Overview & Reviews

The Chrysler Pacifica was one of the original large crossover wagons. In order to combine the driving attributes of a car with the utility offered by minivans and sport-utility vehicles, the Pacifica crossover had four front-hinged doors, an elevated seating position, five- or six-passenger seating and a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

Compared to other crossover wagons, the Chrysler Pacifica was relatively upscale and offered a wide array of creature comforts wrapped in elegantly chiseled sheet metal. Unfortunately, the Pacifica didn't possess particularly great interior packaging. While the first two rows were spacious for occupants, the third row was acceptable only for children and left very little space for cargo behind it when deployed. The rearmost seat does, however, fold flat into the floor in convenient 50/50 sections.

The Pacifica's Mercedes Benz-derived suspension garnered wide praise for its carlike ride and handling. But early Pacificas suffered from reliability woes and mediocre engines in a price bracket where potent and refined powertrains were the norm. Not helping matters were the large wagon's hefty weight and relatively unsophisticated four-speed automatic transmission, both of which took their toll on fuel economy. A significant update for 2007, however, brought about a new V6 engine, a new six-speed automatic for most models and updated styling.

Most Recent Chrysler Pacifica

The Chrysler Pacifica debuted for the 2004 model year, at which point it was offered only in base and Limited trim levels. The original base model was relatively well-equipped, but it was offered with fewer features and a lower price when the Touring trim level slotted in above it in 2005. At first, Pacificas were powered by a 3.8-liter V6 with 210 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. Reviewers faulted the gruff engine, which was barely up to the task of battling the Pacifica's formidable mass, especially on fully loaded all-wheel-drive models. Given that early 2004 Pacificas also had some well-known repair issues, we'd play it safe and restrict our search to 2005 and newer models.

A 3.5-liter V6 with 250 hp and 250 lb-ft became standard on all but the base front-wheel-drive model in 2005, and the 3.8-liter V6 was eliminated for 2006, leaving the 3.5-liter unit as the sole available engine. For 2007, the 3.8-liter mill returned in the base front-wheel-drive model, this time rated at 200 hp, and a 4.0-liter V6 replaced the 3.5-liter V6 in all other models. The 4.0-liter engine cranked out a respectable 255 hp and 265 lb-ft, and it was teamed with a new six-speed automatic transmission (the base engine continued with the old four-speed unit). All Pacificas were rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds.

Base 2004 Pacificas featured two-row, five-passenger seating and were fairly comfortable, thanks to niceties such as dual-zone climate control, a power driver seat and a load-leveling suspension. Starting in 2005, Touring models received additional standard features, a much longer options list and six-passenger seating via the addition of a two-passenger third-row seat and the replacement of the regular second-row bench with two bucket seats and a center console. The 2005 base model, meanwhile, lost some standard accoutrements and was priced lower going forward. The best-dressed and most luxurious Chrysler Pacifica was the Limited, which featured cleaner styling, bigger wheels and a long list of luxury features, including an upmarket audio system and a power liftgate.

In Chrysler Pacifica reviews, our editors found the crossover wagon's strengths to be its exceptional comfort for four, sedanlike driving characteristics, top-notch safety scores and upscale interior. The 3.8-liter engine is to be avoided, but the 3.5-liter and 4.0-liter V6s are decent performers. Downsides include a lack of legroom in the third row and a lack of overall utility when compared to the top available minivans.

User Reviews:

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  Test drove Limited edition - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By drramesh28@yahoo.com - May 24 - 6:08 pm

  I have 2011 Toyota Sienna, its 5.5 years old and has done 68000 miles, so I decided to buy another mini van, since Toyota sienna has planned to release their next model in spring 2017 and Odyssey is planning to release their next model by the end of this year, I decided the new Pacifica limited edition because of the hype that I have seen in the ads. This van looks good from front and kind of OK from rear ( rear is little bit shorter looking). The interior has a good speedometer display and I liked the in seat built entertainment system ( has 1 behind the diver seat and 1 behind the passenger seat). The second/third row seats are thin when compared to front seats and that over all looks weird. The storage cabinet between the diver seat and passenger seat are poorly made of cheap plastic and does not compare to the quality and storage capacity of sienna. The drive it self was very average when compared to my 5 year old seinna. We were waiting for a green signal , when the engine vibration was passed on to the van and the entire van started vibrating, my wife and I thought that the sales rep was shaking his leg but he wasnt. This van is no match for the quality of Toyota or Hondas. Consumer report even doubts the reliability of Chrysler brands and I completely agree with them. Other tactics these dealers use is, they will advertise a very low priced deal ( saying "get your internet price", this vehicle was $48000 and was listed for $41650), I went to the dealer in schaumburg, IL and asked about it and they said that vehicle was sold out??? Sold out in middle of the night? Beware buyers. Quality absolutely sucks. It all looks good on TV, but test drive it for at least a few miles before you commit to buy.

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  Worst car in my 45 years of owning cars - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Peter - November 11 - 1:11 pm

  This car is more unreliable than my 1995 Malibu, which I thought at the time could never be topped as the worst, most unreliable car ever. Don’t be fooled. I’ve owned my limited pacific for less than 6 months and I have a list of at least 15 things that have broken already. I woke up this morning with a non existent uconnect computer on top of everything else, which means you can’t run the heat apparently. Honestly, I am not going to waste my time listing all of the other major problems including the transmission already?! Bad job Chrysler. Worst car I’ve ever owned. Good thing I have the unlimited warranty. You will pay for all my trouble and inconvenience. Horrible

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  Electronics are Worthless - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Disappointed - April 14 - 11:15 am

  Save your money. The fancy video screens in the back are nothing more than electronic checker boards. Cannot get videos to stream to the back screens. Will not stream video from anything other than a hard drive. Netflix and any other video streaming service will not play (no matter what the dealer said).

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  Too new! Too many issues!!! - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Keila savage - March 7 - 9:27 pm

  I have had my 2017 Pacifica for 40 days and 15 of it, the car has been in the shop. The 3rd row which is imparitive to my family of 5 is stuck.(and after looking at reviews I see this is common) The dealership (tacoma dodge) has been a nightmare of unorganized and uneducated people attempting to fix it. Chrysler has been a bit non emergent or worried about my issue. I would never spend this type of money on a Dodge/Chrysler or Jeep again. Such a huge disappointment.

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  Assembly defect. Please stay away. - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Stefano Fiorini - July 18 - 9:02 am

  We bought the top of the line showroom car, yes, the Limited trim with all the bells and whistles. I have never bought a car from the Chrysler group and never bought an American car because of all I have heard throughout the years. Buy my wife and kids wanted a spacious car and we rented a Kia Sedona and a Toyota Sienna and enjoyed the space. So we traded in out perfect (German built) Mercedes GLA 250 4Matic for this Chrysler Pacifica Limited. AS we drove off the dealer lot we start hearing a noise like something was loose on the roof. We had to stop on the way home and found nothing visibly loose outside. It sounded something was just loose on the top. We quickly found out it was the roof glass that was not assembled tight. Went back to the dealer. They took it in and filled the top with dirty grease just to tell me that the glass was not assembled correctly and I had to take the car in next week so they could work on it. All this is just plain unacceptable and unbelievable to me. As I take full responsibility for actually going to a Chrysler dealer and buy this car, I recommend you to keep your money. If you really have to buy a minivan, go for a Toyota or a Honda.