2003 PONTIAC VIBE Complaints

THE CONSUMER'S 2003 PONTIAC VIBE DRIFTED FROM SIDE TO SIDE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. *NM THE VEHICLE DID NOT HANDLE PROPERLY AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. THE CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO CONSTANTLY CORRECT THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP IT IN HE MIDDLE OF THE LANE. THE PROBLEM WOULD ALSO OCCUR ON SMOOTH LEVEL ROADWAY WITH NO WINDY CONDITIONS. THE TIRES HAD ALSO BEEN AFFECTED WITH UNEVEN WEARING OF THE INNERMOST TREAD ON EACH. *SC THE CONSUMER RECEIVED TWO EXPERT OPINIONS AND THEIR CONCLUSION WAS THE VEHICLE WAS CHAINED DOWN TOO TIGHT DURING TRANSPORTATION WHICH CAUSED THE MISALIGNMENT. *JB

I AM CONTACTING AS A CONCERNED PARENT. MY DAUGHTERS 2003 PONTIAC VIBE HAS HAD NUMEROUS REPAIR PROBLEMS FROM A LEAKING SEAL AROUND THE WINSHIELD TO A CD PLAYER THAT QUITE OPERATING. OTHER PROBLEMS SEEM TO BE MORE SERIOUS AND HAS BEEN EXPLAINED BY A LOCAL GLASS COMPANY THAT HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPLACE THE FRONT WINDSHIELD TWICE. THIS ACCORDING TO THEM IS IN THE DESIGN OF THE CAR THAT WHEN ROCKS HIT THE FRONT END THEY ARE ACCELERATED TOWRDS THE WINDSHIELD INSTEAD OF BEING DEFLECTED. THESE ARE NOT MY ONLY CONCERNS AS BACK IN SEPTEMBER OF 2004 THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WINDOW SHATTERED AS THE WINDOW WAS BEING RAISED WITH THE ECLECTRIC SWITCH THAT OPERATES THE WINDOW. MY DAUGHTER HAD THE WINDOW REPLACED AND I CONTACTED PONTIC CUSTOMER SERVICE IN DETROIT AND A JENNIFER WHITE AT 866 942-4368 X47978 BEGAN THE PROCESS OF RESOLVING THE MATTER (SERVICE REQUEST # 1-257036503) AND FINALLY REIMBURSED MY DAUGHTER FOR THE COST OF REPLACING THE WINDOW. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE WINDOW IN PLACE INSIDE THE DOOR HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED PROPERLY CAUSING THE WINDOW TO BIND AND SHATTER. THIS WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT AND NOW THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT WINDOW HAS SHATTERED IN THE SAME WAY (SERVICE REQUEST # 1-314157308) AND JENNIFER WHITE IS AGAIN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT HANDLING THE CASE. MY ULTIMATE CONCERN IN THIS SITUATION IS THE SAFETY OF MY DAUGHTER, HER NEW HUSBAND( A YOUNG MAN IN THE U.S. MARINE CORP), AND THE UNBORN GRANDCHILD THAT MY DAUGHTER IS CARRYING. MY CONCERN IS EVEN GREATER AFTER HEARING THAT THE SERVICE PERSON WHO JUST YESTERDAY EXAMINED MY DAUGHTERS CAR, MADE THE STATEMENT THAT HE HAS NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE! I HATE TO TELL HIM BUT THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS HAPPENED TO THE SAME VEHICLE.*AK

CLUTCH SLIPPAGE/ FAILURE @ 27K MILES ESPECIALLY WHEN MANEUVERING DIFFICULT TRAFFIC AND NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THE INCREASING INSTANCE OF SMELLING CLUTCH PARTICULARLY IN REVERSE INTO A DRIVEWAY. PROBLEM WAS RECTIFIED BEFORE CRITICAL FAILURE WITH A CENTER FORCE DUAL FRICTION CLUTCH. THERE WAS SOME CONCERN THAT MY TEMPOR MAY HAVE OVER BOUGHT, BUT I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN HAPPIER. *JB

