Because nearly four years have gone by since we bought it, it’s time to give you an update and review of our 2019 Chrysler Pacifica. After all, we’ve had plenty of time (and more than 100,000 miles) to experience all it has to offer.
Review of Chrysler Pacifica’s usefulness
I have to say, we absolutely love this vehicle! We never saw ourselves as “minivan” people, but our Chrysler Pacifica has changed our minds because it’s just so useful. Seriously, we have been surprised at how many ways we’ve been able to use this vehicle.
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As empty nesters, we’ve used our minivan mostly for trips for just the two of us. We’ve taken it on day trips, shopping hauls, and multi-day exploration trips halfway across the country.
In all situations, our van has been marvelous. It’s comfortable, easy to drive, and fuel efficient. We often get up to 30 mpg with a tailwind. Plus, even with Ann’s arthritic joints, she can get in and out of the vehicle easily. Most importantly, at least when we bought it four years ago, the price was right.
Our Chrysler Pacifica is great for groups
But we’ve also used our Pacifica for road trips with other people. Indeed, there is plenty of room for luggage as well as up to seven passengers. Can can easily fit two large suitcases plus two carryons in the back.
With entertainment systems set up for the second row of seats, our passengers can be entertained, as well. Ann and our adult daughter Meghan once watched a movie as we rolled down countless miles of highway.
The vehicle also offers a standard 110v plug-in which has been useful for charging a computer on the road. But as great as this vehicle is for travel, it offers so much more.
The Pacifica’s cargo capability
The Chrysler Pacifica features Stow ‘n Go® seating, so in just a couple of minutes, we can store the second and third rows of seating under the floor of the van in order to carry lots (and lots) of cargo. With the seats tucked away, we’ve carried countless bins and boxes back and forth from our home in Nebraska to our Airbnb called Postcard Place in Pawhuska, Okla. We also have been helping Steve’s parents downsize and took van loads of items to local second-hand stores.
And because the seats stow in the van, they go with us. This means that once we get to our destination we can convert the van from no seats to seating for seven in about two minutes. This is pretty handy when you’re excited to go out with friends after you’ve arrived at your destination.
But boxes and bins aren’t all we’ve carried. The other day, we put a tarp in the van and carried a bunch of branches to our city’s yard waste pile. We have carried furniture. We have carried a snowblower. Yes, this van can take about anything–honestly, we use it like a pickup truck.
And with its cargo space enclosed, it’s actually better than a truck if you need to haul things on rainy days.
Review of Chrysler Pacifica’s usefulness
But cargo capacity isn’t where the review of usefulness of our Chrysler Pacifica ends. During the pandemic, we used our minivan often for grocery store pickups. It was great to just raise the door in the back and have grocery workers load our groceries from a distance.
We also found ourselves wanting to get takeout from our favorite restaurants in Lincoln, Neb. during the pandemic. We often hesitated, because it took about 40 minutes to get home and the food didn’t taste warm or fresh by the time we got there. That’s when Ann conceived of another use for our minivan.
Instead of bringing food home to eat, we just brought a table with us and ate in our minivan. And you know what? It was actually pretty nice. We could even play mood music on the surround sound stereo. Click HERE to read more about our date nights in our Chrysler Pacifica.
Another surprising use for our Pacifica
The pandemic also showed us another use for our Pacifica. Before being vaccinated, we didn’t want to take the risk of going into rest areas while on road trips–which was tough on a six-hour trip like our treks to Pawhuska. But our minivan came to the rescue again.
We bought a Luggable-Loo (which is a fancy name for a 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat for a lid). This camping accessory provided us with much needed relief while on the road, and the van gave us all the privacy we needed to complete our, um, business. Read all most of the details HERE.
Review of Chrysler Pacifica and its durability
As I type this, I’m knocking on wood, but our review of our Chrysler Pacifica wouldn’t be complete without a discussion on the durability of the vehicle. I have to say that so far (again, knocking on wood) we have had only one minor maintenance issue with the vehicle. At 94,000 miles, a wheel speed sensor went bad. This caused some alarm lights to turn on and it took the ABS and the forward collision warning system off-line. Even so, the brakes still worked normally and the vehicle could be driven, but the Anti-lock braking feature wasn’t available. We took it to the dealership and had it repaired for about $350.
In addition, the exterior paint on our Pacific has held up beautifully. We drive it in inclement weather and on gravel roads regularly and the paint still looks brand new.
Of course we’ve also had the oil changed on schedule and did buy a new set of tires (no surprise after 60,000+ miles), but that’s it.
