2008 Pontiac VIBE: complaints, problems and recalls

DESCRIPTION OF MALFUNCTION: ENGINE ACCELERATED WHEN BRAKE WAS APPLIED. THIS CONDITION OCCURRED ONCE, BUT COULD HAVE CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ON SATURDAY 3/29/08 (NO RAIN; TEMP 35 DEG F) , I WAS DRIVING ON A WINDING RURAL ROAD AND GOING AROUND 30 MPH. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF. I STARTED BRAKING SINCE I WAS GOING DOWN A SLIGHT GRADE AND GETTING CLOSE TO A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT. SUDDENLY THE CAR STARTED SPEEDING UP, EVEN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I NOTICED THAT THE IDLE WAS AROUND 3,000 RPM. I MANUALLY THREW THE AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL …

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10223277 at NHTSA ↗

WE RENTED A 2008 PONTIAC VIBE ON 2-9-08 FROM THE FT. LAUDERDALE AIRPORT AND WE WERE DRIVING ABOUT 115 MILES TO ISLAMORADA FL. ABOUT 1 MILE FROM OUR DESTINATION WE HEARD A TREMENDOUS NOISE FROM THE BACK SEAT AREA THAT SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION. WE NOTICED THAT THE WINDOW IN THE BACK HAD SHATTERED. WE HAD NO IDEA WHY IT HAD SHATTERED. SINCE THAT TIME WE HAVE READ NEWS ACCOUNTS ABOUT CERTAIN PONTIAC VIBES EXPERIENCING SPONTANEOUS SHATTERING OF PASSENGER DOOR WINDOWS. JUST WANTED TO PASS THIS ALONG IN THE NAME OF SAFETY. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10224635 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC VIBE. ON APRIL 22, 2008, WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN THE CONTACT, CAUSING HER TO STRIKE AND INJURE HER HEAD AGAINST THE DASHBOARD. THE PASSENGER RECEIVED INJURIES TO HER LEGS. THE INSURANCE COMPANY INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BOLT FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE SEAT BELT TO FAIL. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DECLARED THE VEHICLE TO BE DESTROYED. THE FRONT DRIVER AND P…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10227641 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC VIBE. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. HE PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS FLAT. THE TIRE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE VALVE STEM WAS FAULTY. THE CONTACT DOES NOT KNOW THE MANUFACTURER OF THE VALVE STEM. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 38,900. UPDATED 09/15/08 *BF THE CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED 3 VALVE STEM FAILURES. UPDATED 09/17/08. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 38,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10234790 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC VIBE. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON CRASH WITH A SEMI TRUCK. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. PRIOR TO THE CRASH, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON FOUR OCCASIONS REGARDING THE ABS. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RETRIEVED, THE CONTACT HEARD A SQUEAKY NOISE AND TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. NEW BRAKES PADS WERE PLACED ON THE VEHICLE AT THAT TIME. AFTER THE CRASH, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND TAKEN IN FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MAJOR INJ…

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10260194 at NHTSA ↗

TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR DEVICES ON OUR 2008 PONTIAC VIBE (WITH 23000 MILE) HAD TO BE BROKEN OFF TO REPLACE TWO TIRES NEEDED ON THE VEHICLE. PONTIAC WOULD NOT COVER THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TPMS (EVENTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER THE 36,000 MILE/3YR WARRANTY) BECAUSE THAT CLAIM I HAD CHANGED THE VALVE COVERS ON THE VALVE STEMS WITH STEEL CAPS. NEITHER I NOR THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD REPLACED THE VALVE COVERS BUT THE VEHICLE CAME FROM THE PONTIAC DEALERSHIP THAT WAY. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 230,980 miles reported. Look up ODI 10299802 at NHTSA ↗

2008 PONTIAC VIBE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. CONSUMER SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES BUT IT DIDN'T STOP THE VEHICLE. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE FINALLY RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THERE WAS A RECALL, BUT WHEN SHE WENT TO THE DEALER, SHE WAS INFORMED ONLY THE 2009 AND 2010 VEHICLES WERE BEING REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10323090 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING FOR 2 MILES WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR; SHE SLOWLY APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THEY MADE A LOUD CLANKING NOISE. WHILE DRIVING UP HILL IN HER DRIVEWAY THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 20 MPH ON IT'S OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. DIAGNOSTIC TEST HAVE BEEN PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES FOR VARIOUS REASONS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 18,500.

Owner-reported narrative. 18,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10353306 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2010-08-26 (August 26, 2010)

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2008 PONTIAC VIBE VEHICLES. THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) FOR THE SUBJECT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE 1ZZ-FE (LV6) ENGINE AND TWO-WHEEL DRIVE MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A CRACK MAY DEVELOP AT CERTAIN SOLDER POINTS OR ON VARISTORS ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD.

Consequence: THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WARNINGS AND CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEFECT. THE ENGINE WARNING LAMP COULD BE ILLUMINATED, HARSH SHIFTING COULD RESULT, THE ENGINE MAY NOT START, OR THE ENGINE COULD SHUT OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. AN ENGINE SHUTOFF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE PRODUCTION NUMBER OF THE ECM AND REPLACE THE ECM IF NECESSARY. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 8, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GM AT 1-800-620-7668.

Reported: 2016-03-03 (March 3, 2016)

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Lexus SC vehicles manufactured August 3, 2007, to July 30, 2010, 2008 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured May 25, 2007, to December 21, 2007, 2008 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to December 18, 2007, and 2008 Pontiac Vibe vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to January 2, 2008. This is to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag. This recall addresses both the passenger side frontal air bags that were originally installed in the vehicles, as well as replacement air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts. A replacement air bag may have been installed, as one example, if a vehicle had been in a crash necessitating the replacement of the passenger side frontal air bag.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: The recall began on March 25, 2016 for Toyota and Lexus vehicle owners. The recall began on June 23, 2016 for GM owners. The respective dealers will either replace the front passenger air bag inflator or the entire front passenger air bag assembly depending on the model. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. This recall expands recall 15V-285.

Reported: 2016-03-02 (March 2, 2016)

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Lexus SC vehicles manufactured August 3, 2007, to July 30, 2010, 2008 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to December 21, 2007, 2008 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to December 18, 2007, and 2008 Pontiac Vibe vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to January 2, 2008 that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The affected vehicles have a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: The recall began on March 25, 2016 for Toyota and Lexus vehicle owners. The recall began on June 8, 2016 for GM owners. The respective dealers will either replace the front passenger air bag inflator or the entire front passenger air bag assembly depending on the model. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. This recall expands recall 15V-286.

Reported: 2019-08-28 (August 28, 2019)

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Corolla, 2005-2008 Corolla Matrix, and Pontiac Vibe vehicles equipped with a front passenger air bag assembly replaced under a prior recall. The air bag may not unfold as designed during inflation under high temperature conditions, possibly resulting in the air bag not inflating properly.

Consequence: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly or sub-assembly, free of charge. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are K1Q and K0Q. Pontiac owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is N192273760.