Chrysler Pacifica: Problems & Solutions

guspac · December 2005

Yes, I bought a 13m and it was too small. My 2.7 Intrepid is a 14m. I think I will bring it to the dealer, ask who the 17year old kid with the impact wrench was that put it on 3000miles ago, ask for a change with my synthetic in hand and see what happens!!

mmyers1 · December 2005

Hey I have gotten the same noise also. I will try and complain to help your cause but some other new cars seem to be doing the same thing too. I think your right, It should be fixed. I was in a Toyota Seqoia (sp?) and it did the same thing to. Very stupid mistake in the design if they all do it.

mmyers1 · December 2005

hey, I am new to the site and looked in to this matter because of the Fuel starvation issue. Your inputs are enlightening and it is to bad that you have to go through the steps that you needed to go through, but thank you for informing others about the steps you took.
What are those steps and did you do the leg work are was it all done by your attorney? I will be taking my car in soon to be looked at. If they do not promptly repair the issue I will seek an arbitration hearing as well.

Thanks again

sbrcape · December 2005

3 times I have parked my 2004 on a slight inclined driveway. With the temp hovering around the 29F mark overnight. Backed down the driveway or did I freewheel down ? because at the bottom when I went to put it into "DRIVE" the engine revved up but the car stayed stationary. I tried in the manual gear selection but no joy there either. Car is in the dealers awaiting parts. Any clues anyone as to what is wrong.... I heard rumours that the computer does not like damp or cold overnighters ??

sbrcape · December 2005

Forgot to add that when the engine has warmed up for a couple of minutes then every thing works enjoyably well but I only have 27K on the clock. I am sure the oil/gasoline companies must wish everyone would drive Pacifica's and keep them rich. 6 km per litre (approx 14.5 m.p.g.)is totally ridiculous for local 4-18 mile trips in very slight traffic 23.5 mpg on the highway

imidazol97 · December 2005

The Pacifica is almost as large as a minivan. You can't expect sedan like gas mileage.

sbrcape · December 2005

I fully realise that it is no lightweight in fact it feels as secure as a Hummer but the point is my 2002 Grand Caravan gave 29mpg fully loaded on my snowbird trips and 18/19 round town. Thats excellent...I can see why people enjoy the Honda Odyssey..You can save enough gas money for a vacation driving their latest.
One smart Pacifica owner remarked "Get to know your gas attendant, you will be seeing a lot of him" and I thought at the time he was being funny !!!!! WRONG !!!!

qbrozen · December 2005

then drive a minivan.

Our Pacifica gets only slightly worse mileage than our Pilot (and we got excellent mileage in our Pilot compared to the hundreds of posts I saw complaining about mileage in the teens). And, given the Pac is 400 lbs. heavier than the Pilot, the mileage per pound is dead on even with the Pilot.

by the way, is your Pac AWD or FWD? Ours is AWD and we average around 19 mpg in mixed driving.

bjbird2 · December 2005

How does your Pilot honestly compare to the Pacifica? As an owner of both, it would be interesting to hear your opinions. My Pacifica lease will be ending next year, and as much as I like the vehicle, I always like to shop the market.
This 2007 Toyota Highlander concept caught my eye recently. It's a beautiful design, at least in concept form.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/FVDP/Preview/styleId=100531781?synpartner=e- - dmunds&pageurl=www.edmunds.com/future/2007/toyota/highlander/100531781/preview.h- - tml

qbrozen · December 2005

We put 50k miles on our '03 Pilot before trading for the Pac. We liked the Pilot alot, but the temptation to get into a new vehicle after just 2.5 years in the Pilot and break even was too great (a testament to the Pilot's strong resale value).

Actually, we were looking for an '05 Pilot to replace it, but the Honda dealers just wouldn't give us fair money for our old Pilot. The deep discounts on the Pac and the extremely high trade-in they gave us for the Pilot won us over.

