2003 PONTIAC VIBE Complaints

THE 2003 PONTIAC VIBE HAS THE WORST DASHBOARD LIGHTING OF ANY CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED. ON A SUNNY DAY IT IS DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO READ THE SPEEDOMETER, AND ODOMETER DUE TO THE FAULTY LIGHTING. IT IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS THE DRIVER HAS TO TAKE EXTRA TIME TO TRY AND READ THE POORLY LIGHTED INSTRUMENTS. AS TO THE INCIDENT DATE BELOW, IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE WHEN BRIGHT SUNSHINE WASHES OUT THE DASHBOARD INFORMATION. I PERSONALLY HAVE NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS, BUT THE DESIGN CERTAINLY INCREASES THE CHANCE FOR A DRIVING MISHAP. I SPOKE TO PONTIAC OFFICIALS AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THEY JUST SHRUG THEIR SHOULDERS AND SAY THAT'S THE WAY THE CAR WAS DESIGNED. I HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER VIBE OWNERS, WHO VOICE THE SAME COMPLAINT, AS WELL AS OWNERS OF THE TOYOTA MATRIX, WHICH HAS THE SAME UNSATISFACTORY DASH LIGHTING. *NM

SMELL OF GASOLINE IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHAMIC, HE SAID, FUEL RAIL WAS LEAKING. DO NOT KNOW OPERATING FUEL PRESSURE, FINE SPRAY COULD CAUSE ENGINE FIRE, POSSIBLE AFTER THIS MANY MILES, METAL FATIGE,THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ALL VIBE'S MECHANIC HAS NOT GIVEN FULL EVALUATION OF TROUBLE. WHICH PARTS NEEDED. *JB

CLUTCH ON 2003 PONTIAC VIBE GT BURNED OUT AT 52,000 MILES. PARTS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER 2 WEEKS AT DEALER FOR REPAIRS, I PICKED THE CAR UP AND IT WAS NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. RETURNED CAR TO DEALER. THE SECOND CLUTCH THEY INSTALLED IN CAR WAS DEFECTIVE. THE THIRD CLUTCH WAS OK, BUT CAR IS STILL NOT SHIFTING CORRECTLY. CALLED PONTIAC ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID I SHOULD CHECK WITH THE DEALER ABOUT ANY PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSIONS. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY HAD NO FACTORY WARNING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. CLEARLY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CLUTCH FLY WHEELS. *JB

HAVE HAD TO REPLACE HEADLAMP BULBS (EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT) 3 TIMES WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. I HAVE BOUGHT THE MORE EXPENSIVE ONES THINKING THAT THE CHEAPER BULBS WERE THE PROBLEM AND IT IS STILL DOING IT. HAVE HAD 2003 VIBE SINCE NOVEMBER 2002 AND HAVE 125,000 MILES ON IT. FIRST SET OF HEADLAMPS LASTED 2 YEARS. *NM

THE FRONT BOLT THAT HOLDS & SUPPORTS THE WINDOW ON THE TRACK CAME LOOSE ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES OF MY CAR 2003 PONTIAC VIBE. ONCE THE BOLT DISLODGES, THE WINDOW WILL COME OFF THE TRACK DURING THE ROLLING DOWN OF THE WINDOW. ROLLING UP THE WINDOW WITH POWER WINDOW OPTION, THE WINDOW WILL SHATTER WITH A BIG BANG, SENDING SPLINTERS OF GLASS OVER THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER. BOTH TIMES THAT THIS HAPPEN TO ME, I WAS DRIVING, LUCKILY I WAS ON A COUNTRY ROAD WITH NO TRAFFIC. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE OPENING THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR THE WINDOW SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT GLASS SHOP WHERE THE WINDOW WAS REPLACED. THE MECHANIC MENTIONED THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED SEVERAL VEHICLES WITH THE SAME ISSUE AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE CONTACT SPEAK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHO DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY THEREFORE THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE WINDOW. UPDATED *JB

NOTICED A RHYTHMIC NOISE COMING FROM BEHIND GLOVE BOX. SOUND CAN ONLY BE HEARD FROM INTERIOR. UPON INSPECTION BEHIND GLOVE BOX FOUND THAT IT WAS COMING FROM THE AREA WHERE THE CABIN FILTER IS. THERE IS A FELT TYPE FILTER THAT IS MOUNTED UP ABOVE CABIN FILTER THAT IS MOVING, BUT CAN NOT FIND SOURCE OF PROBLEM. *JB

MY 2003 PONTIAC VIBE ENGINE WAS RUINED BECAUSE IT RAN LOW ON OIL. THE OIL LEVEL WARNING LIGHT NEVER CAME ON (AND NO OTHER WARNING LIGHT CAME ON EITHER). SINCE I WAS 3 WEEKS PAST THE END OF THE WARRANTY I HAD NO RECOURSE WITH GM. *NM

I OWN A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE GT. THERE IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM WITH THE VISIBILITY OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, DURING SUNNY TIMES WEARING SUNGLASSES AND DURING MORNING AND EVENING HOURS WHEN THE LIGHT SENSOR TURNS ON THE HEADLIGHTS AND DIMS THE PANEL LIGHTS. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO STRUGGLE TO READ READILY AVAILABLE INFORMATION SUCH AS SPEED! I CAN'T AVOID DRIVING MY CAR IN CERTAIN LIGHTNING CONDITIONS. *NM

WINDOW EXPLODES, DRIVER SIDE DOOR DUE TO FAULTY REGULATOR/DOOR LINK. I READ ABOUT SIMILAR PROBLEMS IN NEWSGROUPS AS WELL. THIS NEEDS TO BE ON RECORD. *NM