2004 PONTIAC VIBE Complaints

AFTER LIGHTLY STRIKING A METAL POST WHILE BACKING UP IN A PARKING LOT, I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND THE VIBE TOOK OFF. I HIT THE BRAKE BUT NO RESPONSE (LOOKED TO SEE IF FOOT ON BRAKE. IT WAS.) THE CAR SPED UP AND I COLLIDED WITH TWO CARS AND RAN INTO A MOTEL WALL. AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CAR TOTALED. *TR

MY VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL WILL FAIL TO HOLD A CONSTANT SPEED. ESPECIALLY ON HILLS AND IN COLDER WEATHER. I REPLACED THE SPEED CONTROL SERVO , HAVE HAD THE CAR IN THE SHOP 4 TIMES AND MECHANIC CAN'T FIX IT. THEY CALLED TO A GM SHOP AND MECHANICS TOLD HIM THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE. I SEE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ON YOUR SITE AS WELL. PERHAPS A RECALL IS IN ORDER AS THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR FATALITY MUCH LIKE THE PEDAL PROBLEMS TOYOTA HAS EXPERIENCED/ THE CAR WILL DECELERATE QUICKLY AT THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIMES. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE HERE BEYOND MY VEHICLE. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL OR SIMILAR ACTION PLAN TO DATE? *TR

CONSUMER COMPLAINT IS REGARDING A 2004 PONTIAC VIBE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PROBLEM. FLOOR MATS HAVE BEEN REMOVED AS A RECALL PRECAUTION BUT PROBLEMS STILL PERSIST. *TS THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS ALMOST KILLED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION. HE SOME HOW MANAGED TO AVOID A COLLISION BY TURNING THE VEHICLE INTO A CURB AND AN OPEN AREA. THE CONSUMER STATED HE LIGHTLY TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY ACCELERATED. THE CONSUMER STATED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, HIS VEHICLE SUFFERED DAMAGED DUE TO HITTING OBJECTS, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND HE HAD TO TRY TO AVOID CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEMS FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS. THE CONSUMER STATED HE DISPOSED OF THE FLOOR MATS, BUT THE ACCELERATION HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 2007. THE CONSUMER STATED HE LEFT THE VEHICLE IDLING. HE HEARD A MILD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND WHEN HE LEFT AND RETURNED, IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH THE ACCELERATOR WAS BEING APPLIED.*JB

MY 18 YR SON WAS DRIVING OUR 2004 PONTIAC VIBE HOME IN RUSH HOUR BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC ON A CURVY, MOUNTAINOUS, TWO LANE ROAD ON STATE ROUTE 4 IN (NEAR WHITE ROCK) IN THE LOS ALAMOS NM AREA AROUND 4PM. HE WAS DRIVING UNDER 55 MPH AND AS HE ROUNDED ONE OF THE CURVES, HE WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE CAR ON THE ROAD AND IT RAN STRAIGHT OFF THE ROAD(TO THE RIGHT), INSTEAD OF TURNING, OVER HEAVY BRUSH AND SEVERAL IRON FENCE POSTS. HE HAS ALWAYS CLAIMED THE CAR BRAKES AND STEERING STOPPED WORKING. THE MANY ADULT WITNESSES CONFIRMED THE CAR "SUDDENLY VEERED OFF" FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND THE TRACKS INDICATED THE CAR REMAINED IN A STRAIGHT LINE THE ENTIRE TIME. THE AIR BAG WAS NOT DEPLOYED. I HAD NOTICED THE CAR SOMETIMES WASN'T TRACKING WELL ON TURNS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE GAS TANK WAS LOW. THE ADULT WITNESSES ALL COMMENDED OUR SON ON HIS DRIVING ABILITY AS HE AVOIDED HITTING OTHER CARS. A DRIVER IN THE HUMMER BEHIND HIM ASSURED US THAT "SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED WITH THE CAR - NOT HIS FAULT -TOO SUDDEN - MIRACLE HE DIDN'T ROLL ." THE HUMMER DRIVER HAD BEEN BEHIND OUR SON FOR SOME TIME. THE (STATE FARM)INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED THE CAR. WE LIKE THE VIBE AND PURCHASED A 2009 REPLACEMENT. WE ASSUMED THAT OUR SON'S INEXPERIENCE AND YOUTH WERE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS, BUT THAT SOMETHING WENT WRONG WITH CAR DUE TO STRAIGHT TIRE TRACKS AND WITNESS STATEMENTS. THE EXAMINATION OF THE CAR FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES AND STEERING PUMP AFTER THE ACCIDENT, BUT EXTENSIVE DAMAGE UNDERNEATH PREVENTED ANY REAL ANALYSIS. MY SON REMAINS ACCIDENT FREE WITH THIS EXCEPTION AND HAS ONLY 1 SPEEDING TICKET RECEIVED THIS YEAR. WE HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO RESEARCH THESE TYPE OF ACCIDENTS WITH VIBE/MATRIX. I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE STEERING AND DRIVE THE NEW VIBE MORE GENTLY, BUT LOVE GETTING OVER 30 MPG.

