DEAR CAR TALK: My husband and I are thinking of buying the new Chrysler Pacifica, mainly because of the Stow 'n Go seats. We have four golden retrievers and live in a fire-prone area -- in case we need to make a quick getaway, the Pacifica seems like a good choice. We're old folks and can't lift the seats out of the Honda and Toyota vans. In fact, we can hardly lift the dogs! But they can get into a van themselves. Is it a good car? And what about the hybrid -- is it a good idea?
-- Deborah
DEAR DEBORAH: I drove the new Pacifica recently and loved it. It seems like a huge upgrade over the old Chrysler minivans. It handles well; it's quiet and comfortable inside; it has a nice interior; it looks great for a minivan. And the Stow 'n Go seats that fold into the floor are a real convenience.
Plus, the one I tested had separate video screens for the second-row passengers, so two of your dogs can watch the cat channel while the other two watch the squirrel channel. No fighting!
What are the downsides? Well, in the past, Chrysler hasn't been able to match the build quality of Honda and Toyota. I owned several Dodge Caravans years ago. While they were practical, versatile and reasonably reliable, neither one lasted 150,000 miles. And they both tended to get noisy and squeaky as they got older, as things loosened up.
My 1992 Caravan even blew an engine at 8,000 miles. But, to be fair to Chrysler, that was several administrations ago.
Will the new Chrysler Pacifica come closer to the build quality of the leading minivan makers? I don't know. In general, car quality has improved a lot. But how much the Pacifica has improved can't be answered until a bunch of them have 100,000 or more miles on them. And for that reason, I'd shy away from the hybrid version for now. It's Chrysler's first foray into hybrid technology. I'd want to let some other people see if Chrysler followed the "Install Hybrid Drivetrain" instructions properly before buying one.
But my first impression, after driving the Pacifica, is that the manufacture quality is better. And the bottom line is that it's a very nice vehicle. And you'll probably get an acceptably reliable vehicle that the golden retrievers will thoroughly enjoy trashing.
So I'd say go for it, Deborah. And drop us a note when you hit 100,000 miles and let us know how it's doing -- other than the dog smell.
DEAR CAR TALK: I have a car-repair problem that three local shops can't fix. My 1996 Toyota Tacoma (two-wheel drive, 2.4-liter engine) won't start after it has been running and the air temperature is 80 degrees or higher. It cranks fine, but won't catch. I have to let it cool down for several hours, and then it starts normally. A tuneup didn't help. This has been going on for three summers, and is getting more consistent. Any ideas, so I can tell the repair shops what to replace?
-- Tom
DEAR TOM: Well, my first idea is to stop telling the shops what to replace. I assume you were the one who told them to try a tuneup. Most mechanics would know that a tuneup would never fix this particular problem. The most useful thing you can do, Tom, is reproduce the problem for them.
Since it happens only after it has been running for a while in hot weather, you're going to have to wait for a hot day -- a hot weekday -- when they're open. Then take the truck out for a long drive, and drive right into the entrance of the shop -- so you're blocking the exit. Then shut off the engine.
Once it's misbehaving for them, they'll be able to perform some crucial tests and approach it in a logical way. For instance, they can pull off a spark-plug wire and see if it's making spark. If it's not, they know you've got an ignition problem. They can test for a bad coil, a bad igniter or perhaps something like a crank angle sensor.
If the truck is making a spark, then they'll know you've got a fuel problem, and they can test your fuel pump and fuel pump relay.
And if they approach it logically and systematically like that, they'll figure out which part is actually faulty, replace it, the truck will start up for them, and your problem will be solved. And then you can deal with the angry mob of customers you blocked in. Good luck.
Ray Magliozzi dispenses advice about cars in Car Talk every Saturday. Email him by visiting
cartalk.com
HomeStyle on 10/22/2016