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Engine & cooling

Pontiac Vibe Engine problems by year

169 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Pontiac Vibe's engine & cooling. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.

Engine complaints by model year

YearEngine complaintsCrashesInjuriesRecalls
20105000
200937100
20084111
200723001
200630111
200543001
200412220
200315000

Engine recalls

Latest Vibe engine complaints

2007 Pontiac VibeEngine & cooling

There were two incidents. 1. I was pulling into a parking spot at a Walmart driving very slowly, to almost reach the parking sign when the vehicle revved and lurched forward. I had to put my full pressure on the brake pedal, and eventually shifted to neutral and the revving subsided. I turned the car off and looked at the floor mat, which was in its usual position, and did not seem to be interfering with the pedal. Since this had not happened before, I rationalize that perhaps my foot had been on both the brake...

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and accelerator. But I did not notice that my foot had slipped at all, and it was definitely on the brake when the revving occurred. 2. Today, my wife called me to tell me she had experienced the same revving while she was parking.

Filed Incident Unknown or other · EngineNHTSA 11686157
2009 Pontiac VibeEngine & cooling

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The Toyota 2.4L 2AZ-FE engine in my 2009 Pontiac Vibe GT suffers from excessive oil consumption due to a known piston ring defect. The rapid oil loss between changes puts the engine at risk of failure. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This issue poses a serious safety risk because: 1.Oil levels drop unpredictably, increasing the risk of...

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sudden engine failure while driving, which could lead to accidents. 2.No dashboard warning appears when oil is low, making it difficult to detect before damage occurs. 3.Toyota acknowledged this defect under Warranty Enhancement ZE7, but Pontiac Vibe owners were excluded, despite having the same Toyota-manufactured engine. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Independent mechanics have confirmed the excessive oil consumption, consistent with the known Toyota 2AZ-FE defect. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? •Toyota acknowledged the issue in their vehicles but refused assistance for the Pontiac Vibe GT. •GM has not inspected the vehicle, even though they marketed and sold it. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? •No warning lights indicate low oil levels. •Symptoms include rapid oil loss, increased engine noise, and potential knocking if oil is not constantly monitored. Summary for NHTSA The Pontiac Vibe GT uses the Toyota 2AZ-FE engine, which Toyota admitted has a piston ring defect. Toyota extended warranties for their vehicles but excluded Pontiac Vibe owners, leaving us with a known defective engine. This creates a safety risk that should be investigated.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11640704
2009 Pontiac VibeEngine & cooling

TSB 0158-14 IS a Toyota engine that was also used in General Motors Pontiac vibe in 2009 and 2010 The tsb has to do with oil consumption and a tsb was made for Toyota. Not for Pontiac as a result my Pontiac is now consuming oil every 1000kms As they both used the 2Az-FE 2.4 engine

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11557432
2009 Pontiac VibeAcceleration & cruise controlEngine & cooling

Accelerates on its own from idle or low speeds. Was recalled on 2/8/2010 #2010018..and repaired on 6/21/ 2010. Approx. 2 years ago it started to "take off again". Grand Buick... Grandville MI advised there was no current recall. I'm waiting for GM to advise of a no charge to owner recall.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · EngineNHTSA 11518683
2007 Pontiac VibeEngine & cooling

The contact owns a 2007 Pontiac Vibe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V387000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 11511209
2006 Pontiac VibeElectrical systemEngine & cooling

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 pontiac vibe. The contact stated that she had experienced several electrical failures with the computer system intermittently stopping operation without warning. The contact also stated that the check engine and tire pressure warning lights would illuminate on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic on several occasions however, despite each repairs, the warning lights would return. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Incident Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 11390277
2006 Pontiac VibeEngine & coolingFuel system

My vehicle was parked, I cranked my engine up, and it ran for a few minutes and then shut off. I am unable to crank my vehicle up at all now. Light pink fluid is leaking out of the throttle body.

Filed Incident Unknown or other · Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11374316
2009 Pontiac VibeEngine & cooling

I bought a 2009 pontiac vibe with a 2.4L engine a little over a year ago with around 80k miles. I noticed right away that it was using about a quart of oil around every 1k miles. It now has a little over 90k miles and uses about 1.25 Quarts of oil per 1k miles. I found that toyota admitted to a problem with the 2az-fe engines that are in their matrix and camrys, as well as the pontiac vibe, and have offered the ze7 warranty enhancement program to replace the pistons and rings in these products to correct the...

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excessive oil consumption issue. I contacted gm service to see if they were going to offer the same program for these engines since they purchased these defective engines from toyota. They responded by saying that there were no open service programs open for this car. I asked them why gm wouldn't admit to the problem as toyota did, and offer a program similar to the toyota program to resolve the issues with this engine. They responded again by saying that there were no open service issues for this vehicle. I think it's very irresponsible of gm to not acknowledge a problem with these engines and offer the same support for them as did toyota who supplied the engines to gm. I grew up as part of a gm family, but won't plan to buy any future gm products due to their lack of support for their customers with an obvious product quality issue as is found here. If toyota acknowledges a problem with these engines and provides support to their customers, why doesn't gm offer similar support since toyota supplied the identical engines to them? Doesn't make for good customer public relations and doesn't provide any incentive to buy future gm vehicles.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11320294
2009 Pontiac VibeEngine & cooling

Due to a manufacturing defect with the engine, the vehicle burns over a quart of oil every 1000 miles. This means it requires a waiver to pass inspection. The 2009 toyota matrix, which shares the same engine, had a recall issued. The vehicle was in motion on a highway. The check engine light and abs warning illuminated, distracting the driver. There was no collision, but a near miss.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11311869
2005 Pontiac VibeEngine & cooling

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 pontiac vibe. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The spouse of the contact restarted the vehicle and drove the vehicle to a safe place where the failure recurred. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not made aware of the failure. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 10v387000 (engine and engine cooling) as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure but provided no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 230,000.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 11311202
2009 Pontiac VibeEngine & cooling

This car has the 2.4L toyota 2az-fe engine, which has a known defect in the piston rings, leading to excessive oil consumption. Those of us with pontiac vibes apparently have no recourse through either toyota or gm.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11302821
2009 Pontiac VibeEngine & cooling

2.4L engine w/ 150000 miles burning excessive amount of oil; appx. 1 Qt per 1000 miles

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11233796
2009 Pontiac VibeAcceleration & cruise controlEngine & cooling

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 pontiac vibe. While driving between 45-50 mph, the contact lost contact of the vehicle because the accelerator pedal traveled to the floorboard. The contact quickly shifted into third gear, but it did not slow the vehicle down. The contact then shifted into neutral and the motor revved up to 7,000 rpms. The contact shifted back into drive, but the vehicle was still accelerating. The contact powered off the engine and coasted the vehicle into a driveway. The vehicle was restarted and the...

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engine revved back up to 7,000 rpms. The contact powered off the vehicle a second time. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · EngineNHTSA 11217508
2009 Pontiac VibeTransmission & drivetrainEngine & cooling

Car shuts off completely while driving. Happens completely at random. After placing in park, removing key, re-inserting key, restarting, all is fine for a while. Probably faulty ecm.

Filed Incident Power train · EngineNHTSA 11185069

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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