2006 Chrysler Pacifica Base from North America
Summary:
Feels spacious, but a bit of a money pit of repairs
Faults:
At roughly 70K miles my transmission was done. Had to replace that for 3 grand. A bummer, being that I hadn't had the car for that long at that point.
Slammed on my brakes to avoid an accident. I was going 30 MPH when a person pulled out in front of me. I didn't hit her, but it broke my drive train housing. Being that the drive train box is connected to the transmission as a whole unit, it had to be replaced. i.e. the entire drive train. So that was another couple of grand. At this point I'd had the car for 6 months.
Whatever you do, change the oil religiously! This car burns through oil. If I'm driving my car to and from work only (a 30 minute drive), I can usually make the oil last until the next time it's due. If I do anything else, I'm usually adding another pint of oil to my car before my next change. There aren't any leaks; I've had 3 different mechanics check this for me.
My main mechanic, whom I trust and love, told me that the transmission/drive train seems to be the weak point in this car. When he does work on them, it's usually for those issues. My luck that they are expensive issues.
Since I've had this car (4 years now), roughly every 6 months I'm replacing something else. I'm over it and can't wait to get a different car.
General Comments:
The interior is great! Very spacious. We take this car camping all the time. We can easily fit our dogs (English mastiff and Australian shepherd) plus all our camping gear. We don't pack lightly either. Don't expect to be hauling anything though. The engine has just enough power to load up the car and take on mountain roads.
The seats are all very comfortable. The driver's seat has all the buttons you would ever need within your reach. I love that I can do mostly everything from the steering wheel.
The car feels very safe and stable. I got this car due to its high crash testing rating.
All around inside, a great family / crossover car, minus the pricey engine fixes.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 24th May, 2013
18th Dec 2011, 08:16
We still own this vehicle, and it continues to be one of the best vehicles we have ever purchased. We now have 90,000 miles on the car with no problems at all.