THE PROBLEM WITH MY 2003 PONTIAC VIBE STARTED IN LATE DECEMBER. I EXITED A STATE HIGHWAY AND WHEN I GOT TO THE BOTTOM TO THE RAMP AND STARTED TO STOP AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT I HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE VIBE TO STOP. I WS PUSING HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND FINALLY GOT IT TO STOP AND THEN REALIZED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RACING AT HIGH RPMS. I QUICKLY PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND THE TACHOMETER SHOWED THAT THE ENGINE WAS TURRING AT 3500 RPMS. IT HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES SINCE THEN AND ON 1/31/05 WHEN IT DID IT I WAS STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN AT A BUSY INTERSECTION AND THIS TIME WHEN I PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL, THE ENIGNE WAS TURNING AT 5,000 RPMS. AFTER A FEW SECONDS AT THIS RPMS THE ENGINE WILL RETURN TO ITS NORMAL IDLE RPMS. I HAVE TAKEN THE VIBE TO THE LOCAL PONTIAC DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED NEW. THEY ATTACHED THEIR COMPUTER TO THE VIBE AND NO MESSAGE CODES APPEAR. THEY HAD IT FOR 2 OTHER DAYS AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I AM ONLY CONCERNED THAT ONE OF THESE DAYS IT WILLO ACT UP AND I WILL NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO REACT AND WILL HAVE A COLLISION WITH THE CAR OR PERSON IN FRONT OF ME OR WHEN MY WIFE IS DRIVING IT. THE DEALERSHIP STATES THAT PONTIAC MOTOR CO HAS NOT HAD ANY REPORTS OF THE RPMS INCREASING DURING BRAKING LIKE MY VIBE IS DOING. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SATELY OF MY FAMILY AND OTHERS WITH THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM.*AK

I HAVE A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE WITH 40,000 MILES AND THE ENGINE THREW A ROD. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT SLUDGE IN THE OIL CAUSED BY IMPROPER MAINTENANCE WAS THE REASON THE ENGINE FAILED. I BELIEVE THIS IS THE SAME ENGINE THAT IS IN THE TOYOTA VEHICLES THAT HAD THE PROBLEM WITH SLUDGE IN THE OIL. TOYOTA HAS AGREED TO REPAIR ENGINES IN TOYOTA'S DAMAGED BY SLUDGE IN THE OIL. PONTIAC STATED THEY WILL NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM. I BELEIVE THIS WAS CAUSED BY AN ENGINE DEECT AND IS NOT DUE TO POOR MAINTENANCE. *AK

WHILE REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO THE DRIVE GEAR. THEN, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED, WENT INTO A BRICK WALL, THEN THROUGH AN OFFICE WINDOW. DRIVER SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION/2 BROKEN FRACTURES IN THE ORBIT OF RIGHT EYE AREA, AND A SPRAINED NECK. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN ON MEDICATION FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SINCE THE ACCIDENT. *TC

WHILE CROSSING AN INTERSECTION CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO INJURIES REPORTED. *AK THE CONSUEMR WAS INVOLVED IN TWO OTHER ACCIDENTS IN WHICH THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *NM

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE SIDE OF THE TIRE, APPROXIMATELY 4 INCHES WAS GONE FROM THE TIRE. DOT ACT2, SIZE 205-55R16 (89HMS) NO RECALLS FOUND. *JB

2003 VIBE WITH 33K MILES. CLUTCH FAILED. HAVING NEW CLUTCH ASSEMBLY INSTALLED. WHY WOULD A CAR WITH ONLY 32K MILES NEED THIS? THANK GOODNESS MY DEALER IS COVERING THE REPAIR. *JB

ODOMETER; SPEED;TEMP AND OTHER GAUGES CANNOT BE SEEN IN ANY DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS WITH OR WITHOUT GLASSES. *LA