As far as comparing the 2, like I said, the gas mileage is very similar. The Pac is quieter inside, has more features, is more luxurious, and more comfortable. The Pilot, however, had a much smoother and more powerful drivetrain (regardless of what the hp/torque numbers say, the Pilot could run circles around the Pac), not to mention more utility (seating for 8 and more usable cargo space with the seats folded). So both cars have their positive points. If the Pac drivetrain could be up to spec with the Honda, it would be no contest. If Chrysler would just use a Benz tranny in the Pac like they have in so many of their other vehicles, they'd have a true winner, IMHO.

We also leased the Pac ... sort of. Its one of those baloon note things. I'm 85% sure we'll be giving it back at the end of the 3 years, though. We really are enjoying it, but I just don't trust Chrysler transmissions past their warranty period, frankly. So I won't be taking a chance. Hopefully by that time they'll be using a better trans, and maybe we'll take another one to replace it.

I think, overall, the Pac is a better bargain than the Pilot (taking discounts into account). We were looking at, if I recall correctly, about $27k for a leftover Pilot EXL (no DVD or navigation). For $26,600 we got a leftover Pac with all the features of the Pilot PLUS driver memory settings, heated rear seats, power liftgate, power pedals, satellite radio, and DVD system (oh yeah, and more airbags). BUT, if a better drivetrain and higher resale are high on your list, you just can't argue with picking the Pilot, in spite of losing those features.

As far as that highlander, it looks like a neat design, but seems to me the third row would be either very cramped or nonexistent in such a sleek package. Besides, I've sworn off Toyotas for life, thanks to the pompous dealers I've dealt with in the past.

fljoslin · December 2005

Actually the Pacifica weighs more than the Town and Country (about 4500lbs vs. 4300 lbs) has a significantly more powerful engine and many have AWD.
If you want sedan mileage, get a sedan. If you want minivan mileage, get a minivan. If you want lousy mileage get a cross over SUV like the Pacifica.
We own a sedan (1999 Intrepid), a minivan (2006 Odyssey) and a 2005 Pacifica. The Odyssey weighs the same as the Pacifica, is much larger and more comfortable inside, had the same MSRP, has the same power engine and get about 28 mpg on the highway and 20 mpg in town.
Our Pacifica gets 15 mpg in town while a 95 Suburban we just sold got 13 mpg in town!

mmyers1 · December 2005

Did chrysler fix your car with the "flash" info?

laurheis · December 2005

We, too, chose the Pacifica over the Pilot in 2004, because it seemed like a better bargain. Our Pacifica, unfortunately, was a lemon, and Chrysler bought it back from us after only 10 months of ownership. We had no desire to try another Pacifica. We have now owned our Pilot for the same amount of time and have taken it in for oil changes and routine maintenance. I have a 3 and 6 year old in the car with me 80% of the time, and just having the peace of mind that I do now - as opposed to the fear that I was just waiting for the next thing to break on the Pacifica - is priceless. Plus, the price of the 2005 Pilot came down so substantially that we were able to get exactly what we wanted for the exact amount of money that Chrysler gave us back.
Visibility was always an issue for me in the Pacifica, and the Pilot suits me better. The Pacifica was just not the right car for me.

sbrcape · December 2005

Well was informed that the reason the transmission did not go into drive on the slope was due to a leak in the txmission oil cooler. Unfortunately they dont keep those parts in stock so have to wait till they are flown in from Edmonton(Canadian West) Thats their say .. Well I did not seee any oil patches under the car as I looked for that. Mine is a 2 WD. I traded my 2 yr Grand Caravan in for a price I couldn't refuse and also got a good discount on the Pac. But have you noticed that Chrysler no longer spend money on adverts for the Pac.... Am I to presume it is a lost leader and that it will be goodbye Pacifica next year as they must have lost a bundle on it !!!
To those who said I should buy a sedan if I wanted the mileage.. That would be nice I have had and raced Volvos all my life till the G.Caravan came into my life but leg injuries do not permit enjoying a low seated car anymore and the Pac is as comfortable as an old pair of slippers ..and with a better lumbar support than my last Volvo and a lot more nimble than the G Caravan.

qbrozen · December 2005

i'm assuming from the weight you quoted, you have a FWD Pac? I'm surprised at that mileage. I would only get 15 in our 4700 lb. AWD Pac if I hammered on it around town all the time.

fljoslin · December 2005

i'm assuming from the weight you quoted, you have a FWD Pac? I'm surprised at that mileage. I would only get 15 in our 4700 lb. AWD Pac if I hammered on it around town all the time.

