FaultScore

2006 Pontiac Vibe transmission problems

12 of the 199 complaints about the 2006 Pontiac Vibe are about the transmission — 6% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 92,000 miles.

A

12

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Power Train 6 50.0%
Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) 5 41.7%
Automatic Transmission 1 8.3%

Transmission & Drivetrain across every Pontiac Vibe year

2003 50 37.6%
2004 12 9.0%
2005 35 26.3%
2006 12 9.0%
2007 12 9.0%
2009 12 9.0%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 130,000 miles Bellevue, WA

POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A FAULTY SHIFT AND A FAULTY START. THERE WAS AN ERROR CODE: P0741. THE VEHICLE WAS TO BE INSPECTED AND DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER OR A MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED NO SOLUTION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

NHTSA complaint #10905001 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 140,000 miles Rochester, NY

POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS HIGHER THAN 50 MPH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS BURNED. THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION GEARS FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURES RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V387000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

NHTSA complaint #10860471 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 134,000 miles Phoenix, AZ

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC VIBE. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TCM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V387000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,000.

NHTSA complaint #10633242 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 54,000 miles Tipp City, OH

POWER TRAIN

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR STALLED. NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON AND THE CAR SHIFTS HARD TO THE NEXT GEAR. THE CAR WAS PART OF A RECALL BUT SMEDLEYS IN VANDALIA OHIO CLAIMS THE CAR ISN'T PART OF THE RECALL FOR THE PCM RECALL.

NHTSA complaint #10484576 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Gettysburg, PA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

2006 PONTIAC VIBE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO POWER TRAIN MODULE RECALL NOTICE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED ON JUNE 23, 2009, THE PCM UNIT FAILED ON THE VEHICLE AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED. THE REPAIR SHOP WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER, THAT THE PCM UNIT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, SO THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY $429.30. ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2009, THE PCM UNIT FAILED AGAIN. THE CONSUMER WENT TO THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT SINCE THE PREVIOUS WORK WAS NOT PERFORMED AT A DEALER AND HE DIDN'T KEEP THE PREVIOUS MALFUNCTIONING PART, THE REPLACEMENT WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY WARRANTY. THE COST WAS $605.92. THE CONSUMER IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT.

NHTSA complaint #10427255 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 31,691 miles Horsham, PA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

CONSUMER WRITES TO REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE PCM REPLACEMENT *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE PCM WAS REPLACED TWICE AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED A HARSH TRANSMISSION SHIFT AS WELL AS ENGINE STALLING.

NHTSA complaint #10401884 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

South Dennis, MA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

2006 PONTIAC VIBE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO LACK OF PARTS FOR RECALL REPAIRS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT HE BELIEVED THE VEHICLE TO BE FULLY REPAIRED AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE AIRBAG RECALL PERFORMED. THE CONSUMER WAS LATER MADE AWARE OF THAT VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED WITH INTERIM PARTS.

NHTSA complaint #10387710 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 92,000 miles Cleveland, GA

