Anyone else notice the decontenting of Pacificas for '23? While base MSRPs haven't changed much there have been some significant feature changes. Touring L seating has been downgraded from leather to "leatherette", which to me looks & feels cheap compared side-by-side to '22's real leather. Does not look like it will hold up well. (with regular care my '12 TC's leather still looks almost new). Leather is now restricted to the $50+k Limited & Pinnacle trims. Standard features for Limited trim have dropped the power 3rd seat & the great Harman/Karden stereo (now part of $$ theater option package), and Safety Sphere is now optional as well. I could go on, but you get the idea.
I understand there has been inflation, but historically feature content has generally expanded deep into a model's generational run (both to maintain consumer interest AND because the car maker has recouped its initial design/tooling investment for that generation). That has been the case with the 300, but sadly Stellantis appears to have done the opposite with the Pacifica (now in its 7th model year). Since competitors seem have not engaged in this decontenting for '23, I don't see this as a positive for Pacifica sales figures going forward.
Did you notice the changes to the tail lights, the removal of the lights for the inner portions of the upper tail lights on the tail gate? They all were lit on the '21's and '22's as well as the '24's and now the '25's, but the '22's supposedly had 'supply chain problems' during the pandemic.
After about a year and half of owning my 2023 Touring L, and grumbling to myself every time I see another Pacifica with all it's tail lights working, I just couldn't stand it anymore and decided to try something. Those two unlit sections just had to be replaced!
I went to a different dealer than the one where I bought the van, (and I'm never going back to that dealer again, at any time for any reason), I went to a different dealer which is actually closer to my house and which I wasn't even aware of it's existance.
I drove in and entered the service entrance with my van. I went into the office area and started talking to one of the service people and told one of them that I just noticed that the tail lights on the tail gate were not working and that I didn't know for sure if they ever worked since I'm the only driver, don't drive too much after dark and asked them if they could fix it and get the lights to work. He came into the garage with me and I turned on the lights and I showed him the two sections that weren't working.
I expected him to tell me that they didn't work on the 2023 Pacificas, but I told him that there were 3 other Pacificas in my subdivision and that one was a year or two older than mine and one was a year newer, and although I didn't know the owner of the third van or it's year, all of the tail lights worked on all of them.
He looked at it and said, "We'll get those fixed for you!". I told him I assumed it would be under warranty and that I wouldn't have to pay for it. He said "No problem. I'll order the parts and what day next week do you want to bring it in?" I was surprised and expected to have them look at the VIN and say they weren't on that model year, but we went back into the office, he called the parts desk and then wen't back there. He came back and said the parts were now on order and should be in stock in a couple of days at most.
I made the appointment and today, this morning, I drove into the dealer and pulled the van into the service department office and he asked if it I was going to leave it or wait as it would take only about an hour and half to fix it.
In a little less than two hours he came into the service waiting room where I was reading the news on my tablet, and he said it's all done and it all works.
We went back into the garage area and he turned on the lights, and they all went on. I said it's fully covered now under warranty now, right? He said no cost to me and had me sign the papers and he asked if I would give him a good review when I get their survey they would send out in a couple of days. I told him that of course I would, and I left and was on my way home with every thing now working, without having to pay for it.
So...., any 2023 owners who have the same problem, I would suggest that you try and repeat what I did and see if it works for you.
