2003 PONTIAC VIBE Complaints

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 PONTIAC VIBE IN CLEVELAND, OH WHEN THE BRAKES AND STEERING SUDDENLY WENT OUT ON THE VEHICLE. I HAD NO INDICATION WHATSOEVER THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. THIS RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE POLICE AGREED WITH ME THAT I WAS NOT AT FAULT AND IT WAS THE VEHICLE. I WAS NOT CITED. *TR

GRINDING NOISE BEGAN TO OCCUR UNDER VEHICLE. UPON INVESTIGATION IN ONLINE FORUMS, MANY OTHER TOYOTA MATRIX AND PONTIAC VIBE OWNERS HAD THE EXACT SAME EXPERIENCE RESULTING IN TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE MAIN SHAFT BEARING. *TR

A SLIGHT NOISE WAS DETECTED IN THE VEHICLE. THE NOISE WORSENED OVER THE COURSE OF A 800-MILE TRIP. THE NOSE WAS A RHYTHMIC SOUND THAT WAS DETECTABLE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN GEAR. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. THE MECHANICS WERE FAMILIAR WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON THIS MODEL YEAR CAR WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. UPON INSPECTION, THEY FOUND A CLUSTER SHAFT BEARING WAS DESTROYED. WE WERE LUCKY AND HAD STOPPED DRIVING THE CAR SOON ENOUGH THAT THERE WAS NO COLLATERAL DAMAGE IN THE TRANSMISSION. HAD WE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CAR, IT IS LIKELY THE BEARING WOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY DESTROYED SENDING BALLS AND FRAGMENTS INTO THE TRANSMISSION. ULTIMATELY, THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO INTERNAL COMPONENTS OF THE TRANSMISSION WHICH, IN A WORST CASE SITUATION, COULD HAVE CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO SEIZE. HAD THE TRANSMISSION SEIZED WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, A CRASH WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKELY. ONCE THE DAMAGED CLUSTER SHAFT BEARING WAS FOUND IN OUR TRANSMISSION, IT WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW PART. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REASSEMBLED AND RETURNED TO SERVICE. *TR

HAD A CODE P0770 SHOW UP. NEEDS NEW SHIFTER SOLENOID. COST IS VARIABLE BUT UPWARDS OF $2,000. HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON INTERNET, LOTS OF OTHERS WITH SAME PROBLEMS ON THE '03 VIBE. *TR

CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON 2003 PONTIAC VIBE (5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION) RESULTED IN DIFFICULT VEHICLE CONTROL WHILE PULLING TO THE SIDE OF I-95. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED AS DUE TO FAULTY BEARING IN TRANSMISSION. CORRELATES WITH MANY REPORTS IN ONLINE FORUMS OF SAME VEHICLE HAVING TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT APPROXIMATELY 100,00 +/- 20,000 MILES. *TR

PONTIAC VIBE WITH ABOUT 80,000 MILES. I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 35 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SEIZED CAUSING THE FRONT WHEELS TO LOCK AND THE CAR TO LOOSE CONTROL TEMPORARILY. LUCKILY NO INJURIES DUE TO LACK OF SPEED AND TRAFFIC SITUATION. I MADE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS TO GENERAL MOTORS, AND THEY MADE NO OFFER TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE LOCAL GM DEALER WANTED $3500 TO DO THE REPAIR. I DID NOT HAVE THAT MONEY, SO I OPTED TO BY A USED TRANSMISSION AND HAVE A LOCAL SHOP INSTALL IT FOR A TOTAL OF $1300. I DO NOT HAVE THE BROKEN TRANSMISSION ANYMORE. I NOW HAVE ABOUT 140,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND THE TRANSMISSION IS SEIZED AGAIN. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. MY CONCERN IS THAT SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE KILLED AS A RESULT OF ON OF THESE TRANSMISSIONS SEIZING AND CAUSING THE CAR TO LOOSE CONTROL INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAVE HEARD OF MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUES. PLEASE ACT BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 PONTIAC VIBE ON THE FREEWAY THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION FROZE UP CAUSING SUDDEN DECELERATION AND THE ENGINE TO DIE. I BRIEFLY LOSS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND NARROWLY AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT BEFORE GETTING THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE TRANSMISSION AND DESCRIBED IT AS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. THIS TRANSMISSION FAILURE ISSUE IS APPARENTLY A KNOWN ISSUE WITH 2003 TRANSMISSIONS MADE BY TOYOTA IN PONTIAC VIBES AND MATRIX. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. VEHICLE JUST STOPPED RUNNING IN MIDDLE OF ROAD. BY SEARCHING THE WEB THERE APPEARS TO BE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF THESE TRANSMISSION FAILURES 2003 PONTIAC VIBE, AWD. *TR

DATE BELOW IS JUST WINTER. SEEMS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE 2009-2010 TOYOTA MATRIX BRAKE FREEZE UP PROBLEM I OWN A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE 1.8L ENGINE AND FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS IN REALLY COLD WEATHER MY BRAKES TAKE EXTREME PRESSURE TO APPLY THE PEDAL TO STOP FOR THE FIRST FEW TIMES AFTER SITTING OUTSIDE WHEN I LEAVE WORK. THE CAR IS GARAGE KEPT THE REST OF THE TIME AND I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM. I HAD PREVIOUSLY CALLED THE DEALER, NO INFO OR SOLUTION COULD BE FOUND. I DID CALL TOYOTA THIS PAST WEEK TO SEE IF THE RECALL FIX WOULD HELP IN MY CASE BUT WAS TOLD NO TECHNICAL HELP AVAILABLE THROUGH THEM BUT TO CALL THE DEALER WHICH HASN'T HELPED IN THE PAST. MY FEELING IS THIS PROBLEM GOES BACK FURTHER THAN 2009 MY AND BACK TO AT LEAST 2003. IF IT WASN'T FOR HEAVY FOOT PRESSURE AND NO TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME I'M POSITIVE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE IF THIS BRAKE PROBLEM IS ON FILE FOR THE EARLIER VIBE / MATRIX FREEZE UP PROBLEM PRIOR TO 2009 MY. I FIND IT VERY DANGEROUS. REGARDS, GREG KIRCHNER *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT HEARS A HORRIFIC POPPING AND SQUEAKING SOUND WHENEVER THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW IS ROLLED HALFWAY DOWN. IN MAY OF 2008, SHE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V162000 (VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO THE RECALL, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED ONE YEAR LATER WITH THE SAME WINDOW. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE APART THE WINDOW TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THEY WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COST. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THE DIAGNOSTIC REPAIR SHOULD BE FREE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED 08/14/09. *LJ UPDATED 08/17/09/ *JB