'll see if that lasts. Thanks again to all here who posted about this issue.

ericnann · April 2007

I have the same shuddering/nearly stalling between 30-69 mph problem with my 07 Pac. I brought the car into the dealer for the first time (2 weeks after buying it) - they told me that it was normal and with these new engines the way the car shift feels differently. Can you believe that? I brought it into a different dealer and they have placed an order for a part, bringing it in tomorrow - they are ordering a new tranny module. Is your car fixed now - since replacing the torgue converter? Why haven't they recalled this issue yet? This is so annoying having a brand new car that doesn't work right! Afraid to drive my kids in the darn car!!!!

pacman5 · May 2007

Bought my Pac in Jan-07...Within two days it was back at the dealership because during prep, someone forgot to reposition a fuse that prevents the battery from draining during long periods of inactivity...

3 weeks later I was back at the dealership because at a traffic light (and my two kids in tow) the damn thing stalls out. I managed to start it up after 10 minutes, dropped off the kids and then off to the dealership. The techs said that a component had to be re-programmed and it should be fine...they told my what they did, but not why it happened to begin with...

Today, I stalled again, at the same light with the kids in tow ...was able to re start after 5 minutes...within 50 yards, the damn thing stalls again...had it towed to dealership who after all day said that the damn thing had needed an updated program to be loaded into it...offered no reason why...Thankfully, I am in NY which has a very specific lemon law. according to that statute, I am halfway to the lemonade stand with this thing...Its a damn shame, such a nice looking car, but so unreliable...

any thoughts, ideas or suggestions from others? Please!

stayarmy · May 2007

I have a 07 Pacifica and any where around 35-65MPH it would start vibrating like you were running off the highway and hitting those little grooves in the road that wake you up. Anyway I put it in the shop and Chrysler showed me a maintanance alert saying that one of the makers of their torque converters were defected and to expect up to 15,000 Pacifica's effected by this. So they replaced it in one day and it works fine now.

hsebert · June 2007

Don't know where to start,07 basic pacifica. been to the dealer now the fifth time. Same shuddering problem everyone is talking about. Torque converter has been replaced twice. Same result. Get a washboard bounce at higher speeds. Now Chrysler says that it is not a repairable problem. Thanks to you all, now I don't feel all alone.

qbrozen · June 2007

check the lemon law in your state. I know in many cases an attempt to fix a problem and failure to do so in 3 tries = lemon.

vtech72 · July 2007

Well I was the first to noticed the problem with the transmission. I did the lemon law, and they settled from court and I won. There is a big problem with this vehicle. My advice to those of you that have this problem. Take it to service 3 times. 2nd let them have there last repair 4th to be exact, but remember you need to keep records very important if you want to win. Now wait until it happens again about 3 weeks it will start. 3rd get your lemon law book fill the last pages send one to them and the other copy to your state attorney general. It will work they don't have any fix. The problem is there,and I was'nt going to let them win. I hope this will help you guys out there still having problems.

jbeard004 · July 2007

Bought a 2007 Pacifica in February. Been in the shop 4 times already. Found this forum after I bought it and have been reading about the problems. My husband is considering the lemon law but I was hoping they could fix the problems because I really love this car. My question is, did you get another Pacifica and if so, is it running ok?

kmmm · July 2007

I also have an 07 Pacifica with the same vibrating problem. I explained it to the dealer that it felt like you were going over a "Rumble Strip" on the side of the highway. They told me it was "Normal". I brought my car back today. I printed out all these messages and gave it to the dealer. They kept my car and are going to research it. We'll see!