A few areas for improvement
Know that we had to think long and hard before coming up with a few areas of improvement for our Chrysler Pacifica. We recognize these are definitely First World issues.
- We wish our Pacifica had air conditioned front seats. Those were not available unless we chose a van with a sun roof, which we did not want.
- Our other vehicle has a memory function to set the driver’s seat position for up to three people. Our Pacifica doesn’t have that feature so you have to manually adjust the seat each time you have a new driver.
- When we have a van full of people, a couple more cup holders would be great.
Overall review of our Chrysler Pacifica
We seriously love our minivan! I can’t believe that as empty nesters in our 50s we’re saying that – but it’s true. We are already planning to make our next car a Pacifica.
While we hesitated to purchase a minivan instead of an SUV, now that we own one and have seen all the advantages, there is no going back. And I don’t care if people think of me as uncool — because I know how cool it is to have a vehicle that proves itself comfortable and useful. Oh, and with the price of gas these days, we are SO GLAD we didn’t purchase a gas guzzling SUV.
If you’re curious as to our decision process to purchase the minivan in the first place, you can read all about it in THIS POST we published in 2019. For more for food, travel, and healthy living inspiration, join us on on social media @postcardjar on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Very excited to stumble on your site discussing your Chrysler Pacifica! I own a Grand Caravan that I will be replacing this year. The Pacifica has AWD, which is the only thing I wish my van had because inclement weather here gets ugly. I am looking hard at the Pacifica. I love my van for all the reasons you love yours–your site really validated why I think the Pacifica should be next van. Thank you!
We are so pleased that this blog post was helpful in your quest for the perfect minivan. Just let us know if you have any other questions about it.
I wish I loved mine but I don’t. I had a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan which I absolutely loved I don’t know why they stopped making those! But my Pacifica is the S package touring and I don’t like the front seats. For some reason I cannot find a comfortable position for driving I’ve had the vehicle over 6 months now and every day I get in there I have to mess with the seats. I’m either too high or too low or too close to the steering wheel and I don’t like to sit on top of my steering wheel ! It causes me to have leg pain behind my knees. I am 5’2 so I don’t know if the seats are made longer or if it’s just the way the stitching is on the seats. I don’t like the way the shifts it hesitates between going from reverse to drive. The back seats don’t allow you to reverse it with the tailgate open like my Dodge Caravan did. Over all the style and the outside looks are nice but I don’t think it’s as comfortable as my old van. I wish I would have test drove a Honda Odyssey or the Toyota Sienna before making my purchase
So sorry you don’t like your Pacifica as much as we do. I’m actually glad you can’t move the van in reverse with the tailgate open as I would have probably taken out our garage door by now if it did.
Loved your article. I’ve been thinking of getting a Pacifica for several years. I’m single with no kids so it was great to see an article from the perspective of empty nesters.
I’m curious that you mentioned wanting one without a sunroof. I’ve been wanting one with a sunroof. So just curious if there’s something related to the Pacifica that made you not want one, or if it’s completely unrelated. Thanks.
Glad you loved our article. We did not want the sunroof because it takes away a bit of the head space in the front seats. Steve is 6’3″ and likes to have all the room he can get. And, we have a sunroof in our other vehicle (a Lexus RX) and rarely use it. Hope this helps and that you’ll continue following our blog.
I bought my Pacifica in 2017 and love it! In fact I love it more than the MGB I had when I was in my 20s! I am getting to trade it in for a new vehicle and you guessed it a new Pacifica! My new one will have a sunroof meaning I’ll also get those cooling as well as heated seats and steering wheel. I show dogs and it’s the only van I found that lays completely flat when you sto all the seats.
So glad you also like your Pacifica. The cooling seats would be great! We’re curious, how long will it take to get your new vehicle? We’re thinking about it.
I have a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. I bought it in 2020. Since then mine’s had three transmissions and needing another transmission. Every time it keeps giving the engine code of gear 2 ratio. And our local dealer doesn’t seem to know how to fix it I can replace the transmission but they can’t figure out why it keeps going out I’m returning mine cuz it’s a piece of crap
We are so sorry to hear this.
The problem is most likely not the transmission but something else. That’s why you can keep replacing the transmission and it will come back…
I myself, have a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica with 50,000 miles on it. I totally agree how comfortable and spacious my brown minivan is.
We absolutely love the comfort of this vehicle. Steve is 6’3″ and Ann is 5’3″ and we both find it comfy.
