The car community is horrified by the new Chrysler Pacifica.
The Chrysler Pacifica minivan has been around since 2016 and has undergone a few design changes over the generations. It’s always looked pretty unassuming and borderline ugly, but it seems like Chrysler wanted to break away from its medium-ugly appearance and go for something more in the extremely ugly category.
On February 25th, Chrysler shared a few photos of the new Pacifica on Facebook, captioning it: “Some things refuse to stay undercover.” With massive vertical headlights, a gapped light bar, a narrower upper grille, and a bulbous lower grille filled with horizontal lines, one user responded: “It can stay hidden.”
The rest of its body has the same minivan shape, which doesn’t inspire any comments, good or bad, and it’s predicted to be a V6 (there’s no charging door, so bye-bye hybrid). It’s really just the front end, which feels like a Frankenstein patchwork of modern car trends from cheap Kia models. However, I don’t think Americans know true pain since we’ve been spared of the beluga whale styling of the Fiat Multipla.
Indeed, the new look has a bit of that “hello fellow kids” energy, with Chrysler hoping to appeal to Americans who are yearning for cheap, futuristic Chinese EVs. Added another Facebook user: “Can you put it back undercover?”
Will the Chrysler Pacifica’s new look deter buyers?
Despite the pretty entertaining backlash to the Chrysler Pacifica’s new look, I don’t think this will affect its sales. Nobody buys a minivan for its looks. Minivan buyers won’t be deterred from the Pacifica because of its hideous headlights. The real issue is the Pacifica’s reliability.
Minivans are back in style. There was a bit of a resurgence in 2025, with nearly 394,000 units sold, an increase of 21% in the United States. Millennial parents have started to realize that the minivan segment is more practical than the large SUVs that have taken over America’s market, still offering plenty of seats and cargo space while costing less and getting better gas mileage.
The minivan that led the charge in 2025? The Chrysler Pacifica. It sold over 110,000 units last year. The issue going forward isn’t the Pacifica’s strange grille; it’s the model’s questionable reliability. As the minivan segment grows, other brands will offer models that compete with the Pacifica — and they could win the minivan war if they offer more reliability in the same price range.
According to Kelley Blue Book, reliability is the Pacifica’s weakest point, based on owner feedback. A common complaint for vehicles, new and old, appears to be the Pacifica’s head gasket, a problem also noted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Said one unfortunate owner: “My 2017 Pacifica has been a major source of frustration and expense. Despite multiple visits to the dealership, I continue to experience issues and misdiagnoses. The problems began around 85,000 miles with a check engine light and misfires. Despite several attempts to address these issues, the root cause was not identified until the fourth visit, when the head gasket was finally replaced.” This story was repeated by many owners in the thread.
Newer Pacificas have become a bit more reliable, but are still known for reliability concerns. Reports include engine stalling, electrical systems glitching, and transmission jerking or failure. The hybrids have their own set of issues, like an electrical connector in the transmission coming loose and making the Pacifica shut off while it’s driving. Added one driver after four months of owning the 2025 model: “The electronic parking brake got itself stuck turned on, and I had to have it towed to the dealership to get it resolved.”
Do I actually think the Pacifica is a completely unreliable nightmare? No. However, I do think it could start to lose its appeal as more millennials start comparing minivans. As the segment grows, the Pacific could lose its appeal if it keeps giving drivers issues. Most people are buying it for their young families, so dealing with all these problems could be too expensive for people with babies to deal with or may seem like a liability with toddlers in the car.
If you’re going to drive a butt ugly minivan, you want it to at least be safe and reliable. As one Facebook comment read: “At least you are posting a picture that shows reality. Two stranded people wondering why their brand new car just left them sitting in the middle of nowhere.”
At least it has a V6.
