FaultScore

Worst years for a Pontiac Vibe

Owners have filed 2,133 complaints about the Pontiac Vibe with NHTSA across model years 2000 to 2014. More of them are about the airbags than anything else.

Avoid

2009 Pontiac Vibe

600 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly airbags.

Cleanest on record

2008 Pontiac Vibe

68 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Pontiac Vibe year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2014 1 0 0 Airbags
2010 C 67 9 0 48,100 Airbags
2009 D 600 26 4 55,500 Airbags
2008 B 68 5 0 54,500 Airbags
2007 C 202 16 1 60,000 Airbags
2006 B 199 10 0 81,675 Airbags
2005 C 337 12 2 86,928 Airbags
2004 D 315 22 1 74,198 Airbags
2003 D 340 35 0 60,000 Windows, Mirrors & Wipers
2002 2 2 0 Airbags
2001 1 1 0 Airbags
2000 1 0 0 Airbags

What breaks on a Pontiac Vibe

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Airbags 1,011 47.4%

Worst in 2009

Worst in 2004

Engine & Cooling 168 7.9%

Worst in 2005

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2009

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2003

Steering 58 2.7%

Worst in 2009

Brakes 52 2.4%

Worst in 2009

Worst in 2004

Lights 27 1.3%

Worst in 2003

Tires 27 1.3%

Worst in 2003

Seat Belts 25 1.2%

Worst in 2003

Fuel & Propulsion 24 1.1%

Worst in 2009

Exactly what failed on a Pontiac Vibe

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Glass, Side/Rear 69 23.5%
Power Window Devices AND Controls 66 22.5%
Automatic Transmission 30 10.2%
Accelerator Pedal 27 9.2%
Manual Transmission 23 7.8%
Body 22 7.5%
Engine 21 7.2%
Clutch Assembly 16 5.5%
Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) 11 3.8%
Instrument Cluster/Panel 8 2.7%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Pontiac Vibe, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Aug 2002 peak 58 Mar 2026

Pontiac Vibe problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Pontiac Vibe

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.