My wife and I have been back and fourth on the 2023 Sienna or Pacifica. After much deliberating we decided to proceed with the Pacifica for two reason. Availability and stow n go. We are building a 2023 Pacifica Limited AWD with S package and fully loaded. (My wife’s first new vehicle).
With our 3 kids and a dog we feel like me made the right choice. Only major concerns are gas mileage with 20/17/25 being the only option and Chryslers history with reliability. (Happy to hear yours and many others have had no major issues!)
That being said, since we are buying new we will get the extended warranty as we have no plans to get rid of this vehicle for several years.
We bought our Pacifica new in 2019 and get 25-27 mpg on the highway. We just had our very first issue/fix – a wheel speed sensor had to be replaced. Other than that, it’s been a true gem. The stow-and-go seating is magnificent. We use it almost daily, and we don’t have kids or a dog. Enjoy your Pacifica and let us know what you think of it.
I need one please
Lemon laws!
I have a 2019 Pacifica touring
The screen has gone black & I don’t want to pay dealer prices to find out what the problem is . Any ideas where to start ?
Once you use the 2nd Row Stow and Go no other minivan is good enough. We have a 17 with about 94kmiles as well. Honestly with out little kids we cannot imagine using any other vehicle. We leased a Wagoneer and it was no where as good as this Van.
We couldn’t agree more. The stow-and-go seats are so useful. We actually use that feature every single week.
I rented one for vacation two years ago and everyone of my entire family fell in love with this car! When it was time for my old Toyota RAV4 to go to someone else, I bought a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica. I am a empty Nester, but I have arthritis and this is an amazing vehicle! I had no idea how much I would love having a minivan in my life! And I believe is by far the best looking minivan on the market!
We think it’s a good looking minivan, as well, and it has certainly met every one of our many needs. It is such a versatile vehicle!
Yes I love it me and my husband are going to get one for our little family
They are a very handy vehicle, Nyia.
This minivan is a remarker vehicle, I rented this minivan until my Honda Accord Sports car was repaired. I didn’t want to give it back. My husband and I are looking to buying one of these Chrysler Pacific minivan. Our Grandchildren loves that it gives them space to adventure out.
We have found the Pacifica to be handy in so very many ways. Glad you enjoyed it!
We bought a used 2020 Pacifica Sport I. 2021. We have been to Florida twice and have put 50K miles on between Canada and US. We previously had three Dodge Grand Caravans. This van surpasses all of them. We love it and would definitely buy another one
We agree that this is a great vehicle. We’ve put 95,000 miles on ours and, other than maintenance, have had only 1 repair for $350.
I have a 2018 that experience es low speed jerks & bangs at start ups from a light
.vehicle has 70000 mi. Anyone else have this problem?
I just brought a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and my husband and I love it. We are turning it into a handicap accessible vehicle so my husband will be able to ride with me since he is in a wheelchair.
Let us know what you think of it and how the customization goes.
Ok
We were given one to use when our old SUV was bring repaired. It was very nice, and I agree with all the virtues of owning a minivan. However, the poor gas mileage on the Pacifica with 287 hp was very disappointing. I never came close to the 30mpg with a tailwind the authors claim. The Pacific generally got 20 to 22 mpg on a good day, even though is claims 19 city and 28 mph highway. In contrast, the 2021 and up Siennas come only with 245hp hybrid engines and get 34-35mpg. The Pacifica hybrid plugs in for about35 mile electric range then switches to the gas motor. Very different hybrid design from the Sienna. It seems like every car, suv, or minivan should get at least 30mpg – I mean it’s 2023. Fortunately, that is the trend. Our new RAV4 hybrid consistently gets 39 to 40 mpg. Now, all I need to do is convince my wife that we need a minivan. Ha! Cheers!
Sorry to hear you didn’t get better mileage. I am the author of this post (and am totally unaffiliated with Chrysler in any way other than we bought a van from them four years ago). I can assure you the mileage I state we’ve gotten is the mileage we’ve gotten. Indeed, two days ago I drove north across Iowa into a stiff headwind (20 mph+?) and still got 25 mpg. We have not tried the hybrid–the main disadvantage to that design is that the second row does not have Stow-n-Go seating available because the extra batteries are located in the floor where the seat would go.
Looking at buying a used 2020 Pacifica & sad to see they still haven’t fixed the paint bubbling up problem on front edge of hoods. Who wants to buy a vehicle & get the hood repainted?? Not me…This flaw has been happening to Pacificas since 2017’s came out or longer. You’d think Chrysler would remedy the issue 🙁
I hadn’t heard of this issue until now, and we have not seen this on our 2019 Pacifica at all.
