2003 PONTIAC VIBE Complaints

AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS TURN ON IN DAYLIGHT - CAN'T SEE DASH. IN THE MORNING AND EVENING WHEN THE SUN IS LOW AND IN YOUR EYES, I WEAR SUNGLASSES LIKE MOST DRIVERS. THE AUTOMATIC LIGHTS COME ON AND DIM THE DASH MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE. YOU CAN FIDDLE WITH THE DASH INTENSITY AND READ IT AGAIN, BUT IT IS ANNOYING TO DO THIS ALL THE TIME. THE RADIO STAYS DIM AND IS UNADJUSTABLE BY THE DASH INTENSITY LIGHTS, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE. YOU HAVE TO MOVE YOUR HEAD TO FUNNY ANGLES OR REMOVE YOUR SUNGLASSES TO SEE THE RADIO. I FEEL FIDDLING WITH THE DASH LIGHTS AND/OR REMOVING YOUR SUNGLASSES TO OPERATE THE RADIO ARE DISTRACTIONS TO THE DRIVER AND INCREASE RISK OF ACCIDENT. THE DASH LIGHTING ON THE VIBES IS CRITICAL AS IT IS BECAUSE THE DASH LIGHTS MUST STAY ON ALL THE TIME. THIS IS BECAUSE THEY ARE IN A TUNNEL AND YOU CAN NOT SEE THEM, EVEN IN BRIGHT LIGHT, WITHOUT THE DASH LIGHTS ON. COUPLE IN THE FACT THAT PONTIAC USES RED BACKLIGHTING FOR THE DASHBOARD AND THE DASH GAGES ARE ALREADY AT A SIGHT DISADVANTAGE. THROW IN A TOUCHY LIGHT SENSOR THAT TURNS ON YOUR HEADLIGHTS (AND DIMS THE DASH) AND IT IS NOT A GOOD SITUATION. THE SENSOR IS TOO SENSITIVE AND I NOTICED COMPLAINTS ON FORUMS SUCH AS GENVIBE.COM AND MATRIX-VIBE.NET THAT MAKE MENTION OF THE SAME PROBLEM. SENSOR SHOULD BE DISACTIVATED OR REPLACED WITH LESS SENSITIVE TYPE. I HAVE A 2000 PONTIAC MONTANNA WITH AUTOMATIC LIGHTS AND IT WORKS FLAWLESS. ONLY COMES ON AT DUSK. NEVER COMES ON WITH A LOW SUN (DAWN, DUSK) SHINNING IN YOUR EYES. PLEASE NOTE THAT MY LIGHT SENSOR IN MY VIBE IS IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER OF DASH AND IT IS NOT BLOCKED IN ANY MANNER. THIS LOCATION SEEMS STUPID FOR A LIGHT SENSOR ALSO, AS SHADOWS FROM THE A-PILLAR MAKE IT COME IN OF THE SUN IS BLOCKED FROM THE A-PILLAR. KEITH NELSON

2003 PONTIAC VIBE. VEHICLE HAS A SENSOR THAT TURNS ON THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS. THESE LIGHTS ARE NOT ILLUMINATED UNTIL 15-20 SECONDS ELAPSE. I NOTED MY WIFE DRIVING AWAY WITH HEADLIGHTS BUT NO TAIL LIGHTS AFTER SHE STARTED THE CAR AFTER SUNSET. THE TAIL LIGHTS CAME ON AS SHE WAS TWO BLOCKS DOWN THE STREET. I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY DANGER DESIGN FLAW THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY. THANKS

