58 of the
2,133 complaints filed about the Pontiac Vibe
are about the steering —
3% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2009.
The contact owned a 2004 Pontiac Vibe. The contact stated that the wife was driving approximately 70 MPH when suddenly the vehicle erroneously turned to the right and drove across multiple lanes of traffic before crashing into a curb and flipping over, landing back on its wheels and stopping. The Highway Patrol was called to the scene. The wife was unable to exit the vehicle due to the damage to the front driver's door from the crash. They had to be forcefully opened by the emergency personnel. During the incident, the wife sustained bruising to both hands while attempting to forcefully turn the steering wheel and regain control of the vehicle. The wife was transported to the hospital and treated. A police report was taken at the scene, and the vehicle was towed away and later deemed destroyed by the insurance company. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 128,000.
NHTSA complaint #11722880 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact called on behalf of her sister who owns a 2009 Pontiac Vibe. The contact stated that while her sister was driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle was making an abnormal noise and the steering wheel was shaking abnormally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The contact was notified of an unknown recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact drove the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000.
NHTSA complaint #11618100 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The steering rack and intermediate shaft in the steering wheel Go bad and what happens is it makes having an alignment impossible Not only that but the vehicle clunks with every turn [XXX] Being a Pontiac it was a joint venture between Toyota And GM Thus Affecting many Toyota Corolla Prius and matrix As Toyota got a recall Pontiac did not INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11535337 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL SOUND COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED SHE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ED SCHMIDT GMC (26875 N DIXIE HWY, PERRYSBURG, OH 43551) WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000. *BF
NHTSA complaint #11337174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE STEERING WHEEL RATTLES BADLY. THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING AND ALSO WHEN MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL SIDE TO SIDE WHILE STATIONARY. ALSO SHUDDERS WHEN BRAKING.
NHTSA complaint #11244493 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING - MY 2009 PONTIAC VIBE HAS SERIOUS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT STEERING ISSUES THAT MAKSE IT FEEL VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS THERE IS A RATTLE THAT COMES FROM THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT, IT RATTLES FEELS LOOSE, AND GIVES AN UNCONTROLLED FEELING. MY 2009 HAS ONLY 59,300 MILES ON IT. (APROX. 6,500 A YEAR) THIS CAR HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN HARD, ALL ROUTINE MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE ON THE CAR. THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS. THEY CLAIM ITS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. ARE THEY WAITING TILL PEOPLE DIE FROM THE ISSUE? IT MOST DEFINITELY FEELS UNSAFE, WHEN IT FEELS LOOSE IT DOES CAUSE STEERING AND SAFELY ISSUES AT ALL SPEEDS.
NHTSA complaint #11153971 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LOUD RATTLING ON FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS OR BRAKING. RATTLING SEEMS TO GET WORSER EACH DAY. SOUNDS SEEMS TO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH SUSPENSION OR STEERING COLUMN ACCORDING TO LOCAL MECHANICS. MECHANIC RECOMMENDED TO REPORT THIS ISSUE AS IT IS VERY COMMON UPON 2009 PONTIAC VIBES AND ITS COUSIN THE TOYOTA MATRIX. I FEEL UNSAFE, IT SOUNDS AS IF SOMETHING IS GETTING LOOSENED AS IT PROGRESS TO RATTLE LOUDER EACH DAY.
NHTSA complaint #11123976 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I HAVE A OPEN RECALL ON MY VIBE FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. IT HAS BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE I WAS FIRST NOTIFIED ABOUT THE RECALL AND I STILL DO NOT KNOW WHEN I WILL GET A REPLACEMENT. I HAVE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND GM ABOUT THIS AND THEY CAN'T TELL ANYTHING EITHER. I NEED SOMEONE TO HELP ME FIX THIS PROBLEM. I LIVE IN THE SOUTHEAST OF VIRGINIA. WE HAVE VERY HIGH HUMIDITY AND HEAT. THESE TWO FACTORS ARE THE PRIME ISSUES CAUSING THESE AIR BAG PROBLEMS. WHEN CAN I EXPECT TO RECEIVE INFORMATION ON A FIX FOR THIS. ALSO, I JUST RECEIVED A NOTICE THAT TK HOLDINGS HAS FILED FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY. IS THIS GOING TO CAUSE ME NOT TO GET A AIR BAG REPLACEMENT?
NHTSA complaint #11041071 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THERE IS A PERSISTENT RATTLE COMING FROM DIRECTLY BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL. ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE AT SPEEDS <35 MPH AND/OR DRIVING OVER BUMPY PAVEMENT. WHEN THE RATTLE IS OCCURRING, THE STEERING COLUMN FEELS LIKE IT OSCILLATING VERY QUICKLY.