Look close! And there is a very informative Facebook page for Pacifica owners – mostly happy with their vans but also common problems.
Good to know, thanks!
Same on my 2017. Did you get it repainted.
3 batteries in 5 years…normal.
4 display screens, not normal.
Numerous other problems.
Only 50,000 miles.
Nice when it works.
We have not had any of those issues, Jim…and we’re sorry you have. In fact, we’re still on the original factory battery (knock on wood).
Yes mine started bubbling on my hood. But other than that. The best vehicle ever
We have not had the paint bubbling issue.
Why can’t you disable the setting that only allows the sliding door to open if the car is in park
We aren’t employees of Chrysler–we simply bought one of their vehicles. That said, we presume it is a safety feature as it probably isn’t safe to open the doors if the vehicle might move. We have had to shift to park on occasion (like while dropping someone at the airport).
We have a 2020 Pacifica and have not had this problem nor heard of anyone else having this happen.
I’ve leased my Pacificas and yes my 2017 and 2020 Pacificas both have the paint bubbling in front. Fortunately Chrysler has a 5 yr corrosion warranty on the outer panels that cover this.
Sorry to hear that. We haven’t had that issue at all.
This is because the hood is made from aluminum. Mine shown up around 5 years ago but never progressed
Yes, big problem of theirs. We have 2017 bought a couple years ago and dealer said would fix but never did and we gave up. It was hard during all Covid stuff going on. We live the car otherwise, it’s awesome and I don’t let the bubbles bug me any more. I feel like a thief getting it for 18k and having less than 40k miles.
We have not had an issue with paint bubbles in our 2019, and have found it to be a great vehicle.
The paint bubbling on the hood also happens on the Grand Caravans. I was told this occurs during the prep prior to the painting process. I’m surprised that Chrysler has issued a recall and fixed this issue.
I have the same problem with my 2017 Pacifica. The Hood is aluminum and for some reason they cannot get the paint to adhear to it. Have had it painted once and it has come off again.
We have not had that issue…but also I’m not sure if our hood (in a 2019) is aluminum or if maybe they had a better preparation for the paint by then?
So true about the hoods. Mine has been painted 3 times. I own a 2017. The hoods and sliding doors are aluminum. This a common problem on aluminum parts. Ford is also experiencing them. My dealer finally got corporate to replace hood and sliders because the also were bubbling up. I’ve had slippage in the trans but not real bad. I have 103k on my van and STILL haven’t replaced brakes. On a trip out west 6k miles I averaged 31 mpg. It’s reduced over time to 27/28. Probably could use new plugs. It is by far the best van for overall square feet. We love but I’m a bit skittish on the future.
Just picked up a 2019 touring L plus. We had these on our last vacation and fell in love with the van. Got one with all the options. Can’t wait to use it
We’re excited for you! Let us know what you think of it.
Thinking about purchasing this van, but I have concerns of how well it handles in the snow. midwest (iowa) winters are burtal.
The van is front wheel drive and handles very similarly to other front wheel drive vehicles in the snow. It has a little higher wheelbase which makes it able to go over more snow, but it is not an AWD vehicle. We’re from Nebraska (so understand the winter issue) and wish it were available with AWD.
No
YES, AWD IS AVAILABLE…
Good to know, thanks!
The AWD came out in some 2021 and more available in2022 but are hard to find, unless you order a new one.
This is good information. We’ll probably look for AWD for our next one.
I drove a PacIfica for 5 years and had to trade because it would not go up our apartment driveway incline. Sat and spinned it’s wheels but going to try an all wheel drive next time.
Spinning wheels have nothing to do with the car. You needed different tires that could handle the weather. Might as well have blamed it on the color of your car and said you traded it in because white doesn’t work well in snow.
We drive our Pacifica every winter from DC to Buffalo, NY and back. We replaced the factory touring tires with all-weather tires and we have never gotten stuck.
I am very happy with my 2017 Pacifica. I have made several trips from Wisconsin to Mississippi. It has allowed me to move my brother and all his stuff without having to rent a moving truck. It is great on gas and is big enough to accommodate many large items that would have otherwise required a pickup or moving truck. Very pleased.
We feel the same way, Lillie.
