Chrysler Pacifica = piece of shit.
about 3 years ago, i owned a very cute, red Jeep Liberty Sport. it was an adorable car, and i loved driving it. it was big enough for my family, but still had enough pep that it didn’t quite look like a mom car. unfortunately, while driving to work at 4 am on a dark, icy winter morning the car slipped on the road and ping-ponged between two rock walls. my seat belt saved my life, but the poor little car was completely totaled.
when we went to get a new car, we went back to the same used car dealer we had gotten the Liberty from. the first time around he did us well, and we figured he was trustworty.
not so.
we looked at a few cars… eventually settling on either a Murano or a Pacifica. the Murano was a little more expensive, and the dealer pushed us heavily towards the Pacifica, so under his careful manipulation we bought the Pacifica. the Pacifica has been a good car to me. it rides great in the rain, ice, and snow. it’s got plenty of room for my kids, dogs, and luggage, and it didn’t fail us on our road trip. it has leather heated seats and lots of little gadgets. it’s a nice car, but unfortunately it has a fatal flaw.
right now, we owe more than it’s worth, and after some careful research into some funny noises our transmission has been making, we realize that the transmission is about to blow. we also read that it’s a problem that can’t be fixed… Chrysler all wheel drive transmissions are pieces of shit, doomed to fail from the start. there are people who have been forced to drop thousands of dollars on multiple transmissions that keep failing.
basically, that means we need to get rid of it ASAP. before it fails the first time, and the value drops to the point of no return.
oh, but wait! we’re trying to buy a house. in as little as 3 weeks we may be closing on a home, and if anybody so much as checks our credit it could put a halt on the whole thing. we can’t sell or buy a car right now. i have to continue to drive the Pacifica.
in a situation like this, i am taking all of my thoughts and energies and hoping that nothing happens to my car between now and after we sign the papers on our home. i’d like to take that considerable prayer power that brought down the wrath of god to a scheduled pontoon boat ride, and focus it towards keeping the Chrysler running for at least another 2 months, and getting the house in our hands with no trouble.
if all goes well, in 3 weeks we will sign the papers on our new home. the next day, we’ll take the Pacifica to a dealer and trade it in for what we owe on it, and finance a Subaru Impreza Hatchback. we won’t be any worse off than we were loan-wise with the Pacifica, and we’ll have a safer, more reliable car. one easier to park, too. it WILL last us forever.
if all goes down the shitter, my car’s transmission will blow at the worst possible moment. i’ll be stranded on the side of the road in hundred degree heat while i wait for the tow truck. my husband will be at work, so he won’t be able to help. the tow truck will take me home, and i will be without a car. we will still owe an arm and a leg on a now worthless car. i will have to get an old 1980s clunker that smells like mildew and ass with our savings while we still pay on our 2005 POS. i will cry.
nothing is ever easy, is it? at the moment, there’s nothing i can do to change the outcome of what will happen. either the transmission will blow, or it won’t. we’ve done our research, and we’ve pushed the home buying process as fast as we can. i am minimizing my driving without completely shutting down my life, and i’m only chewing a small hole into the inside of my lip.
luckily my library, YMCA, and a small grocery store are all next door to each other. i go to the Y for my Yoga classes and my son’s swim lessons and hit up my favorite place (the library) at the same time. i can even pick up a gallon of milk and a Redbox movie at the same time without adding too much stress to my car. all i’m missing is another grown-up in the same area to hang out with… but oh well. can’t have everything, eh?
don't be fooled by the pretty mountain backdrop, or the smooth ride when you test drive it. in a little over 3 years, your transmission will go out... and no matter how many times you replace it, it will keep going out. before you get it paid off- it will be worth less than you owe.