NHTSA complaint #11010467 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
RATTLING DURING LOW SPEEDS, FEELS LOOSE AND UNCORTABLE, REPORTED TO DEALER AFTER FIRT YEAR OF OWNERSHIP, PURCHASED NEW, SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE AND FEELING UNSAFE. EACH TIME REPORTED WAS TOLD NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM JUST NOISY, COULD REPLACE COLUMN AT MY COST BUT NOISE WOULD PEOBABLY RETURN, NOW FEELING UNSAFE
NHTSA complaint #10983444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC VIBE. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. WHEN SHE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, IT OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,400. UPDATED 01/04/17*LJ UPDATED 01/17/17.
NHTSA complaint #10928652 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SOMETIMES WHEN ACCELERATING, IT'S SLOW TO MOVE, THEN A SUDDEN JERK HAPPENS IF I PUT PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL. THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING AT LOWER SPEEDS, I CAN BE ENTERING MY GARAGE OR ACCELERATING AFTER A STOP LIGHT OR SIGN. CAN BE SCARY WHEN IT JERKS DURING ACCELERATION. THE STEERING COLUMN IS BEGINNING TO RATTLE AND SHAKE AT ABOUT 45 MILES SOMETIME AT LOWER SPEEDS AS WELL,A VERY ROUGH RIDE ON SMOOTH PAVEMENT,FEELS LIKE IT'S FALLING APART. THE THIRD ISSUE HAS TO DO WITH THE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT STAYING ON IN BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGER SIDES WHILE DRIVING. WHEN I WENT TO DEALER FOR AN APPOINTMENT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN BUT GETTING A DIAGNOSTIC TOMORROW FOR THAT. BOUGHT THE CAR USED LAST YEAR WITH ABOUT 37,000 MILES,ALWAYS SERVICED AT THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT. I NOW HAVE A LITTLE OVER 53,000 MILES ON IT AT THIS TIME,JUST LOCAL DIVING.
NHTSA complaint #10894668 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ON MAY 11, 2016 WHILE DRIVING ON I -81, MY CAR WITH 86,000 MILES ON IT SUDDENLY STARTED TO WEAVE BACK & FORTH ACROSS THE INTERSTATE. I THOUGHT THE TIE ROD HAD BROKEN. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL OFF THE ROAD. THEN I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD IT TAKEN TO THE NEAREST REPAIR SHOP..NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON UNTIL THE GM MECHANIC PLUGGED IN HIS CODE READER. THEN LOTS OF LIGHTS LIT UP. HE SAID THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT WENT HAYWIRE AND CAUSED THE ABS SYSTEM TO FIGHT WITH THE STABILITRAK SYSTEM. ALL I KNOW IS THAT A EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FAILURE HAPPENED. IF WE HAD BEEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, OR ON SLICK RAINY OR SNOWY ROADS A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED THIS FAILURE REMINDS ME OF THE PROBLEM TOYOTA HAD YEARS AGO WITH THEIR VEHICLES SUDDENLY ACCELERATING OUT OF CONTROL.. MY PONTIAC VIBE IS MADE BY TOYOTA. PLEASE INVESTIGATE TOYOTA ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNITS. THE PART THE GM DEALER REPLACED IS PART # 19205576 :SL -N - MODULE. IT'S PRICE IS $1,171.98 WORK WAS DONE AT BACHMAN - BERNARD CHEVROLET BUICK GM CADILLAC INC. 3365 EAST ANDREW JOHNSON HWY GREENEVILLE, TN 37745. PHONE # 423-639-4441. THE MECHANIC'S NAME IS [XXX] . SERVICE ADVISOR IS ..-[XXX]. R/O # 6063277. I DO NOT HAVE A SCANNER TO UPLOAD THE REPAIR INVOICE. IF YOU NEED ANY OTHER INFORMATION PLEASE EMAIL ME AT [XXX] OR CALL [XXX], OR [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #10865061 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
MY 2009 PONTIAC VIBE BASE 1.4L HAS SERIOUS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT STEERING ISSUES THAT MAKE IT FEEL VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. AT AROUND 30 MPH AND THEN AGAIN AT 70 MPH THERE IS A RATTLE THAT COMES FROM THE STEERING MOTOR AND INTERMEDIATE SHAFT (2 SEPARATE ISSUES WHICH ARE EXPENSIVE TO FIX AND NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY). CURRENTLY OVER 100,000 AS AN ORIGINAL OWNER.
NHTSA complaint #10820480 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.