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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  Never buy one - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By dlpannebakker - April 7 - 10:42 pm

  At first great auto. After owning for 2 years the black roof trim attachment points broke on both sides, dash panel in front of dash cracked and now the worst transmission failure. I never had a trans failure in any one of my cars. 2 Olds 442, 1 69 Hurst/Olds, 1972 Volvo 242, 2 Volvo 740 GLE, Dodge W250 Cummins Diesel, trans in it is weak. Borge Warner should have done a far better job. The Pacifica is in my words is not an dependable vehicle. Intake manifold is open at both ends, this allows mice to live between the V of the engine block, causing a chewing off the anti-knock sensor wire. Had it done, job performed by myself, not trusting ASE certified mechanics and the shop/dealer.

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  Uncomfortable - 2006 Chrysler Pacifica
  By patriot - March 18 - 9:40 pm

  We bought the car to haul the family around. However, it is so uncomfortable that we end up taking two vehicles every where. I would never recommend this vehicle to anybody with a family bigger than 4. Also get poor fuel mileage. Not super reliable either

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  DO NOT BUY - 2007 Chrysler Pacifica
  By angela - November 16 - 9:10 pm

  This car has been nothing but problems. Since I have bought this car in o7 it has been in the shop over 20 times. They keep finding problems but then the big problem keeps happening. When accelerating we lose all power and the car shakes uncontrollably. It has had flight recorders installed and still nothing. Still trying to resolve the issue however the dealership stinks. We have already sued Chrysler and have settled. I would never purchase a Chrysler again. Thinking about selling which will result in us losing money

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  Touring 2009 Model - 2008 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Ani - November 4 - 9:07 pm

  I have to post this here because there is no place to do the 2009. Our daughter bought the new 2009 Touring Model in January. She loved it at first but it has given her nothing but grief. Bad motor mounts. Transmission knocking and dealer says that is normal. One more thing also that I cant remember. She is so disgusted. In the garage again and again.

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  what have i done - 2007 Chrysler Pacifica
  By robin - October 11 - 8:28 pm

  i purchased my pacifica from carmax in raleigh and it has been nothing but trouble. i purchased it on 16 aug 09 and it has been in the shop 4 times and this last time they still dont know whats wrong with it. each time i took it to be repaired the techs kept telling me the noises were normal. it took the sup of service to ride with me to tell them the noises werent normal. the car has been with them more than with me. maybe they should be making the payment.

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  worst vehicle made. - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By nick - September 17 - 7:02 am

  Car required 20 000$ in service over 2 years. Its hard to remember all of the problems, I havent had the car for two years now. I will give it a shot though, -tie rods three times, transfer case quit, heater quit ,glue on entire dash let go, steering rack, electric lift gate wouldnt work, tire pressure sensors never worked, computer in dash quit, ball joints twice in 50,000 km I owned the car for two years thank god I got rid of it, we literally couldnt keep it on the road. Simply the worst car I have ever owned. Will never buy a Dodge Chrysler again. Paid 45,000 car was worth 8000 two years later, awesome.

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  Never Again....... - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Cassandra - September 5 - 1:48 pm

  After my beloved 97 Explorer went into the shop yet again, I began to look for a new vehicle. My needs were gas mileage, interior room and ample storage. I liked the looks of the Pacifica and really liked the 25 mpg on the sticker. Well, the gas mileage runs about 16 mpg and it spent the first 3 months in and out of the shop including and a new transmission, abs sensor and on and on. Lets not even talk about the people Ive cut off on the highway in the blind spot(s). Would I buy another? No way.

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  Not for me... trading in for a grand caravan GT. - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Paul - April 9 - 10:31 pm

  My wife always leased a town and country and we have always loved them. Well Chrysler decided to kill off their best selling car and replace it with this and I knew I should have just bought out of old van. First of all, we do a lot of traveling. The town and country had overhead storage bins that we used all the time and it also had halo lighting like a limo above our heads. It was pretty cool. I was already disappointed that they dropped that feature. Another feature I miss from the town and country is the power vented 3rd row windows. This van cost so much more money and it already is missing 2 features I frequently used. Next, the 9 speed transmision (which I already know is a disaster) is awful. It will be totally fine for a day then the next it is shifting all weird and hard. When this happens the car literally will jump forward and it scares the daylights out of us. Have taken to the dealer 3 times for this and they tell me it is 100% fine and there is nothing wrong with it. This is very aggravating because I do not trust this vehicle on a long road trip or even driving in general. Also, another thing this van is missing is the 3rd row tailgate seats and flashlight from my old van are missing. I dont understand why they dropped some of the best features from the old van. The uconnect system works ok, but freezes every once in awhile which is aggravating. Also I dont know what they did for this van but it is not nearly as insulated as the old town and country. I hear every road noise, every chip, every sound on the outside. Its almost like you cant even enjoy driving it because its so loud. I do know about the active noise cancellation but it truely does nothing. I had the dealer look into this too and they told me everything is working as it should and it is normal for Pacificas to have "some road noise". Its like they admitted this car was loud inside. And reading about the sunroof letting in all the noise is absolutely true. Its terrible. I basically do not like this car at all. Even the way it looks is ugly compared to the town and country. Now for the good: the sound system is great despite the loud noise while driving. If Im on break at work I like to sit and listen to music in it and it does sound pretty great. Also the ventilated seats are nice in hot weather. It is nice to have a big touch screen compared to the smaller one on the town and country. And having a 3rd row charging port is great too. Also having a button to move the driver seat forward for stow and go is very convenient. Second row seats are very comfortable also. Overall, this car feels like an expensive downgrade from my town and country. My wife wanted another town and country because we have never had any reliability issues with them and we also like the look and features much better. We were disappointed to find out they killed it off. I did complain to the dealer about this car and they did tell me many people are going from the town and country to grand caravan because its not for them. I just dont like the huge bulky look of the Pacifica either. I know its a minivan but they really could have done better with the looks on it. I am taking a huge loss but I would rather drive a grand caravan then this van. Ordered a grand caravan GT and should have it by early spring. Cant wait to get away from this vehicle.

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  Think Twice - 2007 Chrysler Pacifica
  By lmccloughan - February 25 - 11:08 am

  One week after purchasing my 2007 Pacifica we had to have the drive train replaced. A while later it was lunging forward and jerking at times when accelerating. Dealer could not find anything wrong. Took it back several times before they finally found the problem. It has been in for transmission repairs 4 times. Last week when I went to take my kids to school, it would not move. The emergency brake spring broke and shot through my rear brake. ABS light and traction control problems are constant! Look up complaints on the Pacifica and you will find out a lot. I would never purchase a Chrysler vehicle again. I do not feel like my family is safe in this car.

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  Lemon Car - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By petew1007 - January 5 - 10:00 am

  This Car was in the Dealers Repair Shop for 16 days straight trying to find out why the battery went dead and would not start the car... They finally replaced the Dashboard Cluster Guages... Along with all the Safty Recalls and all the other Problems with this Car I`m Filing Under the State of Iowa`s Lemon-Laws to get rid of this thing..... I`m 62 years young and have had 6 NEW cars and 2 Program cars... Of those 8 cars I have never had So Much TROUBLE with a car as I`ve had with this CHRYSLER PACIFICA it`s been a PAIN...