2003 PONTIAC VIBE Complaints

IN MAY OF 2009 WHILE DRIVING MY CAR ON THE THROGS NECK BRIDGE I HEARD A CRASH AND A THUMP FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. I GRABBED ONTO THE GLASS AND HELD IT IN PLACE. I WAS ABLE TO LOCK THE WINDOW SO IT WOULD NOT GO DOWN AND PROCEEDED ON MY WAY. I TOOK IT TO A PONTIAC DEALERSHIP IN MASSACHUTTES AND I WAS TOLD ALL DAMAGES WOULD BE COVERED BECAUSE IT WAS DUE TO THE RECALL NUMBER 08V162000 THE DOOR BOLTS THAT HOLD THE WINDOW IN PLACE BROKE CAUSING THE WINDOW TO CRASH AND THE GLASS TO SHATTER. I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE WINDOW FIXED IN MASSACHUTTES SO I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP IN OLD WESTBURY, NEW YORK. THIS DEALERSHIP GM PONTIAC IN HICKSVILLE TOLD ME NOTHING WAS COVERED EXCEPT THE BOLTS. I CALLED THE PONTIAC DEALERSHIP AND ONE PERSON TOLD ME THAT THE PONTIAC WILL COVER THE WINDOW. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT AND CALLED PONTIAC THEMSELVES THEY SPOKE WITH A DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL AND THEY SAID THAT IT WASN'T COVERED. THEY THEN QUOTED ME AT 700.00 DOLLARS TO GET EVERYTHING FIXED. I REFUSED SERVICE. CURRENTLY I HAVE CALLED EVERYDAY TO SEE WHAT THEY MIX UP IS AND NO ONE RETURNS MY PHONE CALLS. *TR

TRANS WENT OUT AGAIN, THIS TIME AFTER 55,000 MILES. CURRENTLY 158,000 MILES ON CAR AND HAVE TO REPLACE WITH A 3RD TRANS. *TR

2003 5 SPEED TRANS WENT OUT AT 103,000 MILES AFTER I WAS TOLD WAS DUE TO FAULTY BEARINGS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE. HE RECEIVED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V162000 EA08004, COMPONENT: VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR). THE DEALER STATED THAT THEIR VEHICLE DID NOT APPLY TO THE RECALL. ELEVEN MONTHS LATER WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO ROLL DOWN THE POWER WINDOWS, THERE WAS A POPPING AND CRACKING NOISE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED AND WAS RECALLED. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO AUTHORIZE THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,440. UPDATED 05/13/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED HE DIDN'T BELIEVE THE RECALL REPAIR WAS EVER CORRECTED. HE WAS STILL EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS A DAY AFTER THE REPAIR WAS SUPPOSEDLY DONE. UPDATED 05/13/09.*JB

THE SMOKED GLASS COVERING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO READ THE VITAL INFORMATION SUCH AS SPEED, ETC., ON BRIGHT SUNNY DAYS. THIS POSES A SEVERE SAFETY PROBLEM FOR THE DRIVER AS HE TRIES TO READ THE VITAL INFORMATION WHILE DRIVING IN ANY TRAFFIC CONDITION. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN 2003. BOTH GENERAL MOTORS IN DETROIT AND MY LOCAL DEALER SAY THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT CORRECTING THIS FAULT. THE INCIDENT DATE I LISTED BELOW IS WHEN I FIRST NOTICE THIS DESIGN FAULT AFTER BUYING THE CAR NEW FROM THE DEALER. *TR

AN OVERLY SENSITIVE AMBIENT LIGHT SENSOR TURNS ON THE HEADLIGHTS AND DIMS THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAY ON A BRIGHT SUNSHINE DAY IF THE SHADOW FROM THE A-PILLAR FALLS ACROSS THE SENSOR. THE DIMMING OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAY LEADS TO AN INABILITY TO READ THE INSTRUMENTS ON A BRIGHT SUNSHINE DAY, THUS CREATING A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. FROM MY RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM, THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH BOTH THE 2003 PONTIAC VIBE AND ITS SISTER CAR, THE 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX. TOYOTA HAS A TSB ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM (EL007-02), GM DOES NOT HAVE ONE FOR THE VIBE. *TR

WHENEVER THE CAR IS PARKED OUTSIDE OVERNIGHT, AND THE AIR TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW ABOUT 30 DEGREES F, THE HEADLIGHTS TURN ON WITH THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IN THE OFF POSITION. THIS LEADS TO A DEAD BATTERY AND AN INABILITY TO START THE CAR THE FOLLOWING MORNING. FROM MY RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM, THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH BOTH THE 2003 PONTIAC VIBE AND ITS SISTER CAR, THE 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX. TOYOTA HAS A TSB ON THE PROBLEM FOR THE MATRIX (EL003-03), GM DOES NOT HAVE ONE FOR THE VIBE. *TR

HAD THE BOLTS IN THE WINDOW UNITS REPLACED FROM PREVIOUS RECALL, BUT DID NOT FIX MY PROBLEM. THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW CLICKS AND POPS WHEN BEING ACTIVATED UP AND DOWN. THE WINDOW WILL NOT TRACK RIGHT WHEN GOING UP AND I HAVE TO USE BOTH HANDS TO GET IT INTO THE WEATHER STRIP. DURING THE BOLT RECALL ON THE WINDOW THE DEALER SAID I NEEDED A NEW WINDOW REGULATOR AND WEATHER STRIP. COST AROUND $250. *TR

EVERY SEVERAL MONTHS BOTH HEADLIGHTS (RIGHT AND LEFT) BURN OUT AT THE SAME TIME. THIS HAS EFFECTED ONLY THE LOW BEAMS SO FAR. WHEN THE BULBS ARE REPLACED, THEY WORK FINE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. *TR

19 JAN 2009, 2003 PONTIAC VIBE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE CROSSING A INTERSECTION. AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD. WHILE REMOVING THE CONTENTS, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE FRONT END, ONE AIR BAG (RH) SENSOR WAS COMPLETELY MISSED AND THE LEFT SENSOR (LH) WAS UNABLE TO BE SEEN, BUT THE LOCATION OF THE (LH) SENSOR APPEARED TO TAKE A DIRECT HIT. THREE PEOPLE WERE IN THE VIBE. *TR