All weights quoted were from the manufacturers web sites. The Pacifica Touring AWD was about 4500 lbs. I think that if you "hammer" it you will get significantly less than 15 mpg. That is nursing it!!!!!!! :mad:
Again, driving a pig of a suburban (1995, 6000 lbs +) with the throttle body fuel injection 350 (not multi point) without the vortec heads only got 2 mpg less in the city driving the same way, but in 2 wheel drive. That was also a ten year older design!!!!!!!!!

marty6 · December 2005

I read your above message. I will be trying to replace my front low beam headlight tomorrow. Can you give me more step by step instructions? How much does the low beam light cost?

Thanks,
Marty6

mrrogers · December 2005

As you stated in your previous message, you will remove the two screws. I would place a towel or some masking tape on the bumper below the headlight to protect the bumper from scratches. I slid the light assembly out about an inch. I then applied firm pressure to the fender side of the light assembly. This pushed the grill side of the light assembly in slightly, and I was then able to carefully remove the light assembly.
I purchased the PIAA bulbs on eBay. As I recall, they were around $50 for a pair.

pacificablues · December 2005

After over a week and a half of not having the car they used the "flash" and now i am waiting for it to get below half a tank of gas to see if it stalls again.

Last time it stalled a semi almost killed us! It stopped about a foot from the car with the trailer end sideways!

:lemon: :lemon: :lemon: now i need to make lemon aid!

pacificablues · December 2005

Just submitted on the NHTSA interesting that there are over 79 posting already for multiple reasons on the pacifica. Also I noticed a bunch for stalling! :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:

djag · December 2005

The Pacifica Limiteed I have gets 18 mpg in town consistently and 26 on the highway. You must have a heavy foot. It drives much better than my son's Odyssey and is quieter on the road by far. Lots of plastic in the Odyssey but a very good design in many ways. His only complaint is the seats dont fold flat like the Chrysler minivan.

pacificablues · December 2005

ON a side note How did you convince chrysler to take it back. My 2005 is terrible. I have attempted to contact the product rep whom I was told can authorize a buy back and the number she left on my voice mail. was a random exchange. No vocie mail. So now Im dead in the water. And the dealership will not give me her direct line!! Any ideas.

:lemon: :lemon: :lemon:

laurheis · December 2005

We retained a Lemon Law attorney. We were not interested in trying to negotiate anything with Chrysler. Our particular car was such a lemon that Chrysler agreed to buy it back - no haggling at all - within two weeks of our attorney filing the paperwork. The first time we went to our attorney's office was to pick up our check from Chrysler. It was all handled via the telephone and fax. Very easy. In California, the car manufacturer has to pay all associated legal costs, so this did not cost us a penny. If your particular car fits the criteria for the Lemon Law in your state, I would suggest that you go straight to an attorney. I hate to say this, but Chrysler is in the car selling business - not the car buying business, so I would guess that you would have a difficult time getting what you want WITHOUT the assistance of an attorney.

acharles · December 2005

I have a 2004 Pacifica and I have had battery problems since I bought the car. First I was told the DVD player was installed incorrectly. Symptoms are the same as I've read others have had. If I leave the tailgate or doors open to pack the car for a trip, unload groceries, etc. the car will either barely crank or needs to be jumped.

After 2 recent trips to the dealer, the service manager reluctantly changed the battery last week. Two days after installation, the car would not start after I spent less than 15 minutes with a door open so I could install something on the roof rack. I have been told the battery is undersized by Chrysler and my brother, a Toyota mechanic.

