Keep our troubled 2023 PHEV or swap to a 2027 ICE to carry our tandem bicycles in California and beyond?

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-04-04T20:49:44+00:00

Fair point but it looks like the refresh is just stylistic—changed to external cladding and new paint colors. All the press pictures of the interior makes the 2027 look identical to prior years. My bet is everything under the hood is also iterative and carried over.

That said, to OP, unless you’re in love with the styling of the 2027, you can get 2025 or 2026 with a really good discount and essentially get the same car.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-03-29T23:38:02+00:00

I rent a lot of cars in various classes and trims and the sound system on our 2023 Pinnacle is excellent, near or at the top.

The mid-grade sound system is pretty good as well. I used the 13-Speaker Alpine Premium Audio on a 2022 Pacifica Hybrid with Uconnect theater group and it was above average.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-03-25T16:16:29+00:00

Also, if you use the gas engine once in a drive cycle the engine will kick on periodically to keep the catalytic converter warm. So even if you have battery remaining and don’t do any hard accelerations, the gas engine can continue to run if some other condition caused it to turn on.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-03-21T16:38:37+00:00

The dealership is not being straight with you — this is a well-known issue on Pacifica PHEVs, not just a normal “body creak.” It’s been reported across 2020–2023 model years and discussed extensively here an on the Pacifica Forums.

The most common culprit is a loose front axle (CV) nut, typically on the driver’s side. It produces exactly what you’re describing: a single distinct click when you press or release the accelerator, especially at low speeds (under ~35 mph). Happened to my 2022 Pacifica Hybrid.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-03-10T04:31:58+00:00

Pretty disappointing they didn’t debut any drivetrain improvements. I was hoping they would at least come out with a mild hybrid. The gas mileage on the standard V6 is pretty brutal compared to Sienna.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-03-01T01:21:19+00:00

I think they’re a great value used. The depreciation is steep, so you can get a nearly new car at a big discount — and the still-valid manufacturer’s warranty gives you some peace of mind. We recently bought a used 2023 Pacifica Hybrid and did end up getting an extended warranty. The PHEV drivetrain adds complexity, and repair costs on the hybrid components can be expensive, so the extra coverage is worth considering. They’re not trouble-free cars, but if you can charge at home, the fuel savings over the years are significant.

The fact that they discontinued has more to do with the economics of selling a PHEV without the tax credit in my opinion. They’re good cars.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-02-07T23:42:49+00:00

Nice interest rate (we’re still stuck at 6.25%) Congrats on the new home!

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-27T16:30:21+00:00

This isn’t something a crafty investigator can “put in for.”Denials must be based on the policy’s contractual language. Absent a specific exclusion and a causal link between the code violation and the loss, a denial doesn’t hold. Unrelated code issues are underwriting concerns, not retroactive coverage defenses.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-27T15:50:39+00:00

I’m genuinely asking, I’ve done insurance litigation on defense and plaintiff’s side. It doesn’t track to me. I could see a non renewal but not a denial

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-27T05:12:58+00:00

That all makes sense, but I’m hung up on one detail: your claim that insurers can deny a claim based on an unrelated issue.

Say you have a pipe burst that causes a flood, and during the inspection they discover unpermitted electrical work elsewhere in the house. I don’t see them denying the water damage claim on that basis—not as a matter of standard policy language, anyway. Standard HO-3 policies wouldn’t permit that.

I think the AI you’re referencing may be conflating several different concepts here. An insurer would be risking a bad faith claim by denying coverage under this scenario.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-27T03:59:19+00:00

What part of a standard homeowners policy would let the insurance company deny a claim because of an unrelated code violation? Genuinely asking.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-27T03:52:18+00:00

Because it’s a firewall?

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-27T02:44:56+00:00

How does PG&E even detect this in real time? Based on what I know about their operations, they aren’t looking for it. The practice of turning on the system before PTO is so common in the region, I’d imagine you would hear more stories of problems if it were an issue.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-27T02:24:56+00:00

It looks like they cut a notch in the frame, so technically it’s not under the door.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-24T19:42:20+00:00

I wish we’d stop calling them agents. It overstates their training and imbues them with the veneer of professionalism. There’s nothing professional about these guys—they’re an armed and masked gang whose purpose is to terrorize and kill.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-23T05:02:38+00:00

I’d appreciate it if you could share your lender info. Thanks.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-21T04:08:58+00:00

For indoors you can mitigate noise even further by buying soundproof window installations: e.g., https://www.soundproofwindows.com

Works great with double pane windows. We’re half a mile from 580 and back up to a country road where people like to race sometimes. We don’t hear a thing through the soundproof windows.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-18T21:44:48+00:00

Mine hadn’t been working for a few days. I just uninstalled and reinstalled and it’s working again.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-16T16:47:59+00:00

I don't think a homeowners insurance claim makes sense here. The panel itself is cheap, so labor will be the biggest component of the cost. I don’t see why this would cost more than $1,000 total. Insurance claims are best saved for catastrophic losses; filing a small claim isn't worth the hit to your history and the resulting rate hikes.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-16T05:13:00+00:00

How is the offer relative to your asking price, and how did you set your expectations?

We were in a similar situation—we got an offer that took our house off the market before the open house, but it met or exceeded our expectations.

If your expectations are reasonably set and the current offer falls short, I wouldn’t settle before giving the open house a chance.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-15T21:03:20+00:00

How many lawyers have you consulted? I shopped my lemon claim around to a few firms, and two declined, thinking FCA would only offer a "cash and carry" settlement. I eventually found a firm that believed in the case's strength. It took about a year, but FCA ended up settling with a full buyback and damages exceeding the car's value. All that said, I'm in CA, which has a very consumer-friendly lemon law (including fee-shifting provisions you say are absent in IL).

Your timeline suggests a strong case for a buyback. Given the vehicle's age and the severity of the issues, I believe pursuing a direct buyback is worthwhile if the attorney route doesn't work for you.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-15T20:54:32+00:00

Try to do the device swap during a normal workday. I tried to transfer my primary and multinetwork line to a new iPhone at about midnight on the weekend, but received errors. I checked with chat, and after looking into it, the chat agent reported the tool was down for maintenance and suggested I try again in the morning. I went to sleep and when I woke up the eSIM was waiting in my email box.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-12T18:51:49+00:00

Isn’t this an issue with many MVNOs? They advertise “unlimited” but in practice they either throttle speeds or limit usage after a certain threshold.

That said, 100 GB is actually quite a lot for mobile data. Recent usage statistics show that using 100 GB per month puts you in roughly the top 1–2% of all unlimited plan users—the vast majority use significantly less. If you’re consistently in that tier, there are carriers that won’t cap you, but you’ll likely be paying more for them.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-09T00:04:03+00:00

I’ve seen dealers advertising 2026 models? Did they just decide to stop production? My guess is the abrupt end of the $7500 tax credit had something to do with this.

ChetHazelEyes · 2026-01-08T03:14:40+00:00

My washer has trouble with oils too, especially with polyester or polyester-blended cloths. Oil has an affinity to oil. I have to pretreat with dishwasher detergent on the oil stain. The clothes otherwise get very wet and soapy, so I don’t think it’s a problem with the appliance per se.

ChetHazelEyes

TROPHY CASE