Pontiac Vibe Problems by Year
NHTSA has 1,866 owner complaints and 22 safety recalls on file for the Pontiac Vibe, across 12 model years (2000–2014). The 2009 model year has the most complaints (528). The most reported problem area overall is air bags.
Pontiac Vibe years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Vibe year: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2009 Vibe: 528 complaints, 9 recalls
- 2005 Vibe: 301 complaints, 5 recalls
- 2003 Vibe: 298 complaints, 8 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Pontiac Vibe problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 1,012 | 12 | 66 |
| Visibility problems | 176 | 8 | 1 |
| Power Train problems | 136 | 8 | 2 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 118 | 8 | 24 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 101 | 8 | 1 |
| Electrical System | 96 | 7 | 3 |
| Engine | 65 | 8 | 4 |
| Structure | 63 | 7 | 6 |
| Steering | 58 | 7 | 5 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 30 | 8 | 7 |
| Tires | 27 | 6 | 3 |
| Seat Belts | 25 | 9 | 8 |
| Exterior Lighting | 20 | 5 | 0 |
| Visibility/wiper | 19 | 6 | 1 |
| Suspension | 18 | 6 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 17 | 6 | 1 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 15 | 6 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 13 | 3 | 1 |
| Wheels | 10 | 5 | 0 |
| Equipment | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| Interior Lighting | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Seats | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| I Suspect the Car Seat Is Counterfeit | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Insert, Padding | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Other/i Am Not Sure | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tether, Lower Anchor (on Car Seat or Vehicle) | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Pontiac Vibe problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2009: air bags (352) · vehicle speed control (58)
- 2007: air bags (114)
- 2006: air bags (119)
- 2005: air bags (174)
- 2004: air bags (104) · visibility (70)
- 2003: visibility (74) · air bags (66)
All Pontiac Vibe model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Vibe | 1 | 0 | — | Air Bags | |
| 2010 Vibe | 58 | 8 | — | Air Bags | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2009 Vibe | 528 | 9 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2008 Vibe | 63 | 4 | — | Air Bags | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2007 Vibe | 171 | 5 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2006 Vibe | 177 | 5 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2005 Vibe | 301 | 5 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2004 Vibe | 266 | 7 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2003 Vibe | 298 | 8 | — | Visibility | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2002 Vibe | 1 | 0 | — | Air Bags | |
| 2001 Vibe | 1 | 0 | — | Air Bags | |
| 2000 Vibe | 1 | 0 | — | Air Bags |
More from Pontiac: all Pontiac models · VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Pontiac Vibe years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2003 (298), 2004 (266), 2005 (301), 2006 (177), 2007 (171), 2009 (528) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Vibe year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Pontiac Vibe?
Air Bags, with 1,012 complaints across 12 model years.
How many recalls does the Pontiac Vibe have?
22 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.