Today, my wife talked to Chrysler customer service about getting a more powerful battery. We actually offered to pay the difference in cost. They told us it could void our warranty.

What steps should I take to get action? Any recommendations would be appreciated.

fljoslin · December 2005

I'm sorry you are experiencing poor mileage, but, as you can see, that is not the norm, by any means.

I just went to the mileage page for Pacificas. Quite a few 16's mpg in the city and one 11 mpg city.
The Suburban only needed 87 octane vs the 89 octane the Pacifica needs making the difference in driving costs (15 mpg at 89 octane vs. 13 mpg at 87 octane) even less.

axr6 · December 2005

The easiest solution is to turn OFF the inside lights on your steering wheel mounted lights stick. It is a rotating switch.

Chrysler put too many inside lights into the car, namely 10 of them. When you open the door they draw just about the same amount of current from the battery as if you had left the main headlights ON.

I had one dead battery situation and immediately suspected those lights. I actually measured the current drain to be 8 Amps. Since I turned OFF the inside lights, not a single battery problem, despite the fact that my Pacifica sits for weeks at a time without being started up.

WHen you need those light, just open the door and click them on. It is an easy solution.

And, yes, Chrysler did mess up with those lights and the size of the battery.

qbrozen · December 2005

I just went to the mileage page for Pacificas. Quite a few 16's mpg in the city and one 11 mpg city.

short thread there, so i took a quick tally of what owners claim they are getting in city driving.

we've got the one report of 11 you cited, and one report of 23.5. These are both far out of the curve, so we can toss both numbers.

Then I've got the following left:
15.5; 16; 16.5 (3 reports); 16.8; 17; 17.8; 18 (2 reports); 18.5; and 18.9

So, like I said, your 15 number is NOT the norm. Average seems to be a hair over 17, which is right around my normal city driving number. I actually think I would get a bit below 17 if my wife wasn't in the car.

fljoslin · December 2005

So, like I said, your 15 number is NOT the norm. Average seems to be a hair over 17, which is right around my normal city driving number. I actually think I would get a bit below 17 if my wife wasn't in the car.

Ouch!
Different city driving I guess. Also, we run Mobil 1 synthetic and a K&N filter. I hope to take the Pacifica on an 800 mile round trip next week. I will post the mileage. I got 27.1 mpg in my Odyssey EX-L on this trip in Oct. and usually right at 28 mpg in my 1999 Intrepid ES, 3.2L. My 1995 Suburban would religiously get 15 mpg.

qbrozen · December 2005

i look forward to your report. We have not yet had the oppurtunity to go on a long highway run with ours.

thimmaker · December 2005

Iv'e posted this before but we make a 600 mile each way trip to Tenn about 6 times a year and consistantly get 23.5 to 24 all the time. I reset at the start of every trip in both directions so its not a dragged out average of all the trips. I have even reset while driving to check out flat roads versus slight grades, and different speeds to find the best mileage. Its at 62,000 right now.

craig19 · December 2005

No it did not power back up. I have been told that the EVIC may be out. And I was told by a dealer that it is very expensive to replace. I called Chrysler about replacing it, but they said that the mileage is too high. What a disappointmen. A very basic function to die in under two years.

qbrozen · December 2005

what model do you have?

sbrcape · December 2005

I agree, since switching to a synthetic oil the engine The engine fires up immediately even when the temp drops down to -12 and thanks for the tip about switching all the internal lights off though I guess the batteries up here are much heftier than those down south for obvious reasons. The only trouble with the Pac in these cold climates is the fuel consumption really takes a big dive and I have had to block the radiator off to keep the engine compartment warmer and not get insane gas mileages

rodut · December 2005

That's dangerous and useless to do.

It's dangerous because if you block the radiator your engine could overheat when in traffic jams.

It's useless because the engine will heat anyway, doesn't matter how cold outside. It has a thermostat who will partially cut the cooling liquid flow through the radiator path. You can look at the water temperature indicator, and see that it reaches its normal temperature anyway.

