Baymax in snow-covered Kananaskis, AB, February 2025
Time to bring you up to date on the latest developments with Baymax, our 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.
It’s been a long time coming but it looks like the PHEV battery-fire recall has finally been put to bed. After months in limbo, we received a repair notice for recall 73B and were able to book the car into Crowfoot Dodge in late-January to receive a (hopefully permanent) remedy for this issue, which had reappeared in July 2024 (see previous post). The fix involved the battery pack control module (BPCM) software being updated to a new version. The service at the shop was painless, as usual, so our thanks to them for getting this done.
While Baymax was at Crowfoot we took the opportunity to get some new front wiper blades installed, as after more than four years of ownership and with 63,432km (39,415 miles) on the clock, the rubber had detached from the offside blade. I’m not crazy about the look or (un)aerodynamic properties of the aftermarket blades fitted, but I’ll get over it. The car also underwent an oil change and the usual maintenance checks.
It’s been a long time coming but it looks like the PHEV battery-fire recall has finally been put to bed. After months in limbo, we received a repair notice for recall 73B and were able to book the car into Crowfoot Dodge in late-January to receive a (hopefully permanent) remedy for this issue, which had reappeared in July 2024 (see previous post). The fix involved the battery pack control module (BPCM) software being updated to a new version. The service at the shop was painless, as usual, so our thanks to them for getting this done.
While Baymax was at Crowfoot we took the opportunity to get some new front wiper blades installed, as after more than four years of ownership and with 63,432km (39,415 miles) on the clock, the rubber had detached from the offside blade. I’m not crazy about the look or (un)aerodynamic properties of the aftermarket blades fitted, but I’ll get over it. The car also underwent an oil change and the usual maintenance checks.
New wiper blades are less sleek than the originals
This was the second service appointment since last August’s update as the PacHy had paid the shop a visit in November to get the winter tires fitted (both car and wheels are too heavy for me to swap them at home) and to investigate a buzzing noise from the A/C. An investigation revealed only “normal pump operation”. With the lack of A/C use through the winter, the buzz hasn’t been present, but I’m not convinced it’s gone away for good, nor that what I was hearing was “normal”. We’ll see what happens when the weather warms up again.
Parked in the fading light at Waterton Lakes National Park, New Year's Eve 2024
Fuel consumption is currently sitting around 9.0L/100km after weeks of temperatures in Calgary around the -20°C (-4°F) mark. Fortunately, the snowfall hasn’t been severe enough to beach the car so far this year, so it’s been in daily use through the winter. We took it down to Waterton Lakes National Park at New Year and out to the mountains earlier this month, and it gave us no cause for concern with either traction or braking on slippery roads with changeable surfaces.
Filthy! But arty...
Beyond that, there’s not much to report – Baymax just keeps on doing its thing. One piece of general Pacifica news to share is the launch for the 2025 model year of the Pacifica Family Adventure Vehicle (FAV) Edition, which is available with a PHEV or regular gas powertrain, and in FWD or AWD configurations. It’s mostly a cosmetic deal, with blacked-out accents and a standard, 453-litre Thule roof box.
2025 Chrysler Pacifica FAV. Credit: Stellantis
The FAV comes on the back of 2024 Pacifica sales finishing at 5,486 in Canada, down 22% from 2023’s total of 6,994. However, it was also the first full year of the cheaper Grand Caravan model, which sold 4,643 units to take combined Chrysler minivan sales to 10,129, an increase from 9,007 in the previous year.
I’m sure Chrysler is happy to get more vans on the road, but selling a greater proportion of Grand Caravans won’t help its profitability. Total sales for the Stellantis brands were down 18% in Canada in 2024 (-15% in the US) and there has been a flurry of changes in executive positions, including the departure of CEO, Carlos Tavares. It’ll be interesting to see whether the new team can turn things around, but one look at the vehicles in the portfolio indicates, sadly, that Stellantis North America could struggle to compete with better-placed rivals for the foreseeable future.
More next time, thanks for reading!
I’m sure Chrysler is happy to get more vans on the road, but selling a greater proportion of Grand Caravans won’t help its profitability. Total sales for the Stellantis brands were down 18% in Canada in 2024 (-15% in the US) and there has been a flurry of changes in executive positions, including the departure of CEO, Carlos Tavares. It’ll be interesting to see whether the new team can turn things around, but one look at the vehicles in the portfolio indicates, sadly, that Stellantis North America could struggle to compete with better-placed rivals for the foreseeable future.
More next time, thanks for reading!