2003 PONTIAC VIBE Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE AFTER HE STARTED THE IGNITION AND ACTIVATED THE POWER WINDOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE DOOR CHECK LINK. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE DOOR GLASS BOLTS AND WINDOW REGULATOR WERE PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V162000 (VISIBILITY; GLASS, SIDE/REAR) WAS REFERENCED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 59,626.

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR GLASS MAKES LOUD SNAPPING NOISE WHEN GLASS IS LOWERED. SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING WILL BREAK. TOOK TO PONTIAC DEALER, AND HE REPORTS THAT I NEED A NEW "CHECK LINK" BECAUSE IT IS INTERFERING WITH THE WINDOW MECHANISM. COST IS $130 FOR PART AND 1HR LABOR TO INSTALL. FOUND ODI #PE07049 TO IDENTIFY SAME ISSUE ON SAME MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR OF CAR. *TR

RECALL NOTICE FOR 2003 PONTIAC VIBE REGARDING THE BOLTS IN THE FRONT AND PASSENGER SIDE DOORS. CONSUMER HAS ISSUES WITH REIMBURSEMENT. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED SHE BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BOLTS IN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR IN 2006. IT WAS CAUSING THE WINDOW TO STICK AND MAKING CLICKING NOISES. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL WHICH STATED REIMBURSEMENT MAY BE POSSIBLE. GM INFORMED THE CONSUMER SHE WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT SINCE IT WAS ALREADY FIXED UNDER RECALL; AND GM ONLY PAYS FOR REPAIRS ONCE. *JB

AFTER HAVING THE RECALL DONE ON MY 2003 VIBE, FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF BOLTS IN THE POWER WINDOW MECHANISM. IN AUGUST I AGAIN BEGAN EXPERIENCING LOUD CRACKING NOISES AND SCREECHING UPON OPERATION OF THE WINDOWS. I WAS TOLD TO RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT PERFORMED THE RECALL TO HAVE IT CHECKED. THEY EXAMINED THE WINDOWS AND THE MECHANICS HEARD THE NOISES BUT WEREN'T ABLE TO DETERMINE A CAUSE. THEY LUBRICATED THE MECHANISM, FOR WHICH I HAD TO PAY,AND SAID I SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY FURTHER PROBLEM. HOWEVER, IF I DID HAVE ANY MORE TROUBLE THE COST WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY. I USED THE WINDOWS VERY LITTLE BECAUSE I HAD NO CONFIDENCE IN THE REPAIR. I BEGAN TO HEAR THE NOISES AGAIN. YESTERDAY, UPON RETURNING FROM TAKING MY MOTHER TO HER HEART SPECIALIST, I STOPPED NEAR OUR MAIL BOX. MY MOTHER OPENED THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY. AS SHE STARTED TO REACH THROUGH THE OPENING, TO THE GET THE MAIL, THE WINDOW EXPLODED. I SAY EXPLODED BECAUSE THE FORCE AT WHICH IT SHATTERED WAS SO GREAT THE IT THREW GLASS ONTO THE ROOF OF THE CAR. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT. MY MOTHER WAS COVERED IN GLASS, AS WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. GLASS ALSO HIT MY DAUGHTER WHO WAS IN THE BACK SEAT. *TR

WITH NO ADVANCE WARNING, MANUAL TRANSMISSION CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. VEHICLE JERKED TO STOP AND WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. MECHANIC FOUND A BROKEN TRANSMISSION DRUM REQUIRING COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REPAIR. *TR

WHILE ON VACATION 900+ MILES AWAY FROM HOME, MY FRIEND REACHED OVER TO BUCKLE THE SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY 2003 PONTIAC VIBE (I'VE OWNED FOR 2 YEARS) AND THE ENTIRE LATCH APPARATUS CAME OFF, LEAVING NOTHING THERE BUT A THIN BLACK CORD. I REALLY THOUGHT SHE WAS JOKING, UNTIL I GOT INTO THE PASSENGER SEAT MYSELF AND TRIED TO BUCKLE IT. THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT TO BUCKLE THE BELT INTO. I KNOW THAT THINGS BREAK ON AN AUTOMOBILE BUT THE SEAT BELTS ARE SOMETHING THAT YOU HOPE YOU CAN TRUST WHEN YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON THEM. THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS PROBLEM KNOWN WITH THIS BELT LATCH, AND AS A SINGLE PERSON WITH NO CHILDREN, THE PASSENGER BELT IS NOT EVEN USED FREQUENTLY. FORTUNATELY, WE DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT DURING THIS 3,000 MILE VACATION, BUT ANYONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS WITHOUT THE PROTECTION OF A SEATBELT. I AM GETTING READY TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP AND/OR CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER TO SEE IF THEY WILL FIX THIS. I AM SURE THEY WILL FIX IT BUT AT MY EXPENSE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A HUGE SAFETY PROBLEM. A MINIMUM CONSEQUENCE WOULD BE THAT I COULD RECEIVE A TICKET FROM POLICE FOR THE PASSENGER NOT USING THE SEATBELT AND THE WORST CONSEQUENCE WOULD BE THAT THE UNBELTED PASSENGER COULD BE KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS DEFECT IS WORTHY OF FURTHER INVESTIGATION! *TR

