2009 PONTIAC VIBE Complaints

2009 PONTIAC VIBE. CONSUMER STATES UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL WHICH CAUSED HER TO CRASH INTO A LIGHT POLE. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST PURCHASED, IT ACCELERATED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING INTO A GARAGE. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED HER VEHICLE WAS RECALLED DUE TO SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEMS. WEEKS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE CONSUMER INQUIRED ABOUT THE RECALL AND WAS INFORMED THE REPAIRS WOULD BE MADE ONCE THE PARTS ARRIVED. WHILE WAITING FOR THE PARTS, THE CONSUMER HAD AN ACCIDENT. UPDATED 05/05/10.*JB UPDATED 05/28/10.*JB

I HAVE A 2009 PONTIAC VIBE. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE CAR DOUBLE ACCELERATES. WHEN YOU PRESS THE ACCELERATOR IT REVS UP AND THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW SOFT OR HARD YOU PRESS. I TOOK MY CAR IN AFTER THE RECALL AND HAD THE ACCELERATOR ALTERED BUT I STILL NOTICE THE PROBLEM. I ASKED THE DEALER TO CHECK THE BRAKES ALSO AND THEY SAID IT IS FINE. I DON'T KNOW IF ITS AN ENGINE PROBLEM BUT I HAVE ALWAYS NOTICED IT. NOW THAT THESE ISSUES HAVE COME TO LIGHT I AM VALIDATED THAT MY CONCERNS AND OTHERS WHO HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR ARE REAL. I AM AFRAID TO HAVE AN INCIDENT WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO INJURY OR DEATH. MY FIVE YEAR OLD RIDES IN THE CAR ON A DAILY BASIS WITH ME. PLEASE ADVISE ME ON WHAT TO DO. THANK YOU. *TR

WE PURCHASED A NEW 2009 PONTIAC VIBE (TOYOTA, MATRIX PLATFORM) IN APRIL 2008. WE DROVE IT FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS AND ACCUMULATED A LITTLE OVER 20K MILES. IN EARLY MARCH, WE RETURNED FROM A SIX OR SEVEN HOUR TRIP AND WERE GOING THROUGH A LOCAL CAR WASH WHEN SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY, THE ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED UNDER MY FOOT AND THE ENGINE INCREASED IN RPM'S AND THE VEHICLE LAUNCHED FORWARD NEARLY HITTING THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF US IN THE QUEUE. IN FEBRUARY, WE HAD RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICES FROM GMC, BUT THE LOCAL DEALER HAD NOT RECEIVED THE REPAIR KITS YET AND HAD POSTPONED OUR REPAIR UNTIL EARLY MARCH. WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER AND ON MARCH 5, THEY MADE THE REPAIRS. WHEN I ASKED WHAT WERE THE NATURE OF THE REPAIRS AND THEY EXPLAINED THAT A SHIM WAS INSTALLED IN THE ACCELERATOR LINKAGE AND SOME FLOOR MATTING WAS REMOVED, I KNEW THAT THE REPAIRS WOULD NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM WE EXPERIENCED. (AS A SON OF A USED CAR DEALER, AND FORMER MECHANIC MYSELF, I KNEW THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM WAS NOT MECHANICAL, AND IT WAS MORE LIKELY EITHER VACUUM OR ELECTRICAL IN NATURE.) THEREFORE, IN FEAR OF SOME POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS FUTURE PROBLEM FOR MY WIFE WHEN SHE MIGHT BE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, WE IMMEDIATELY TRADED FOR A NEW 2010 FORD FUSION. I ALSO WANTED TO TRADE THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT ALSO BECAME WIDELY KNOWN PUBLICLY AS A TOYOTA, MATRIX CLONE, AND THE RESALE VALUE DROPPED OUT OF THE BOTTOM. SORRY, BUT TOYOTA, HAS A WAYS TO GO BEFORE THEY WILL CONVINCE ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS STRICTLY FLOOR MATS AND ACCELERATOR LINKAGE SHIMS. *TR

VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 2008. I OWN A 2009 PONTIAC VIBE WHICH IS NOW INCLUDED IN TOYOTA'S RECALL. RECALL # 10018: ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKING AND RECALL # 10038: FLOOR MAT INTERFERENCE AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL. *TR

