2003 PONTIAC VIBE Complaints

WE HAVE A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE WITH THE STANDARD 5-SPEED TRANSMISSION. ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED (BY MYSELF, NOT THE DEALER). TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AT ROUGHLY 82,000 MILES. YES, THIS REALLY RUINED OUR CHRISTMAS IN 2006 AS IT HAPPENED ON CHRISTMAS EVE WITH MY WIFE AND (THEN) 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR. YES, IT REALLY STUNK THAT IT WAS JUST ENOUGH OUT OF WARRANTY TO NOT GIVE US ANY PROTECTION. HERE'S A FUNNY THING, THOUGH, THAT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING. WHEN WE WENT TO GET THE CAR AFTER BEING REPAIRED (AT A LITTLE COUNTRY GARAGE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE) THE MECHANIC TOLD US THAT HE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM THE PREVIOUS MONTH WITH ANOTHER PONTIAC VIBE WITH THE 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION. STRANGE COINCIDENCE IN A TOWN WHERE THE POPULATION IS LESS THAN 2000, I THINK. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES? WE HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $3000 AND STILL HAVE THE OLD ONE- THINKING THAT IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL A RECALL WAS PLACED ON THIS FAULTY TRANSMISSION. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW POPS WHEN GOING UP & DOWN. IT IS INTEFERING WITH THE DOOR CHECK LINK. THIS WILL LIKELY BREAK THE GLASS AT SOME POINT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT HAD HER VEHICLE REPAIRED IN JUNE OF 2008 ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V162000 (VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR). WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WINDOW ALMOST CAME OUT OF POSITION. THE DEALER STATED THAT HER WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED; THEREFORE, THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE $300 REPAIR COSTS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 99,534. UPDATED 07/29/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE RECALL WAS PERFOMRED. UPDATED 08/07/08

MY 2003 PONTIAC VIBE (TOYOTA MATRIX SISTER VEHICLE) TRANMISSION FAILED. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, I DISCOVERED THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM RELATED TO A DEFECTIVE OUTPUT BEARING IN MANY/ALL 2003/2004 VIBE/MATRIX VEHICLES EQUIPED WITH 5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS. THIS IS NOT IS NOT A HIGH VOLUMN VEHICLE OR COMMON CONFIGURATION BUT DISCUSSIONS ON THE INTERNET LEAD ME TO BELIEVE TOYOTA AND GM ARE IGNORING A MAJOR (EXPENSIVE) VEHICLE RECALL INCIDENT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ASSISTANCE.

2003 PONTIAC VIBE WITH A RECALL FOR POWER WINDOWS. CONSUMER STATES THAT HE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT AS INDICATED ON THE RECALL. HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WOULDN'T BE AVAILABLE FOR 3 MORE DAYS. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED THE WINDOW FAILURE IN NOV 2007, HOWEVER HIS CLAIM WAS DENIED, BECAUSE ACCORDING TO CHEVROLET, THE PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED, WERE NOT THE PARTS COVERED BY THE RECALL. *JB

RECALL ON PONTIAC VIBE # 07273A, MAY 28, 2008 I OWN A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE, WHICH HAS THE ABOVE RECALL. THE RECALL CONSISTS OF DEFECTIVE BOLTS, WHICH ATTACH THE FRONT DOOR WINDOWS TO THE WINDOW REGULATOR. THE RECALL STATES THAT THE DEFECTIVE BOLTS COULD LOOSEN AND THE WINDOW MAY BECOME LOOSE AND SHATTER. THE ABOVE-MENTIONED PROBLEM OCCURRED TO MY VIBE JANUARY 8, 2008, BEFORE THE RECALL WAS ANNOUNCED. THE GLASS DID DROP OUT OF THE TRACK AND I BROUGHT IT TO A DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE WINDOW GLASS WAS SCRATCHED WHEN THE WINDOW FELL FROM THE TRACK. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED BUT THE GLASS WAS NOT COVERED. IN EARLY JUNE I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTE ON THE VIBE DESCRIBING THE EXACT PROBLEM AND BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE THE WORK COMPLETED. I ADVISED THE SERVICE CONSULTANT OF THE PREVIOUS REPAIR AND SHOWED HIM THE SCRATCH IN THE GLASS. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT THINK GM WOULD PAY FOR THE GLASS BUT WOULD ASK THE SERVICE MANAGER. THE MANAGER STATED I WOULD HAVE TO CALL PONTIAC TO SEE IF THEY WOULD REPLACE THE GLASS. I CALLED PONTIAC (800-620-7668) AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER OF (71-637104061). AFTER SPEAKING WITH FIVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE OVER THE COURSE OF SEVEN DAYS I WAS ADVISED THAT GM WOULD NOT REPLACE THE WINDOW BECAUSE IT DID NOT SHATTER. I CAN PROVIDE DOCUMENTS AND REPAIR ORDERS ON REQUEST. *TR

I AM WONDERING IF THERE WAS A COMPLAINT ON ANY OTHER VIBES 2003. AS I WAS ON A TRIP TO KY. I WENT TO OPEN MY BACK DOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND HEARD SOMETHING FALL INSIDE BETWEEN THE DOOR PANEL,I CANT OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE BUT CAN OPEN IT FROM THE INSIDE. I ALREADY RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE BOLTS ON THE FRONT DOOR OF MY VIBE AND WAS WONDERING IF THIS WILL END UP BEING AN ISSUES AND IF IT WILL BE COVER UNDER THE RECALL NOTICE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I NEED TO DO TY, MISS MAHADY *TR

TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING ABILITY STEERING SHAFT COUPLING LOST ABILITY TO TIGHTEN ON STEERING GEAR PINION SHAFT. *TR

2003 PONTIAC VIBE SUFFERED A TIRE BLOWOUT. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE TIRE BLOWOUT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. *KB OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPOERT # 10-0345-78. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE. WHENEVER THE CONTACT ROLLS THE FRONT DRIVER OR PASSENGER WINDOW UP OR DOWN, THE WINDOW APPEARS LOOSE. THE WINDOWS ALSO MAKE A POPPING AND RATTLING SOUND. THE FAILURE BEGAN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AND HAS SINCE WORSENED. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER EA08004 (VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR) WAS REFERENCED; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT PONTIAC DOES NOT HAVE A SAFETY RECALL. HE WAS FURTHER INFORMED THAT TOYOTA ONLY PERFORMS THE RECALL REPAIRS ON THE TOYOTA VERSIONS OF THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.