Jason5 · July 2007

Perhaps I'm just a "lucky" one. I purchased my 2007 Pacifica Touring FWD in December 06' and have had no significant problems. I just turned 16,500 miles(yes I do a great deal of driving). I'm saddened and surprised to see all the first time posters here who are having problems.

kkodal · July 2007

woow..i thought i was doing a lot of driving but you beat me to it...i bought my 05 touring may 06.it had 29k miles on it.14 months after it has 46k miles.and luckily i did not have ANY problems with mine.the only thing i did was get the recall done on the PCM and the headlight harness and that's it.i had the transmission fluid and the filter changed when it had 41k on it(it was my preference to get it done to make sure it is running with fresh fluid).now all i do is change the oil and keep driving it.ohh i did put a lot of options mine did not have like auto headlight,fog light,auto dimming mirror,intermezzo system,full size spare tire,vent visors,had the halogen lights changed it with the HID looking projector lights.just have to purchase another ballast and a bulb to turn it in to HID,mud flaps,the only thing i want to do it is the get the bottom of the car painted and the mirrors painted to make it look like the limited.i was thinking of making the car have the two tone color option instead of one color.but we'll see.everything i did to the car cost me less than $1000 so i am very happy with the car.

:shades:

davisburg · July 2007

Finally I found a forum where people are having the same issues. Mine began the moment I pulled the car out of the lot, it was downshifting really hard - felt like someone was tapping you from behind. The first trip to the dealer resulting in a "flashing" of the transmission, but it didn't help. A 2nd trip to a different dealer resulted in a transmission replacement - 4,500 miles in! About 2 months later I noticed a puddle of fluid in my driveway. A trip to the dealer resulted in a resealing of the differential (9000 miles). Right now I am having the 30-50 mph shudder between 1200 and 2000 rpm. It is scheduled to go back in next week. Depending on how they worded the repairs this will be the 4th powertrain issue in 7 months and 14k miles of ownership. So far the dealers have had the car for 22 days.

kkodal · July 2007

the shuddering you have should be fixed with changing your torque converter.

irongirl · July 2007

I recently purchased a 2007 Pacifica Touring with a defective torque conver,the dealer attempted to repair in May. I called to have the car repaired for a second time the dealer told me that I should contact customer service regarding the problem as there is nothing further that can be done. I contacted customer service to find out that they told the dealer there is not issue with the vehicle it is the operator - this didn't sit well.

In addition to the shuddering, I am also feeling a knocking in my foot when I accelerate up to 20 mph, my steering wheel shakes (which I believe is part of the torque converter issue), is anyone else having these issues?

david613 · July 2007

Same problems w my 07 Pacifica. It is in shop right now and I am told that Chrysler is currently producing a new torque converter to be released 8/15/07. Fortunately, the dealership and Chrysler has recognized that there is a problem and they are working to correct it. Hopefully, this new TC will solve the problem. I'm getting annoyed with not being able to drive my new vehicle.

kjay1 · July 2007

Has anyone experienced the gear position selector on the dash illuminating all options at the same time. ie. park, reverse, neutral, drive? Normally, the gear that you select is distinguished by an illuminated circle. As you move your gear shifter through the gears, the circle corresponds to the desired gear. Our '04 PAC has adopted this bad habit of illuminating all gears simultaneously a couple of weeks ago. The down side is (besides not being right in general) none of the features that only work in park will work anymore. ie. memory seats, power lift gate etc.. Also, we have experienced some starting problems and I wonder if these two problems are related. (maybe the car does not think it is in park, therefore, it won't start) Any suggestions?

hotss · August 2007

They had my car for 28 days. I was having the same problem everyone else was having. They said that Chrysler built a new torque converter and installed it today( 8/1/07). I am going to pick it up tomorrow and hope for the best

david613 · August 2007

The Chrysler dealership just did the exact same thing with my 07 Pac. They installed the "new" torque converter today (8/1), and said that I should be able to pick it up tomorrow (8/2). Fortunately, they've only had it for about a week. Hopefully this will solve the problem!

hotss, please keep us all posted on the new torque converter. I will do the same.

