2003 PONTIAC VIBE Complaints

2003 PONTIAC VIBE 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. BEARINGS FAILED RESULTING IN GRINDING NOISE. MECHANIC SAYS THIS COULD'VE RESULTED IN CATASTROPHIC LOCK-UP OF TRANSMISSION LEADING TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. PLEASE DON'T WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO BE KILLED BEFORE INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO BE ENDEMIC TO PONTIAC VIBE AND TOYOTA MATRIX 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS:13V133000 (AIR BAGS) AND 13V029000 ( AIR BAGS). THE PARTS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE REPAIRS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR EITHER VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED AN UNREASONABLE DATE FOR WHEN THE CONTACTS VEHICLE WOULD RECEIVE THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. UPDATED 05/05/2014*LJ UPDATED 05/9/2014 *JS *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V133000 (AIR BAGS ) BUT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT FELT THAT SINCE THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED IN APRIL OF 2013, THERE SHOULD BE A REMEDY AVAILABLE BEFORE DECEMBER OF 2013. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL NOTIFICATION WE RECEIVED IN JUNE. WE GOT ANOTHER NOTICE IN NOVEMBER FROM PONTIAC STATING THAT INDEED WE WERE. SO WE ARE CONCERNED WHY WE WERE TOLD NO THE FIRST TIME. THANK YOU *TR

I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT ON 11/29/2013 ON CROW CANYON, SAN RAMON, CA AND THE INDIVIDUAL IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON THERE BRAKES AND IN TURN I DID THE SAME AND MY VEHICLE HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME AND TOTALED MY FRONT END. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND MY BODY SLAMMED INTO THE STEERING WHEEL WHICH IN TURN HURT MY CHEST BADLY. THE SAN RAMION PD WAS SHOCKED THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I REC'D A RECALL NOTICE ON 1/2012 STATING THE PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE. NEVER WAS RESOLVED BY THE GMC PONTIAC. THANK GOODNESS I WAS WEARING MY SEATBELT OR I HAVE GONE THRU THE WIND SHIELD. THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE GMC CORPORATION SHOULD HAVE RESOLVED THE PROBLEM LONG AGO AND DID NOT. THIS IS NOT CORRECT. I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DEFECT OF AIRBAGS FOR NOT RESOLVING THE AIRBAGS LONG AGO. *TR

I WAS IN A ACCIDENT ON 11/29/2013 ON CROW CANYON, SAN RAMON, CA AND THE INDIVIDUAL IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON HER BRAKES SO I IN TURN DID THE SAME AND MY VEHICLE HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME AND TOTALED MY FRONT END. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND MY BODY SLAMMED INTO THE STEERING WHEEL WHICH IN TURN HURT MY CHEST. THE SAN RAMON P.D WAS SHOCKED THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON 1/2012 STATING THE PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE. NEVER WAS RESOLVED BY GMC/PONTIAC. HAD I NOT BEEN WEARING MY SEAT BELT I WOULD HAVE GONE THRU WINDSHIELD. THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE GMC PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE RESOLVED THE PROBLEM ABOUT THE AIRBAGS. THIS IS JUST NOT CORRECT. SOMEONE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DEFECT. UPDATED 12/18/13*CN

2003 PONTIAC VIBE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE ODOMETER DEFECT. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE SPEEDOMETER FROZE AT 299,999 MILES. WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED GM, HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER HAD A SERVICE BULLETIN, WHICH STATED THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND THE COST TO FIX IT, WAS $830 AND GM WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY OF THE COST. THE FIX, WAS TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND PUT A DOOR PLAQUE ON THAT STATED THE ACTUAL MILEAGE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V133000 (AIR BAGS) AND ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BUT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

JUST LEAVING FOR A TRIP FROM MICHIGAN TO TENN. DRIVING 70 MPH ON I-75 SOUTH WHEN COMING DOWN A STEEP OVER PASS, I HEARD RATTLING IN MY ENGINE AND THUMPING. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SPOT ON I-75 WITH MANY TRUCKS TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEED COMING DOWN FROM THIS OVERPASS. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS, IT WAS A FLAT TIRE. WHEN I BARELY COASTED TO A SEMI-SAFE SPOT MY DAUGHTER GOT OUT AND SAID THE TIRE IS NOT FLAT. I SHIFTED MY MANUAL TRANSMISSION 6 SPEED VIBE GT INTO 1ST GEAR LET OFF THE CLUTCH ONLY TO FIND IT DIDN'T RESPOND. UPSET BECAUSE I HAD JUST BECOME UNEMPLOYED 3 MOS PRIOR AND VOLUNTARILY RETURNED MY 2012 CHEVY SONIC BACK TO THE CREDIT UNION. WITHDREW WHAT I HAD IN MY 401K TO PURCHASE THIS VEHICLE TO ENSURE TRANSPORTATION THAT WAS PAID IN FULL ONLY 6 WEEKS AGO. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH THIS YEAR PONTIAC VIBE. I BELIEVE THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED INSTEAD OF ALLOWING THE CONSUMER TO ABSORB THE COST OF THIS REPAIR WHICH IS AN OBVIOUS FLAW AT THE MANUFACTURER LEVEL. *TR

THE PROBLEM EXPERIENCED RESULTED IN A CRASH, ALTHOUGH THE EXPERIENCED PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY AND IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. THERE IS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES (SEEMS LIKE A HYDRAULIC ISSUE?). THE ENGINE DOESN'T CUT OFF. YOU CAN RESTART THE VEHICLE AND STEERING FEEL IS RESTORED. WHEN POWER IS LOST TO THE STEERING WHEEL, THE VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT TO STEER. NOT SURE IF THIS IS RELATED, BUT OCCASIONALLY, WHEN COMING TO A STOP WITH THE FOOT ON THE CLUTCH, THE VEHICLE ALSO STALLS, AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU LOSE ALL POWER. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAD A SLOW SPEED CRASH WHILE MY SON WAS DRIVING THIS WEEK WHERE THIS VERY INFREQUENT, INTERMITTENT PROBLEM OCCURRED. THIS IS A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE GT PURCHASED JULY 31, 2002. THE EXPERIENCED PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED ONLY A FEW TIMES OVER THE ALMOST 90,000 MILES BUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR US, THE POWER STEERING FAILURE THIS TIME RESULTED IN A CRASH. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE ENGINE GENERALLY DOES NOT STALL BUT YOU ARE PUT IN A VERY SCARY SITUATION. *TR