POWER TRAIN

I OWN A 2006 PONTIAC VIBE I PURCHASED FROM A DEALER IN 2009. I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH IT SHIFTING HARSHLY,ROLLING BACKWARD ON HILLS AT A STOP AS A MANUAL WOULD WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED IT. I HAD IT LOOKED AT A LOCAL DEALER BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM SO I JUST HAVE BEEN DRIVING IT AS IT IS. NOW YESTERDAY I WAS DRIVING UP A HILL AND THE CAR COMPLETELY STALLED SO I QUICKLY PUT IT IN PARK, TURNED IT OFF AND BACK ON PUT IT IN GEAR AND IT TOOK OFF. I WAS FORTUNATE THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC IN THOSE FEW MINUTES. I DID RECEIVE AN ADVISORY LETTER LAST FALL SO I CALLED GM ON THE ISSUE AND THEY PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT EVERYONE THAT OWNS A VIBE GOT THOSE LETTERS AND MY CAR WAS NOT ONE UNDER RECALL BUT SINCE I WAS HAVING ISSUES I WAS TO TAKE IT INTO A DEALER TO BE FIXED AT MY OWN EXPENSE AND FILL OUT A REIMBURSEMENT FORM. ID LIKE TO KNOW HOW IS IT THAT MY CAR JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUES THAT WAS LISTED IN THE RECALL ADVISORY BUT ISN'T INCLUDED IN THE RECALL? AND HOW IS IT THAT THEY KEEP TELLING US THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE. I EVEN SPOKE TO ONE DEALER THAT TOLD ME HE WAS INFORMED BY GM WHEN HE SPOKE TO THEM RECENTLY THAT IF SOMEONE'S CAR HAS SERIOUS ISSUES SUCH AS STALL OUT AND WONT START THAT WE ARE TO DROP IT AND LEAVE IT UNTIL THE PART IS AVAILABLE. I JUST WANT TO DRIVE MY CAR SAFELY ESPECIALLY SINCE I AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS,BUT IT SEEMS THAT I AM GETTING A RUNAROUND FROM GM BECAUSE THERE ARE TOO MANY CARS INVOLVED AND THEY WANT US TO PAY FOR THE PROBLEM OURSELVES.

NHTSA complaint #10378794 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 55,000 miles Redwood City, CA

POWER TRAIN

I PURCHASED A USED PONTIAC VIBE WITH APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES. WE STARTED NOTICING THAT THE CAR WAS SHIFTING ROUGHLY AND MAKING STRANGE SOUNDS LAST SUMMER. WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING REGULAR SERVICE WITH OUR MECHANIC, WHO COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. IN SEPT OF 2010 , WE RECEIVED THE RECALL ABOUT THE PCM FROM GM. PART OF THE RECALL MENTIONED ' HARSH TRANSMISSION SHIFTING'. I CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER FOR PONTIAC THREE TIMES OVER THE COURSE FOUR MONTHS, ASKING WHEN THE RECALL WOULD OCCUR; I RECEIVED NO ANSWER. I FINALLY TOOK THE CAR INTO AN AUTHORIZED GM DEALER ( SOMEWHAT OUT OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE THEY HAVE MOSTLY GONE OUT OF BUSINESS.) HE INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD MOST LIKELY NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $6500. I ASKED IF THE PCM WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. HE REPLIED THAT IT WOULD COST $5000 TO REALLY DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, AND THAT I AM FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE. I DID NOT AGREE TO THE WORK. IS THERE NOT SOME SET TIME LIMIT THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAS TO RESPOND? WE HAVE HAD THE CARE IN THE GARAGE FOR THREE MONTHS WAITING FOR GM

NHTSA complaint #10374433 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 142,000 miles Blanco, TX

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY STIFF ACCOMPANIED BY THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT. THE VEHICLE THEN STALLED AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR CENTER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS WITHIN THE PCM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 142,000.

NHTSA complaint #10356529 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 92,000 miles Chicago, IL

POWER TRAIN

THE ENGINE WARNING LAMP IS ILLUMINATED AND HARSH TRANSMISSION SHIFTING OCCURS.

NHTSA complaint #10355743 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 42,000 miles O'fallon, MO

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

I OWN A 2006 PONTIAC VIBE. PURCHASED USED WITH <30,000 MILES. NOW HAS ABOUT 42,000 MILES. ON A HIGHWAY TRIP, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. STOPPED AT NEXT GAS STATION, CHECKED ALL FLUIDS, BELTS, ETC., NOTHING AMISS. DROVE HOME AND HAD LOCAL AUTOZONE SCAN CODES FOR ME. FOUND P2716 CODE, "PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID" OR PCM MODULE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS OFF AT THIS TIME. TOOK CAR TO PONTIAC DEALER, MANAGER SAID THAT SOLENOIDS SOMETIMES STICK. REPLACING SOLENOID WOULD COST $500 TO $600 . HAVE READ MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS CONDITION WHEN SEARCHING WEB BOARDS.

NHTSA complaint #10353859 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2006 Pontiac Vibe problems

← Full 2006 Pontiac Vibe report