The fuel consumption is worse in cold weather mostly because of the transmission. The transmission oil gets very thick, so the frictions grow a lot. If you have AWD, it's a lot worse than the FWD, because the AWD has more liquids. Especially the AWD rear differential is not heated at all (far away from the engine, and subject to the frozen air flow). FWD cars don't have it.

thimmaker · December 2005

Its an 04 built in May of 03. All wheel drive and right off the lot. Purchased in July of 03 and the only model available at the time. Pretty much trouble free since new. I really don't mind any of the typical Clinks and Clanks these things have, its still a great vehicle.

guspac · December 2005

Well i was not nuts. I took it in to replace the headlights. They took the whole right corner of the car off to replace one lamp!! Great design. Also, the 13mm oil drain bolt that I could not get off....when the tech got it off, out came threads from the aluminium oil pan. ererer! They ordered new parts and will replace at no charge.
We still love this car but it is frustrating to not be able to do routine matinence!

my3rdrx · December 2005

I don't know what dealer you took it to, but I routinely pull the headlamps out myself without any problem (it's because I had replaced my halogen ones with HID). I can usually replace a bulb in less than five minutes!

guspac · December 2005

5 star of course!! I tried to do the headlight for 1 1/2 hours but couldn't get it out! I took out the 2 bolts and pulled yanked, used a paint stick, undid body bolts and it wouldn't come out!! Must be a tighter body clearance!

kcwa · December 2005

Hi -- we are new to this forum, but also own an 04 Pacifica that has had battery issues from day 1. The dealer did install a new battery for us, and that seemed to correct the problem for a few months with us using the car normally i.e, all the lights are on auto and turn off automatically. THe car is dead again in our garage.

I don't think the "easy solution" is realistic on a $30k+ car :-)

We LOVE our car other than this. FOr a while we were dead in the garage at least 2x per month. Has anyone had ANY success with the dealer getting this resolved? Getting towed in again for them to diagnose...

THanks.

bobw3 · December 2005

Next time you make your 600 mile trip, try calculating the mpg manually rather than with the trip computer to see what you're really getting. The trip computers aren't always very accurate no matter when you reset them. But if you just reset your trip odometer, then just look at how many miles you've driven when you fill up again, then divide those miles by whatever it takes to fill it back up again, then you'll have a better mpg estimate. Do that everytime you fill up on your 1200 mile round trip and you should get a pretty good average. Then compare to what your trip computer says.

adw0672 · December 2005

I am in the same situation! Do not let the dealership keep sending you away! My Pacifica has stalled 5 times, only on a slow, left turn. The first dealership told me about the two fuel tanks and that the transfer pump between them must be bad. I took them at their word and began driving the vehicle again, only to have the problem persist. They replaced the transfer pump three times claiming they must have all been faulty. Give me a break! The second dealership I went to re programmed the software, but would not guarantee me the car was fixed. Asked me if I could tell them how to recreate the problem... if I new how to recreate it I wouldn't do it to begin with!

Loved the Pacifica overall, but traded it in for a Town and Country. Too many close calls with the Pacifica. Not worth endangering your family!

bobpacifica · December 2005

I'm interested in any legal actions. My 2004 Pacifica makes this noise every time I turn while in reverse or going forward at a low speed.

:lemon: :lemon: :lemon:

ncpacifica · December 2005

Just purchased our Pacifica, used with 9k miles, a month ago. It's been cold here so only recently did my son roll down the back window (to cool off a Wendy's chicken nugget HA). OH MY GOODNESS! At 55mph, the sound was bad enough to make my eardrums actually itch, and then start hurting, also giving everyone in the car a headachy feeling for the next couple of hours. I have owned all kinds of SUVs , Cars, trucks, and I have experienced the noise before. The Lincoln LS we had would do it to the point that it would annoy you, but NOTHING like this. I am sure if you put some kind of meter in the car that could measure that, you could probably go deaf. Normal occurrence , BS. This vehicle should not roll off the lot or out of the factory like this. And I dont care if I only spend $5,000 for a car, to tell me to roll another window down so it will go away is not a fix.

