PacHy Owners: If you had a choice to do it over, would you still get the PacHy?
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Would you like me to list new cars that are not reliable , just saying . From recalls for software updates , engines and powertrain that fail , cars that catch fire that are either parked or moving , glass that detaches itself from the body , tires and rims that detach themselves while in motion . So if you think manufacturers are all building reliable vehicles your quite misguided . No foreign , domestic, Asian , niche , car manufacturer has not at some time issued a recall or tsb .
I own a Tesla Model Y, which I love. But if I meet you at a party and the topic of cars comes up I’m going to talk your ear off about my 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. It’s one of the best vehicles I’ve ever owned. I’m eagerly awaiting a 2022/2023 model which I put money down for in August.
With nightly charging I can get 1,500 miles on a half tank of gas. (I never fill it fully.) The ride is super smooth. The third row stow and go seats are ridiculously convenient. The user experience of everything on the dashboard and steering wheel is a delight to use. (Both the physical controls as well as the stuff on the touchscreen.) It’s quiet inside the cabin, even at highway speeds. The handling is… well, it handles like a minivan. 😁
I’ve had zero mechanical issues in three years of ownership, and in my opinion it’s hands down the best looking minivan for sale in North America.
I wish the hybrid had the vacuum option. I wish it had an AWD option. I wish it had 2nd row stow and go seats like the ICE version has. I wish it were fully electric. Maybe in five years Stellantis will make my perfect minivan, but until then this is as close to perfect as it gets for me.
With nightly charging I can get 1,500 miles on a half tank of gas. (I never fill it fully.) The ride is super smooth. The third row stow and go seats are ridiculously convenient. The user experience of everything on the dashboard and steering wheel is a delight to use. (Both the physical controls as well as the stuff on the touchscreen.) It’s quiet inside the cabin, even at highway speeds. The handling is… well, it handles like a minivan. 😁
I’ve had zero mechanical issues in three years of ownership, and in my opinion it’s hands down the best looking minivan for sale in North America.
I wish the hybrid had the vacuum option. I wish it had an AWD option. I wish it had 2nd row stow and go seats like the ICE version has. I wish it were fully electric. Maybe in five years Stellantis will make my perfect minivan, but until then this is as close to perfect as it gets for me.
Would definitely buy again. Ours has been trouble-free so far, and we appreciate all the features mentioned by others. My wish list if it were redesigned is quite short:
That's really all it would take for this to be perfect. But I'm not holding my breath...
Does anyone else think the VW ID.Buzz is the natural successor to PacHy once it's stateside in 2025? It should have the long wheelbase, AWD, and 300 mile range by the time it arrives.
- electric AWD (Like Toyota Sienna) which wouldn't require driveshaft and interfere with the battery pack, or reduce range in normal traction conditions
- Bump up battery capacity to extend range to ~50 miles
- EV mode select to have better control of battery use, same as in Jeep 4xe systems
That's really all it would take for this to be perfect. But I'm not holding my breath...
Does anyone else think the VW ID.Buzz is the natural successor to PacHy once it's stateside in 2025? It should have the long wheelbase, AWD, and 300 mile range by the time it arrives.
2022 Chrysler Pacifica Touring L + w/o Sphere and front and rear parking assist (chip shortage)
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I definitely would but I definitely would not buy my Touring L + model with the deleted Hemisphere and both front and rear parking assists deleted also because of the chip shortage. I realize now why the dealer was discounting $2,000 off the MSRP when everyone else was charging full MSRP. Even he was charging full MSRP on every one of the more expensive ones he had. Not only are these features important to have but the additional credit I was given on the MSRP sticker (in addition to the dealer's $2,000 discount) seems more like the wholesale cost and not what I was really charged for them. Also the cross-traffic alert seems to not work as good for some reason.
grrr...don't even think about taking this mobile living room away from me...
and Dad says: 10k miles, minor software updates and one radio replacement, otherwise no problems. Local errands never use gasoline. Traveling and camping in comfort. Yes, he would buy again.
Not that I want any of those, either, but 6 weeks off the road over the span of a year? You gotta be kidding!
2020 Pacifica Hybrid Limited. Luxury White Pearl - SafetyTec - UConnect Theater & Sound - Sun Roof
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98 Posts
Two years old, 21k miles. I would buy it again. No real issues so far, though I did have the collision braking come on in my driveway once, with nothing around it. It has also braked a couple times on the road when it didn't need to. It seems a bit flaky.
Things I would like:
Things I would like:
- larger battery. Double the size and I would only use gas for cross country trips. I would pay a premium for extended range.
- customizable profiles for adaptive cruise control acceleration. When following a slow car, cruise control accelerates much more quickly than needed when the followed car leaves the lane
- better control of the auto-tilting mirrors when backing up. Most of the time they are useful, but sometimes I would like to quickly return them to normal.
- tie-down points in the back. I use the van to care lots of stuff. Four to six tie-downs in the back would be helpful. Especially when carrying heavy items I don't want to shift.
- hand grab above the drivers seat. My old van had this. It was comfortable to grab with my left hand on long trips.
- the ability to record the cameras like a Tesla. Both when stationary and moving.
