A woman buys a Chrysler Pacifica during the pandemic. Now that she’s trying to trade it in, she realizes she is $16,000 upside down on the loan.
TikTok creator Hannah Rocha (@hannrocha) posted a video about the situation with all the details. “I am $16,000 upside down in my vehicle,” she says to start the video. “Let’s talk about it.”
Rocha explains that she bought a used car in 2022. Her husband is a financial advisor, and the couple was trying to rid themselves of her car payment. Unfortunately, that car broke down 50 days later and spent a considerable amount of time in the shop.
She says she later sold the car to the dealership for a fraction of the equity she held in it. After that, she purchased a Toyota Highlander but eventually got rid of that one because her daughter was too tall to ride in it comfortably.
Woman Buys Chrysler. 2 Years Later She’s $16,000 Upside Down
Then, two years ago, she purchased a Chrysler Pacifica minivan. She says she loves it, but now it is making a “really weird noise” that she can’t identify. At 122,000 miles, she believes it’s time for another vehicle yet again. Except this time there is a problem.
“And I don’t know about you, but in this economy we are far from rich,” she says, explaining that she owes $28,000 on the loan. The Toyota dealership wants to give her $12,000, she says, and the most she can get for it elsewhere is $14,000. That means she is $16,000 upside down on the loan.
After getting advice from TikTok, Rocha says she looked into newer vehicles with rebates to hopefully negate some of that negative equity, but she learned that would require taking on a car payment in the ballpark of $900.
What Was The Root Cause Of This Car Loan Disaster?
People in the comments section of the video offered ruthless criticism of Rocha’s financial decisions. Some even questioned the credentials of Rocha’s husband—criticism she pushed back on by pointing to the caption, which reads, “I should really start listening to my husband.”
“I’m 6’4” and sit in the back of a Toyota Highlander with no problem,” wrote one viewer. “That was an excuse to buy a new car.”
“Who is your husband? I need a financial advisor. I’ll stay clear of him,” a second viewer joked.
“Dude. Quit buying high-mileage and expensive used cars,” a third person said.
What Should She Do In This Situation?
According to Edmunds, a Pacifica goes for anywhere between $11,000 and $29,000 on the used market, depending on the year and whether it’s a hybrid or not. Of course, this is in 2026 and not four years ago, which was famously one of the worst markets for used vehicles in recent memory.
So maybe the best advice comes from the commenters who told Rocha the best way forward is to keep the car until she’s no longer upside down on the loan. “As long as the vehicle is running, keep it and add extra payments to help close the gap on the equity,” one person wrote. “Also, consider a private sale. You’ll get more than trade-in.”
Motor1 contacted Rocha and Chrysler's parent company, Stellantis, via email for comment. We will update this story if either responds.
