Used 2004 Chrysler Pacifica

"Love Everything EXCEPT the Mechanical Issues!"

"I bought my '05 Pacifica with 40,000 on it and immediately fell in love with it. My first SUV. Very roomy and very comfortable. AWD and all the bells and whistles. However, the oil consumption issues have plagued me ever since I drove it off the lot. Engine eventually was totally rebuilt (under warranty). Didn't make a difference. Rear end went out, every sensor you could think of had to be replaced, catalytic converter more than once. I have to check the oil at least once a week. Chrysler says "normal range" is 3 qts between changes. What??!! My husbands semi doesn't use that much oil! Can't wait til it's paid for (about a month) so I can send it down the road. I'll miss the comfort and the handling, but I sure won't miss the nickle-and-diming at the mechanic's."

"My Favorite!"

"I have owned many cars, and two of them have been first generation Chrysler Pacificas. My initial purchase was a loaded 2004 Limited in black, and I loved that car. I drove it until 2015, then foolishly sold it. My next purchase was a new CUV from a highly regarded Japanese maker. In no way could this overpriced, noisy, uncomfortable car hold a candle to the Pacifica. I found a low mileage 2008 Touring Signature Edition in Bright Silver online and had it delivered. Then took the " new" car back to the dealer and dumped it. I couldn't be happier to have a Pacifica once again. Neither of mine have had the frame rusting issues, and I live in Ohio. I have service done faithfully and did have the timing belt and water pump changed out because the car is over ten years old. I have never had any issues with either Pacifica, and am looking for a low mileage spare because I want to ride into the sunset in a beautiful Chrysler Pacifica."

"Overall good with small annoyances"

"We bought this car brand new, with fewer than 20 miles. As of this writing, we are nearly at 150,000 miles. It has been very reliable mechanically, it is very comfortable, and it drives like a dream on long hauls. The interior has kept up very well despite the beating of two children. The mileage is about 19 combined so it's not too bad. I consider this car to be a heavy 6 cylinder because comparable, newer family haulers are getting 22-28 miles on a gallon. I've kept up with the maintenance and have dropped several thousand dollars at the $120K period on preventive service such as the water pump and timing belt. I had to change the alternator once. It's due for another set of spark plugs and serpentine belt. Nevertheless, the car has been very good to our family. I do have some annoyances, though, with this vehicle despite it being a very good car, in no particular order: 1) the engine burns motor oil and according to many online blogs it appears to be a common issue. I need to add about a quart every 6-8 weeks. I don't think this is normal; 2) the driver seat, left panel is not real leather so it wears and tears too easily; I had the piece replaced after about 8 years in and the piece is fraying again. If I fix it again I will insist on using a leather seat panel. However, crediting Chrysler, the rest of the seats have kept up very well; they look sat-on but they have not torn at all like the driver's chair has; 3) The engine mounts, oh, the engine mounts. I've gone through 3 sets of engine mounts, I'm driving on the 4th set. These mounts are expensive to buy and install with short lifespans of 4-6 years. For a vehicle of this size, I've always felt that the engine should have at least two more mounts to help distribute the weight more evenly, and an engine bracket on top would have helped with the distribution of the weight; 4) The overhead video monitor has been defective almost from the start. I still kick myself for not taking it back to the dealership when it was still under warranty. The video image often goes out, only leaving the sound running. Tapping the unit would "help" regain the video image but would occasionally glitch again. I am not a technician so I don't know what might be the issue. 5) I've changed the fuel pump 3 times over the same issue resulting in check engine due HVAC errors. The hose that connects to a plastic tube shrinks and begins to tug at the tube causing a hairline crack that triggers the error. On the third fuel pump replacement my mechanic added an extra long tube to compensate for the heat shrinkage; since then we have not had a problem again with the fuel pump. 6) Some panels that are cosmetic pieces inside the cabin have broken off over the years. I've seen other family vehicles, Dodge and Chrysler, that share similar seating pieces that appear to break on the same spots suggesting that the plastics become brittle over time and break off on their own or as a result of a mistaken tap or kick."