- the ability to view the back camera when driving. I carry long loads with the rear hatch open, but cinched down. I would like that they are still tied down well, that my caution flag is still intact.
- support for towing
- I would consider a full EV version if it had a range of 440 miles and recharge time of 20 min to 80%. That range would meet or exceed my bladder range
It's a great vehicle when it works, but ours having spent more than 3 months in the shop in the first 18 months of ownership means I could never recommend the pacifica hybrid. I believe the non-hybrid would be a better choice for reliability.
And despite what others might say in the above comments, not all vehicles are created equal, and not all vehicles/manufacturers are equally reliable. And not all manufacturers react the same way when issues pop up.
From my experience FCA has been at the worst end of that spectrum. Of all the vehicles I've owned and driven in my life, the Chrysler Pacifica has absolutely been the least reliable and has the absolute worst/slowest response from the manufacturer.
It's very frustrating considering how comfortable the PACHY is to drive. It saves money/time thanks to the hybrid drivetrain, but when the vehicle is constantly at the dealership for issues then any time/cost benefit gained is wiped out quite quickly. Even more-so, the severity of the issues plaguing the PACHY means it's very unsafe. Considering the NHTSA is investigating the PACHY for having the issue of randomly shutting off while driving is a massive safety issue, one that my family has had to deal with personally.
Great when it works. Unreliable though and the severity of the issues leading to unreliability also make it unsafe.
And despite what others might say in the above comments, not all vehicles are created equal, and not all vehicles/manufacturers are equally reliable. And not all manufacturers react the same way when issues pop up.
From my experience FCA has been at the worst end of that spectrum. Of all the vehicles I've owned and driven in my life, the Chrysler Pacifica has absolutely been the least reliable and has the absolute worst/slowest response from the manufacturer.
It's very frustrating considering how comfortable the PACHY is to drive. It saves money/time thanks to the hybrid drivetrain, but when the vehicle is constantly at the dealership for issues then any time/cost benefit gained is wiped out quite quickly. Even more-so, the severity of the issues plaguing the PACHY means it's very unsafe. Considering the NHTSA is investigating the PACHY for having the issue of randomly shutting off while driving is a massive safety issue, one that my family has had to deal with personally.
Great when it works. Unreliable though and the severity of the issues leading to unreliability also make it unsafe.
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127 Posts
Yes
I've had a few minor/resolvable issues with my Limited Hybrid. Annoying but not game changing.
A safety control module (airbags, seatbelts, etc...) went bad and caused the whole van to crap out. I had a CEL during the infamous battery cooler issue (fixed by a software flash) and my FCW/Adaptive cruise went out (fixed by a software flash), but nothing directly related to the hybrid system ever failed.
My big wish is that these vans could have been fully electric. For a 5,000lb vehicle it feels effortless to drive under battery power and I really enjoy the experience. The ICE isn't bad but it definitely struggles a tiny bit when the van is loaded up or im going uphill or into heavy winds.
I've had a few minor/resolvable issues with my Limited Hybrid. Annoying but not game changing.
A safety control module (airbags, seatbelts, etc...) went bad and caused the whole van to crap out. I had a CEL during the infamous battery cooler issue (fixed by a software flash) and my FCW/Adaptive cruise went out (fixed by a software flash), but nothing directly related to the hybrid system ever failed.
My big wish is that these vans could have been fully electric. For a 5,000lb vehicle it feels effortless to drive under battery power and I really enjoy the experience. The ICE isn't bad but it definitely struggles a tiny bit when the van is loaded up or im going uphill or into heavy winds.
Has Chrysler fixed the whole electrical issue about the car dying on the road (e.g., youtube videos of people getting stranded on the highway)? I've seen a couple of examples where I think the transmission was replaced and it solved the issue for some and not others? Most of these were 2021 models and not sure if 2022 models have the same issue.
Do you mind sharing more about your experience, especially re: the car shutting off randomly? That's the biggest concern I have for the PacHy, and there are more complaints (and actual live recorded examples on youtube) that are really concerning from a safety perspective.
I can deal with the media center having issues or other things that doesn't impact ability to actually drive the car, but major safety issues like battery catching fire or car shutting off while driving are crazy. My 2019 Subaru Ascent is one of the lowest rated cars for reliability, and I've certainly had a few hiccups (e.g., with media center), but never had an issue that impacted ability to drive the car.
That issue is being fixed by a transaxle replacement, but there is currently an investigation underway that was started by NHTSA in response to consumer complaints. That investigation could end in a recall or some other resolution. Shows why is important to report these things to the regulator.
Are these only being fixed as one-offs as it happens, or has there been an actual fix for cars dated after X date?
They are being fixed as one-offs. Chrysler hasn't started a campaign or anything. They had obviously been looking into it themselves as diagnosis and parts ordered had to go through the STAR Centre. But nothing official had been announced on the cause. But there had been a number of reports to NHTSA that got their attention and they started an investigation.
The majority (but not all) of our issues have been posted here: Just got our van back after 7+ weeks at dealership service, over 700 miles from our home. Here's the story so far. | 2017+ Chrysler Pacifica Minivan Forums (pacificaforums.com)
I don't plan on making any more updates with any current issues as we've reached a satisfactory resolution with FCA in our case.
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