hotss · August 2007

I just got it back after 28 days in the shop. They installed a brand new TC and I drove it at the same speeds as before when it shuddered,and so far so good. No shuddering at all and it even seems a little peppier. I put about 25 miles on it with no problem yet! Good luck to all!
I will post again around 200 miles or so.

salynn · August 2007

I BOUGHT MY 07 PACIFICA ON JULY 3 AND ON JULY 4TH WITH 75 MILES ON IT, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR WASN'T SHIFTING. BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE TRANNY WAS SHOT. THEY COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! THEY GAVE US A NEW CAR AND WE HAD THAT ONE FOR 2 DAYS AND 160 MILES AND GUESS WHAT?! SAME PROBLEM!! THEY HAVE HAD THE CARE FOR 3 WEEKS AND IT IS STILL NOT FIXED. THEY SAID THEY WERE WAITING FOR A TORQUE CONVERTER AND THAT IT IS ON BACK ORDER. WAITING PATIENTLY FOR AN ANSWER FROM CHRYSLER. I WILL NEVER EVER BUY ANOTHER CHRYSLER AGAIN.

david613 · August 2007

Just picked mine up today as well. I spoke with the svc mgr who said that chrysler built a new torque converter whcih was placed in my Pac. After driving it home and a little around town, no more shuddering and improved shifting. It's great to actually enjoy my new car...maybe now I can put some miles on it.

komack · August 2007

Not sure where this fits in... however we have a 2005 awd touring and we just had the tie rods replaced. We heard knocking sounds from the front end when turing the steering wheel. Still hear knocking.. Thank god we had purchased extended warranty. Last month passenger rear window motor had to be replaced. We also had one stalling episode.. dealer could not find problem. Another website tracks problems.. carcomplaints.com not to much up there.. we should all update with our problems. Thats my next stop.. Love the look of the car.. however can live without these problems

kkodal · August 2007

i don't know if i am allowed to give another forums adress on here but i am a member of another forum and that forum helped me thru a lot.i never had any issues with my pac but on the upgrades it was very helpfull.there are lot of people who knows a lot about pac.if you would like the adress just e mail me at kerim_kodal@yahoo.com and i'll e mail you the name of the forum.some of you might already be a member of that forum i would definetely recommend to try it out.i am pretty sure you'll have most of your questions answered.

juiceman2k6 · August 2007

Ok we purchased our 07 Pacifica Touring around May, the 2nd week we had and the first rain the sunroof leaked like a ocean! We took it in to have that repaired and the next week the shuddering started and it was very cold natured "at start up if you accellerated it would almost cut off" so we took it in. Of course they said they didnt find or feel anything, a couple weeks later I took it back, this time they felt it and kept it for a week to order a TC! This was right after the 4th of July and it still didnt fix it, they also did a software upgrade to fix the stalling and you guessed it that didnt work either. The SM said he drove 3 new ones on the lot and they ALL did it, he stated he was talking to Detroit to try to get us a new car but his reccomendation was NOT to get another Pacifica!

mrrogers · August 2007

Concerning your one stalling episode, Technical Service bulletin TSB 180395 dated December 5, 2005 is a software update to correct the stalling problem. For more detail, please see post #4 in the Chrysler Pacifica Starting/Stalling Problems thread. Good luck!

juiceman2k6 · August 2007

As far as the stalling issue goes I have an 07 that is only 3 months old so a bulletin that is 18 months old should allready be corrected before the production of mine but they did do a software update that did not correct it!

kragtj · August 2007

Just took my '07 AWD Pacifica in to the dealer with the same "shudder" problem everyone seems to be having. They showed me a TSB #21-002-07 REV.B for this problem that states to "replace the torque converter and reprogram the PCM with the latest software using the flash procedure". The car has 3,000+ miles on it. They told me the problem affects several cars such as the Nitro, some 300s, Sebrings, etc. and that the pacificas affected are only the AWD models.Has replacing the torque converter solved the problem for you guys?

Chrysler Pacifica Transmission Problems

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