VEHICLE ACCELERATED(RESUMED) TO BEYOND THE PREVIOUS SPEED SETTING, UNTIL I DISABLED THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM. *TR

I DROVE ABOUT 1 MILE IN CITY DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PARK (DIAGONAL, FRONT END APPROACH) I WAS USING THE ACCELERATOR SLIGHTLY. AS I APPROACHED THE FRONT OF THE PARKING SPACE, I MOVED MY FOOT TO THE BREAK. DURING THIS MOMENT, THE ENGINE RPM INCREASED AND THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD. MY FOOT WAS MOVING TOWARD THE BREAK AND UPON BREAKING, THE FORWARD MOTION WAS STOPPED. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS ABOUT THE SECOND WEEK IN JAN. 2010. THIS REPEATED ON MARCH 7, 2010. I REPORTED THE FIRST INCIDENT TO GM (CASE # 71-799309984) AND TOOK IT IN TO MY LOCAL DEALER. I JUST LEFT A MESSAGE AFTER THE SECOND OCCURRENCE. I HAD A WITNESS TO THE SECOND OCCURRENCE. THE ENGINE DOES INCREASE IN RPM AFTER REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE GAS. THIS HAS OCCURRED TWICE IN A 9 WEEK PERIOD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN THE VEHICLE WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP. HE WAS ADVISED THAT NO COMPLAINTS WERE FILED RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A CHEVROLET DEALER AND PAY FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH TOYOTA AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY DID NOT MANUFACTURE THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3760. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

CRUISE CONTROL ACCELERATES WITHOUT ANY DRIVER INPUT. WAS CRUISING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL STARTED TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY DRIVER INPUT. THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED 2 TIMES IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. IT IS NOT EASILY REPEATED AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THIS CONDITION. *TR

CAR SOMETIMES ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THIS HAPPENED TO MULTIPLE DRIVERS OF THE MY VEHICLE BOTH WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 35 MPH, AND WHEN STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. RPMS WENT UP TO ABOUT 6000 AND CAR TRIED TO TAKE OFF. WE WERE ABLE TO STOP IT BY BRAKING HARD, BUT THE CAR WAS STILL REVVING. EVEN SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL DIDN'T STOP THE HIGH REVS. ONLY TURNING THE CAR OFF COMPLETELY STOPPED REVVING. I AM REPORTING THIS NOW BECAUSE IT SOUNDS VERY SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEMS FOUND IN A VARIETY OF TOYOTA MODELS AND MY CAR - THE PONTIAC VIBE IS MADE BY TOYOTA. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT BUT VERY FRIGHTENING AND HAPPENED AT LEAST 4 TIMES WITHIN A TWO MONTH SPAN. THERE WAS NO WAY TO REPRODUCE IT SINCE IT WAS SO INTERMITTENT. EVEN THOUGH CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ON WHEN THE PROBLEM HAPPENED, AFTER RULING OUT STICKING ACCELERATOR PEDAL, PEDAL GETTING CAUGHT ON THE MAT, ETC., THE DEALER SUSPECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL COULD BE INVOLVED. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FOR ABOUT 8 MONTHS DURING WHICH TIME THERE WAS NOT RECURRENCE. THEN THE CRUISE CONTROL COMPUTER WAS REPLACED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL RECONNECTED AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED IN OVER 2 1/2 YEARS.

THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION ON MY 2004 PONTIAC VIBE SEIZED UP AT ABOUT 140,000 MILES. AT FIRST IT MADE A HIGH PITCH WHIRRING NOISE THEN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY FAILED AS I WAS ON THE FREEWAY THUS SLOWING MY SPEED DOWN CONSIDERABLY TO THE POINT WHERE THE WHEELS BECAME LOCKED AT ONE POINT (TRANSMISSION FROZE WHILE ENGAGED). EVEN WHEN I FULLY DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH IT STAYED ENGAGED. I HAVE READ FROM OTHERS (AFTER THIS OCCURRED TO ME) THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS A FAULTY DESIGN. IT USES A PLASTIC MASTER BALL BEARING THAT CAN SHATTER AND CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION TO SUDDENLY SEIZE. A PLASTIC BALL BEARING IS USED INSTEAD OF USING A MORE DURABLE ONE LIKE A METALLIC BALL BEARING THAT WOULD ONLY COST OF FEW BUCKS MORE. THIS APPARENTLY HAS TO DO WITH MANUFACTURE PROFIT. THIS IS HAPPENED ABOUT A WEEK AFTER CHRISTMAS 2009 AND I HAVE BEEN THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE CAR. THIS IS DANGEROUS FOR MYSELF AND FOR OTHERS ON THE ROAD. FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS, A TOTAL RECALL OF THE PONTIAC VIBE'S MANUAL TRANSMISSION SHOULD OCCUR. *TR