2009 PONTIAC VIBE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC VIBE. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 45-50 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTACT OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT QUICKLY SHIFTED INTO THIRD GEAR, BUT IT DID NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. THE CONTACT THEN SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND THE MOTOR REVVED UP TO 7,000 RPMS. THE CONTACT SHIFTED BACK INTO DRIVE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL ACCELERATING. THE CONTACT POWERED OFF THE ENGINE AND COASTED THE VEHICLE INTO A DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND THE ENGINE REVVED BACK UP TO 7,000 RPMS. THE CONTACT POWERED OFF THE VEHICLE A SECOND TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

I AM HAVING ISSUE WITH EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION FOR THE LAST 6-9 MONTHS. BEFORE I HIT 3000 MILES THE OIL HAS BURNED UP AND THERE IS NOTHING ON THE DIP STICK. I TOOK IT TO GOODYEAR AND THEY SAID TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I TOOK IT TO ED RINKE IN CENTERLINE MI, WHERE I PURCHASED MY CAR AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND WHY IT WAS HAPPENING. WHEN I TOOK IT FOR MY LAST OIL CHANGE AT GOODYEAR IN WARREN MI THEY SAID THERE MIGHT BE A RECALL. I HAVE FOUND A FORUM WERE OTHERS WERE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND UPON RESEARCHING IT APPEARS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH SOME OF THE TOYOTA'S AS WELL. I OCCASIONALLY NOTICE A BURNING SMELL WHEN I AM DRIVING BUT IT'S NOT ALL THE TIME. I ALSO SOMETIMES EXPERIENCE MY CAR CATCHING WHEN IT'S SHIFTING OR SHAKING WHEN IDLING. I'M NOT SURE IF THESE ISSUES ARE RELATED, BUT WHEN I TAKE IT FOR SERVICE THEY CANNOT SEEM TO FIND WHAT IS CAUSING THE ISSUES. I TOOK IT IN THIS PAST SUNDAY FOR MY LATEST OIL CHANGE BUT THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE LAST YEAR IN APRIL 2018 WHEN I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER FOR THE AIRBAG RECALL.

CAR SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING. HAPPENS COMPLETELY AT RANDOM. AFTER PLACING IN PARK, REMOVING KEY, RE-INSERTING KEY, RESTARTING, ALL IS FINE FOR A WHILE. PROBABLY FAULTY ECM.

RATTLE FROM STEERING COLUMN WHEN BRAKING FROM HIGH SPEEDS OR DRIVING OVER SLIGHTLY UNEVEN PAVEMENT.

GM IS GREAT AT SENDING OUT LETTERS TO GET THE AIRBAG PROBLEM FIXED, BUT THE GM DEALERSHIPS DON'T SEEM SO WILLING TO DO THE WORK. I CONTACTED FELDMAN CHEVROLET A FEW WEEKS AGO TO GET IT FIXED. THEY INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO ORDER PARTS, THEN THEY WOULD CALL ME TO SCHEDULE THE REPAIR. I NEVER HEARD FROM THEM AGAIN!

TAKATA RECALL. MY RECALL WAS COMPLETED. HOWEVER, WHEN I PICKED MY CAR UP AFTER THE REPAIR, MY AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. I PICKED IT UP AT CLOSE AND NOTICED THE LIGHT WAS ONE WHEN I GOT TO THE LIGHT BASICALLY NEXT DOOR FROM THE DEALERSHIP. I CALLED IMMEDIATELY AS I COULDN'T TURN AROUND AS THEY HAD CLOSED. I LEFT A MESSAGE FOR JEREMY WHO TOOK CARE OF THE PAPERWORK LESS THAN 5 MINS AFTER LEAVING. NO RETURN CALL. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT WEEK AS LEFT A MESSAGE FOR THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. STILL NO RETURN CALL. I DON'T KNOW IF MY RECALL WAS ACTUALLY COMPLETED CORRECTLY AS THE LIGHT IS STILL ON. AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE CHECKED MY CAR'S COMPUTER AND CONFIRMED THE LIGHT IS ON DUE TO THE AIRBAG. I JUST WANT THE LIGHT OFF AND TO KNOW THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED CORRECTLY. I'VE TRIED CALLING SINCE, BUT I ALWAYS GET VOICEMAIL AND WELL THEY NEVER RETURNED CALLS EVEN WHEN I TRIED TO SCHEDULE THE INITIAL RECALL REPAIR. RECALL REPAIR WAS COMPLETED BY COYLE CHEVROLET IN CLARKSVILLE INDIANA. HOWEVER IT WASN'T DONE CORRECTLY.

I HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL NOTICES AND MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET MY AIRBAG RECALL REPAIR COMPLETED, BUT I HAVE BEEN TOLD SEVERAL TIMES BY 2 DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS THAT THEY EITHER COULD NOT GET THE PART OR THAT I WOULD NEED TO SIGN A DISCLAIMER STATING THAT ANY DAMAGE OCCURRING WHILE THE RECALL REPAIR WAS COMPLETED WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY. THE REASON GIVEN WAS THAT PONTIAC WENT OUT OF BUSINESS AND THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET REPLACEMENT PARTS. I FEEL THIS IS WRONG AND ALL COSTS TO COMPLETE THE RECALL AND FIX ANY DAMAGE SHOULD BE GM'S RESPONSIBILITY. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL FOR POSSIBLE SHRAPNEL COMING THOUGHT THE AIRBAG WHEN DEPLOYED. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE ALLOWING ANYONE TO SIT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND IF I RESELL THE VEHICLE, THEN WHAT HAPPENS? THE DEALERSHIPS ARE KING BUICK GMC, 16200 FREDERICK ROAD, ROCKVILLE, MD 20877 (WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR), AND CRISWELL AUTOMOTIVE, 503 QUINCE ORCHARD ROAD, GAITHERSBURG (THEY TOLD ME ABOUT THE WAIVER FOR DAMAGE). PLEASE ADVISE HOW I CAN GET THIS RECALL FIXED WITHOUT PAYING FOR FURTHER DAMAGES.

STEERING - MY 2009 PONTIAC VIBE HAS SERIOUS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT STEERING ISSUES THAT MAKSE IT FEEL VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS THERE IS A RATTLE THAT COMES FROM THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT, IT RATTLES FEELS LOOSE, AND GIVES AN UNCONTROLLED FEELING. MY 2009 HAS ONLY 59,300 MILES ON IT. (APROX. 6,500 A YEAR) THIS CAR HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN HARD, ALL ROUTINE MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE ON THE CAR. THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS. THEY CLAIM ITS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. ARE THEY WAITING TILL PEOPLE DIE FROM THE ISSUE? IT MOST DEFINITELY FEELS UNSAFE, WHEN IT FEELS LOOSE IT DOES CAUSE STEERING AND SAFELY ISSUES AT ALL SPEEDS.

PER THE RECALL, I TRIED TO HAVE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG INFLATOR FIXED AT A GM DEALER. HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD NEED TO SIGN A WAIVER FOR ANY DAMAGE DONE DURING THE RECALL REPAIR BECAUSE IF THE DASH OR OTHER PARTS BROKE, THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REPLACE THEM. THEY SHOULD BE MADE TO COVER ALL OF THE REPAIR COSTS TO FIX THIS MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM. ALSO NOTE, THAT ANOTHER GM DEALER, WHERE I GOT BOUGHT THE CAR TOLD THEY COULD NOT EVEN GET THE REPLACEMENT PART ON 3 OCCASIONS.

TAKATA RECALL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MY CAR HAS HAD A RECALL ON IT FOR THE PASSENGER AIR BAG INFLATOR FOR OVER TWO YEARS, BUT THEY NEVER HAVE THE PART. NO ONE IS SUPPOSED TO RIDE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT - REALLY, FOR TWO YEARS? THIS IS RIDICULOUS!