I CAME OUT ONE MORNING TO START UP MY VEHICLE, WHICH IT DID SMOOTHLY AND WITHOUT HESITATION; I THEN NOTICED THAT MY INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. THE BACK LIGHTING WAS OUT, THE INDICATOR NEEDLES ON MY SPEEDOMETER, FUEL METER, ETC... ARE NONE RESPONSIVE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT MAY HAVE JUST BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THE FUSE...SO LOOKED UP THE FUSE DIAGRAMS IN MY OWNERS MANUAL AND SWITCHED OUT ALL THE FUSES WHICH COULD POSSIBLY RESULT IN THE ISSUE BUT TO NO SUCCESS. THE CAR RUNS PERFECTLY FINE AND IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL/COMPUTER SYSTEM SOMEWHERE. HOWEVER, IT IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT KNOWING HOW FAST YOUR GOING AND HOW MUCH FUEL YOU HAVE. *TR

MY PONTIAC VIBE WAS INVOLVED IN A RECALL BECAUSE SCREWS WERE BECOMING DEFECTIVE AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE WINDOW REGULATOR, AND BROKEN WINDOWS. THE LOCAL PONTIAC DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SCREWS, PUT THE DOOR BACK TOGETHER, AND INFORMED ME THAT THE REGULATOR WAS BENT. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THE MAIN PROBLEM WAS THAT THE WINDOW WOULD FALL WHEN I WOULD ATTEMPT TO ROLL THE WINDOW DOWN, AND PUT GREAT PRESSURE ON THE WINDOW. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE REGULATOR WAS MY PROBLEM, AND THAT IT WOULD COSTS ME $300 TO REPAIR. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS THE POTENTIAL HAZARD LEADING TO THE RECALL. I AM ASHAMED THAT GM AND THEIR DEALERS HAVE NO MORE CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS THAN THEY DEMONSTRATED TO ME. I VERY STRONGLY FEEL THAT GM SHOULD REPLACE THE REGULATOR IN THE DRIVER DOOR OF MY VIBE. TONIGHT I INADVERTENTLY PRESSED THE BUTTON THAT DOES ROLL THIS WINDOW DOWN WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND IT VERY NEARLY BROKE BECAUSE OF THE UNDUE PRESSURE EXERTED ON THE GLASS. *TR

MY 2003 PONTIAC VIBE WAS INVOLVED IN SAFETY RECALL 07273: "THE BOLTS IN THE FRONT DOOR THAT ATTACH THE WINDOW TO THE WINDOW REGULATOR MAY BEGIN TO LOOSEN, RESULTING IN A POPPING OR CLICKING SOUND WHEN THE WINDOW IS OPERATED. THE GLASS MAY SHATTER DURING WINDOW OPERATION, WHICH COULD CAUSE POSSIBLE INJURY." THE DATE ON THE RECALL NOTICE IS MAY, 2008. THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF MY VEHICLE WAS IN FACT MAKING A "POPPING" SOUND WHEN OPERATED. I FIRST SCHEDULED AN APPT. WITH THE PONTIAC DEALER (DID NOT INCLUDE NAME OF DEALER HERE, AS INSTRUCTIONS STATE NOT TO INCLUDE NAMES) ON JUNE 20, 2008. MY CAR WAS IN SERVICE FOR 1 - 1 1/2 HOURS; HOWEVER, WHEN I RECEIVED IT BACK FROM THE DEALER, THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S STILL MADE THE SAME "POPPING" SOUND WHEN OPERATED. THE DEALER AGREED TO LOOK AT THE CAR AGAIN, AND I TOOK IT BACK ON JULY 22, 2008. THE DEALER CLAIMS THAT TO FIX THE "POPPING" SOUND, I MUST PAY APPROXIMATELY $230 FOR A "LINK" IN THE DOOR. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY IN FACT DID ANYTHING AT ALL TO REPAIR MY CAR FOR THE SAFETY RECALL. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW ON MY 2003 PONTIAC VIBE JUMPS OUT OF POSITION WHEN THE POWER WINDOWS ARE OPERATED. I HAVE HAD THE FACTORY RECALL ON THE BOLTS ON THIS WINDOW WHICH THE DEALER DID, BUT WHEN THE DEALER GAVE ME BACK THE CAR FROM REPLACING THE BOLTS, THE WINDOW WAS WORSE AT JUMPING OUT OF THE WINDOW AND ALMOST BROKE. I CAN NOT OPERATE THE WINDOW BECAUSE IT JUMPS OUT AT AN ANGLE AND MAKES A LOUD NOISE. THE DEALER SAID THEY THINK THE POWER WINDOW REGULATOR ON THAT SIDE BROKE ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT THAT WAY WHEN WE BROUGHT IT IN. IT ALSO LOOKS AS IF THE DOOR STOP MAY BE HITTING THE WINDOW WHEN THE POWER WINDOWS ARE OPERATED. THIS WINDOW HAS MADE SOME NOISES OR NOT OPERATED PROPERLY OFF AND ON SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AND I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE DEALER A COUPLE TIMES WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, BUT SINCE THE PROBLEM WAS OFF AND ON AT THAT TIME, THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. NOW IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AND SO I CAN NOT USE THE WINDOW AT ALL. THE DEALER WONT FIX THE PROBLEM AS THEY SAY THEY DO NOT CONSIDER IT AS PART OF THE RECENT RECALL EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM AND IT IS UNCLEAR TO ME IF THEY DID THE RECALL FIX PROPERLY OR IF THEY MADE THE PROBLEM WORSE. LUCKILY NO ONE HAS BEEN INJURED YET, BUT IF I USE THE WINDOW, SOMEONE WOULD BE. *TR