I have talked to other people who have said they just dont let their kids or anyone roll down the back windows. What kind of crap is this for a $30k vehicle?

Anyone who has actually talked to Chrysler or the service managers at a dealership, what kind of response do you get? With that kind of noise, and if Chrysler knows about it, why not just lock the windows so you can't roll them down at all. WHen someone has a busted ear drum or something and Chrysler gets sued, I bet they do something to fix it.

bobw3 · December 2005

Just curious...because of the problems you had with your Pacifica, did you consider any other minivans other than the T&C? Or do you only buy Chrylser? Just wondering because

margo1204 · December 2005

Our '05 PAC stalled around 2800 miles and hasn't happened again until Christmas. It stalled, this time making a left hand turn. We are at 10k miles now. I was kinda "swooping" into a neighborhood--without coming to a complete stop before doing so. I was pulling up to the gate code station and when I went to pull a little closer--nothing!!! I was stunned ,as well, b/c both times it has happened I haven't known anything was wrong until I needed to brake, turn or accelerate! It gives you NO indication prior to stalling that anything has happened! I am about to take her in, again. I am hoping that they find something. If not, we will either file a lemon law complaint or something. Please email me if thay find anything at your dealership.

margo1204 · December 2005

I rarely run 87 in my pac. The first time it happened I was running 93 octane in it b/c that is what I have had to run in my other cars. After gas prices went up I started using 89. There is no reason for a car to just "die". Even if these cars adjust to the driver--it is a safety hazard and it shouldn't happen under any conditions!! I just tried to file this new complaint with the NHTSA and they only allow one complaint per car. You can update info, but only file one complaint. I have also noticed that sometimes when I brake my car still surges forward a little. Taking her in--maybe they will find something.

margo1204 · December 2005

Nope. Our PAC is a FWD touring. It has stalled twice.

nelson33 · December 2005

Ah the mysterious "stall" still plagues us all to this day. For me it has only happened once and I'm quite happy about that. However, there are still moments, not frequently, where you feel a rpm stumble where it might stall. Hasn't happened yet. Since I changed my own oil at 3500 miles, I've no real reason to take it in just yet. When I finally do, I have a small number of issues to address at once. I refuse to take this car in multiple times for one problem at a time. The stalling issue seems like a job for the X-files since there are so many theories flying around. Some say software, others say fuel line, octane rating, some say less than half a tank. I personally think it's BigFoot tinkering w. the engine while I sleep at night.

Here is my list:

1) Car stalled making left turn to an abrupt stop. Plus infrequent rpm idle stumble.

2) rear driver side door manual lock switch inoperable.

3) Twice so far, after leaving rear hatch open and attempting to close by remote. Remote becomes inoperable, car turns on but dash display will not turn on. After turning off and on again, car works normal again but check engine symbol stays lit for a bit then goes away.

I frequently check this forum for some news of a permanent fix to this stalling prob. but I don't think it really exist yet. If I find out something, I will surely post it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

mrrogers · December 2005

I have a 2006 FWD base Pacifica, and I notice that it idles faster with the A/C on. Do you recall if you had the A/C on when your car stalled? Good luck!

margo1204 · December 2005

I almost always have the ac on--we live in Houston. I don't recall if I did the last time or not. It went in today and they actually found something wrong with the PAC. They said that 2 or 3 weeks ago, Chrysler sent out a "memo"--he made it a point to tell me it wasn't a "recall", but that if they had any complaints like mine they had a "cure". I haven't picked up my car yet, but he said a module had been replaced and then he said the problem was software related. Whatever that means, right? I'll explain in better detail after I talk to them tomorrow. The idle on my PAC always seems low--I think. I haven't really noticed.
Thanks!

Chrysler Pacifica: Problems & Solutions

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Chrysler Pacifica: Problems &amp; Solutions

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Chrysler Pacifica: Problems & Solutions