CONDENSATION BUILDS UP ON THE INSIDE OF ALL WINDOWS OF VEHICLE WHILE PARKED FOR 6 HOURS. SO MUCH SO, CONDENSATION WAS RUNNING DOWN THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS PROBLEM IS UNUSUAL AS I''VE OWNED NUMEROUS NEW VEHICLES IN THIS GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. AND NONE HAS HAD THIS AMOUNT IF ANY CONDENSATION BUILD UP ON THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. AS I''M NOT SURE IF THIS IS A VALID COMPLAINT. BECAUSE YES AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF RUNNING THE DEFROSTER THE CONDENSATION CLEARS. BUT I CAN''T IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WENT BELOW FREEZING. WOULD I HAVE A SHEET OF ICE ON THE INSIDE OF MY WINDSHIELD? THIS IS A BRAND NEW VEHICLE; THERE SHOULDN''T BE ANY FROST ON THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOWS. I WILL CONTACT THE DEALER TO SEE IF THEY''VE HAD ANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE OR IF THEY HAVE ANY IDEAS OF THE CAUSE. ALSO THIS HAPPENED IN 2003, THAT YEAR SELECTION WASN''T AVAILABLE VIA YOUR WEB SITE UNDER INCIDENT DATE. THANKS

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH A REAL BAD SMELL THAT COMES FROM THE VENTILATOR SYSTEM. ALSO STATED THAT THIS PROBLEM COMES EVERYTIME THE VEHICLE COMES TO A FULL STOP. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AS FAR AS TESTING THE VEHICLE. TS

CONSUMER NOTICE WHILE TRAVELING AT NIGHT VEHICLE TRANSMISSION INDICATOR DOES NOT LIGHT UP CAUSING CONSUMER UNABLE TO SHIFT GEARS WITHOUT DEFAULT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION ALSO DESCRIBES THAT WHILE THE GEAR IS ON PARK THE VEHIICLE WILL ROLL. DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. MR

2003 PONTIAC VIBE WAS HIT HEAD ON BY ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THEN HIT THE SIDE GUARD RAIL AND ANOTHER CAR. NO AIR BAGS (FRONT AND SIDES) DEPLOYED, AND ONE BACK SEAT PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT FAILED. THERE WERE FIVE PEOPLE IN THE COMPLAINANT VEHICLE WERE INJURED.*AK *TS *JB *CB

AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT SENSOR IS MOUNTED ON LEFT SIDE DASH. SHADOWS CAUSED BY LEFT SIDE ROOF PILLAR AND/OR TEXAS INSPECTION AND REGISTRATION STICKERS CAST SHADOWS OVER SENSOR AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE DAY AND ORIENTATION OF THE SUN CAUSING HEADLIGHTS TO TURN ON WITH RESULTANT DIMMING OF DASH LIGHTS AND INSTRUMENTS TO AN UN-READABLE LEVEL. THE EFFECT IS QUITE SHOCKING AND LEADS THE DRIVER TO INITIALLY BELIEVE THAT THE CAR HAS LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. DEALER HAS INDICATED NO KNOWN FIX HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. A SIMILAR SENSOR ON MY BUICK RENDEVOUS IS LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF THE DASH WHERE SHADOWS DON'T PRESENT SUCH A PROBLEM.*AK

VEHICLE CANNOT BE REFUELED IN A NORMAL AND SAFE MANNER. PUMP NOZZLE CANNOT BE INSERTED INTO FILLER NECK WHILE REFUELING. DOING SO, RESULTS IN AN IMMEDIATE BACK UP OF FUEL IN THE FILLER NEXT AND SPILLAGE ON GROUND AND ON INDIVIDUAL. PONTIAC SAYS IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH NO RESOLUTION. THIS MAKES CAR NEARLY UNUSABLE AND PRESENTS BOTH A HEALTH AND SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD. DEALER REPORTS NO FIX KNOWN AT THIS TIME.*AK

DURING NORMAL DRIVING, WHEN YOU REMOVE FOOT FROM ACCELERATOR FOR GRADUAL SLOW-DOWN CAR WILL SOMETIMES HAVE SLIGHT TO MODERATE BURST OF SPEED. VEHICLE HAS BEEN RETURNED FOR SERVICE CHECK AND PONTIAC DEALER, BEFORE EVEN LOOKING AT CAR, STATED, THE TYPE OF PROBLEM DESCRIBED WOULD BE VERY HARD TO FIND. I SUGGESTED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OR THE FUEL INJECTIONS, BUT OF COURSE THEY COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM COULD CAUSE SERIOUS PROBLEMS OR ACCIDENTS, BUT NO ONE FROM DEALER SEEMS TO BE CONCERNED.*AK