I am on my 2nd Pacifica, and just some things to note. Stay vigilant about checking the oil and watch the temperature gauge. The V-6 engine is known to have issues with the Oil Cooler, but a recall has not been issued, his applies to the Pacifica, 300, Jeeps, and Dodges with the v6. It can leak oil, cause coolant to leak into the oil, and cause the vehicle to overheat. My first Pacifica did this and ruined the engine, so I ended up just getting another vehicle ( a 2020 Mazda CX-5, which I had hated since buying and ended up trading after 3 months when I found another Pacifica Limited in my budget) Also, there is an issue with the Crankshaft position sensor, which can make the vehicle run bad or even stall. I had to replace it on my first Pacifica, out of pocket, right after my warranty expired, now there is a settlement pending with it.
Thanks for sharing this detailed info about your Pacifica experience. We appreciate the insight so much. Travel well.
I live up in Minnesota and have had it for 2yrs. Drives wonderful in any kind of weather even with bad tires.
Just purchased a 22 Pacifica Touring L. Since Dodge dropped the Grand Caravan, Chrysler is the only one with stow and go seating. We have no complaints as this is our fifth minivan built by Chrysler. Just for your information, you can now establish preset seating for the driver, up to three drivers.
I have owned 3 Chrysler minivans continuosly since 1998. Each has given me ten years and over 230 miles. Yet continued beyond that. Thay are our people hauler and pickup truck. All loads are secure from pilferage, wind and weather.
I’ve sought to find another vehicle that I’d be happy with, but there isn’t one.
I feel sorry for those who feel they have to own an SUV, which is not at all sporty and has no utility at all.
We like ours too, but we just wish Chrysler used better quality parts. Or backup camera glitches out often, the passenger sliding door takes several tries before it will stay closed and we already had to replace the air-conditioning compressor (the dealership wanted $3000 to replace but an independent shop did it for $1000). Overall a good vehicle and it’s was still way cheaper than the Toyota even after the repair.
So glad you like your Pacifica! We haven’t had any parts issues so far (knock on wood).
Love to hear this i just purchase a chrysler pacifica and I’m loving it !!
So glad to hear you are loving your Pacifica! We love ours, too. Keep in touch and travel well.
We are picking up a 2020 Pacifica L today. Glad to see all of the good reviews. Went shopping for an SUV, but decided on the van instead. We had new Caravans in the past (1997 & 2007), and loved them.
We hope you enjoy your Pacifica, Sue. They’re really handy, and get way better gas mileage than an SUV.
It is so good to hear a comment like this. I just purchased a 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Touring L Plus, Conversion Van Today. 09/28/2022. I TOTALLY LOVE IT ALREADY!!! Now I will be able to go more places and do more things. Up until now I had a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer.
Sorry that was the 22rd. NOT the 28th.
You are going to love the Pacifica. Please do keep in touch and let us know what you think of it.
Just finally got one after 7months waiting for a touring L 8 passager. Any recommandation on trunk covering those luggage? And how do you know the lift gate has enough clearance to open when backing in parking?
No ideas on trunk covering…and the lift gate clearance we just kind of use a trial and error method.
We got a great deal on a leftover 2018 with the electronics package during the pandemic and extended warranty as this may be the last vehicle I ever buy. We primarily use it for trips, when we have more than 4 people or when we need a second car. We have owned 13 minivans; a couple of Hondas and the rest Chrysler. We love our Pacifica. The factory Nexis tires were terrible and I switch them for Michelin Defenders. Most of the initial critcims i had went away with the tire change. We have had no additional Issues except that some of the functions of the satellite radio no longer seem to to work. What I particularly love is all the sensors and the overhead camera. This van actually stops itself before you back into anything, and the ACC is joy on trips. We routinely get over 30mpg on trips too. No other van we’ve had has topped 26, and most of them were notably underpowered compared to the Pacifica.
We agree…the Pacifica is a great vehicle.
Does the back row stow and go too? Can you update with video of how that folds down
It does. It folds backwards into the well where luggage could be kept. I’ll work on getting a video up with that sometime soon. If all seats are “stowed” you wind up with a huge, empty box space that holds a ton of stuff out of the elements.
Bought a 2017 Chysler Pacifica touring L plus with the towing package. Really a great vehicle. Have 47000 miles on it and enjoy driving to and from Florida from Maryland.
We have loved our Pacifica (2019) for long road trips, as well. In fact, we just drove from Minnesota to Nebraska in it today, but have gone from Nebraska to Key West and back a couple of times. We have 96,000+ miles and counting.
Hi, Paul, quick question:
This has been a really popular blog post on our blog. We’re wondering how you found it.