Whither Pacifica?

February 7, 2009 6:16 PM

Does anyone have anything to say about the Chrysler Pacifica?

It seems to be a really good fit for our growing family's needs, but searching online for reviews has turned up polarized opinions. It seems they either last forever or fall apart as you drive off the lot.

We're looking at 2006 AWD Touring models with low miles.

I am aware there was a recall on some during this model year, and also see a lot of complaints about ABS sensors breaking.

What have been the experiences of the hivemind?

posted by Mr. Anthropomorphism to travel & transportation (10 comments total)

A neighbor had to dump his because of transfer case problems.
posted by Raybun at 6:39 PM on February 7

the only thing that should influence your decision to buy this vehicle (assuming it meets your needs, cost, etc.) is a statistical analysis of its reliability. all are not created equal.

for example, american brands often cite JD Power's initial quality reports. a car could be engineered by fifth-graders and as long as it rolls of the line without any blemishes, it scores well.

then there's consumer reports, but it depends on self-reporting, so there may be a built-in bias (everyone knows that CR readers are subaru-driving america-hating hippies, right?)

you could also check out the recall reports from the nhtsa, but you can't count on the volume of reports as an indicator of quality (a toyota might have chronic interior trim issues, while the ford pinto only has one: it blows up).

the last thing you should ever, ever do is take advice from people on internet forums because despite the mythology, common sense = !science. people online, including me, don't know what they're talking about. all they have is personal experience and perhaps the input of a mechanic. however, each experience is a single data point, and each is informed by mechanics or dealers who often a) don't know what they're talking about, or b) have a vested interest in obfuscating the reality that the products they sell are junk. what's more, people treat their vehicles differently. my brother-in-law is a shitty driver and goes through cars at the rate of probably one a year. my 20-year old pathfinder must be approaching 1/5 million km, and still runs. my parents have it now.

and once you have a realistic statistical picture of the car you want, all it does is estimate the probability that you'll have a problem. you might buy a lexus (probably the best-made cars in existence) and get a lemon. you might get a land rover (by far, the worst) and beat on it for the rest of your life.

so, to sum up.... well, i'd recommend looking at the reliability reports in consumer reports. it's usually safe to ignore their driving tests (etc.) because you'll be doing your own test drive, but the reliability stats are probably ok. the conventional wisdom, according to CR and the reports of their readers, has been that chrysler makes garbage. i tend to agree. YMMV.
posted by klanawa at 7:07 PM on February 7 [2 favorites has favorites]

um, that's 1/2 million km, above.
posted by klanawa at 7:24 PM on February 7

A family member has one and says mileage is sadly comparable to the V8 they used to drive. It looks nice and has been extremely reliable for 37k miles but isn't pleasant to ride in or drive.

Consumer Guide full review. ...engine feels labored uphill and in passing maneuvers. The words obscured view and confining come up several times in this review, and I've also found it laborious to drive and very confining.
posted by auntbunny at 10:42 PM on February 7

I drove the one may parents owned on several occasions. I'm used to driving vans, minivans and SUVs. I found the Pacifica ride very comfortable but the rear visibility was poor, and it sure wasn't overpowered either Nice ride otherwise.

A close family friend's lease is rwinding down on a loaded Pacifica. She had a transmission issue early on that was repaired under warranty. Aside from the heated seats, she can't wait to get out of it and into something else. She formerly had a Ford Explorer and like it a lot. Speaking as a passenger, hers was very comfortable inside.

I would hope that there are some bargains out there since people are not beating down the doors to buy these, and never have.
posted by imjustsaying at 1:35 AM on February 8

...apologizing for the typos (rwinding and like instead of liked) above.
posted by imjustsaying at 1:37 AM on February 8

My Mom has one. Handles like a lead pig, and accelerates like one, too. Wallowing would be a good description of its road dynamic. Thirsty, thirsty, thirsty engine, you'll never see more than 16mpg. Blind spots you could hide the Hoover Dam in, and my Dad actually resorts to opening the liftgate when he backs out (to be fair, this last issue is a problem with most "crossovers" and "MPVs", and not just a Pacifica thing.)

Seats six with tons of head, foot and elbow room. Seats seven if someone's small. Like a tank in the snow, so long as you keep the speed reasonable. No mechanical or electrical problems at all, and I have an '04 Dodge Neon with 135k miles and no mechanical issues to speak of*, so not all Chrysler products are mechanical losers.

(*The foglight indicator shows the foglights are on, even when they aren't - it's a problem with the switch that developed at 110k miles after I almost broke it when I tangled it in my laptop bag strap. Also, I had a sparkplug wire break, but it was an aftermarket brand I bought for the 35k mile tune-up.)

The price is going to be hard to beat, but make sure you get a warranty and a pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you trust.
posted by Slap*Happy at 1:12 PM on February 8

truedelta.com is a good place to start for stats
posted by lalochezia at 6:12 PM on February 8

Thanks everyone.

Based on the power complaints, we're now looking to spend a little more to get an '07 with the bigger engine and 6 speed trans instead of 4. We'll definitely buy one still under warranty and hope for the best.
posted by Mr. Anthropomorphism at 9:13 AM on February 9

lalochezia, that is a great site!
posted by Mr. Anthropomorphism at 9:21 AM on February 9