TL*-THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY STATED THE VEHICLE HAD PRIOR RECALL REPAIR PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DISPUTED, STATING THAT THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. ADDITIONALLY, THE DEALER MENTIONED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED IN A STATE THAT WAS NOT THE RESIDENCY OF THE CONTACT. THE CONTACT WAS DISPLEASED WITH THE INACCURATE INFORMATION AND SUGGESTED THE DEALER INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO VERIFY THE REPAIR WAS NOT PERFORMED. HOWEVER, THE DEALER REFUSED TO INVESTIGATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC VIBE. WHILE AT A STOP WITH THE BRAKES APPLIED THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ENGINES RPMS HAD RISEN TO 6000. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE NHTSA RECALL # 10V024000 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL :ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS NOT NOTICED THE FAILURE SINCE HAVING THE RECALL PERFORMED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, WHEN HE PROCEEDED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN; THE EXTERIOR DRIVER SIDE MIRROR WAS MOUNTED TOO HIGH CAUSING A BLIND SPOT WHICH RESULTED IN POOR VISIBILITY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MIRROR WAS A MANUFACTURERS DESIGN FLAW. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 800. UPDATED 07/19/10 *BF UPDATED 07/21/10*JB

I DRIVE A 2009 PONTIAC VIBE (ESSENTIALLY A TOYOTA MATRIX) AND UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCE THE VEHICLE WILL UPSHIFT RIGHT AFTER YOU PUT ON THE BRAKE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SURGE AHEAD FOR A MOMENT DUE TO THE UPSHIFT. IT ONLY HAPPENS AT AROUND SPEED OF 25-35 MPH. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT A PEDAL ISSUE BUT A TRANSMISSION PROGRAMMING AND OR SOLENOID VALVE ISSUE IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR HAS BEEN REPROGRAMMED PER THE TSB FOR HARSH SHIFTING. I WILL ADMIT THAT SOME OF THE HARSHNESS HAS GONE AWAY BUT THE UPSHIFT ISSUE WHILE SLOWING DOWN STILL REMAINS. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE AS WELL, EVEN AFTER THE REPROGRAMMING OF THE TRANSMISSION (CHECK OUT GENVIBE.COM, YOU WILL FIND OTHER OWNERS SUFFER FROM THIS AS WELL). THE ISSUE IS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE WHILE COMING DOWN A HILL AND IT HAPPENS TO ME ALMOST DAILY BECAUSE I GO DOWN A LARGE HILL OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE DAILY. I AM VERY CAREFUL WHILE GOING DOWN THIS HILL TO HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AT ALL TIMES AS THE CAR CAN UPSHIFT AT ANYTIME CAUSING A BRIEF FORWARD SURGE. THERE ARE ALWAYS CHILDREN WAITING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL FOR THE SCHOOL BUS WHEN I LEAVE IN THE MORNING SO I AM CONCERNED FOR THERE SAFETY MORE THAN MINE AT THE MOMENT BUT AS I SAID, I AM ALWAYS EXTREMELY AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND VERY CAREFUL WHILE DESCENDING THE HILL. I WOULD BE WILLING TO DEMONSTRATE THIS ISSUE TO ANYONE IF NEEDED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC VIBE. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 1 MPH THE VEHICLE HAD SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING.IN ORDER TO STOP THE ACCELERATION THE CONTACT HAD SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL. ONE MONTH PRIOR TO THE RECENT FAILURE THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE NHTSA RECALL# 10V024000: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS AT 7000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 18000. UPDATED 05/13/10. *LJ

THE ACCELERATOR IN OUR 2009 PONTIAC VIBE ACTED UP FOR THE THIRD TIME THIS EVENING. WHILE EACH EPISODE HAS BEEN DIFFERENT, ALL 3 EPISODES HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN VIRTUALLY THE SAME PLACE. IT HAD THE RECALL PERFORMED ON IT OVER A WEEK AGO. I HAVE ALREADY FILED A COMPLIANT WITH YOU. THIS TIME THE CAR SUDDENLY ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE WHILE I WAS COMING TO A STOP. AS STATED BEFORE, I HAD NO PROBLEM HOLDING THE CAR BACK WITH THE BRAKES. THIS EPISODE WAS ONLY A FEW SECONDS LONG. I AM AN AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY INSTRUCTOR WITH MASTER AUTOMOTIVE ASE AND ADVANCED ENGINE PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATIONS. I TAUGHT ELECTRONICS AT A LOCAL COLLEGE FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 YEARS BEFORE TAKING THIS JOB. I HAVE DONE ADVANCED RF AND COMMUNICATIONS WORK. I HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH MACHINE LANGUAGE MICROPROCESSOR PROGRAMMING. THIS IS NOT A STICKING ACCELERATOR PEDAL!!! I HAVE TRIED TO DUPLICATE THE SITUATION MANY TIMES WITH NO LUCK. THE OCCURRENCES ARE VERY RANDOM. MY WIFE HAS COMPLAINED IN THE PAST OF THE CRUISE CONTROL SEEMINGLY ENGAGING WHILE DOWN TOWN ON THE I190. I NOW BELIEVE THOSE EPISODE ARE RELATE TO THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE CONTACT ME! *TR