RoadVitals

2004 Pontiac Vibe Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Apr 7, 2014
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 266 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Pontiac Vibe submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceElectricalOther / unspecified+1 more
Filed Apr 7, 2014

ON APRIL 5, 2014, I ROLLED DOWN MY DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW AS I WAS DRIVING AT 15 MPH IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. WHEN I WENT TO ROLL UP THE WINDOW I HEARD A GRINDING SOUND AND THE WINDOW SLIP AND TILTED TO THE RIGHT SIDE. THE UNSECURED POWER WINDOW REMAINS OPENED. I FEAR THE WINDOW WILL SHATTER AGAIN LIKE IT DID IN SEPTEMBER 2007. I TAPED THE WINDOW TO THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR FRAME FOR FEAR OF IT FALLING ON ME WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS AN URGENT AND SERIOUS MATTER THAT NEEDS TO BE HANDLED AND REPAIR IMMEDIATELY FREE OF CHARGE TO THE OWNER. THERE WAS A RECALL IN 2008 REGARDING THE REPLACEMENTS OF WINDOW REGULATORS BOLTS FOR 2004-2005 , PONTIAC VIBES. THERE SHOULD BE A SECOND RECALL AGAIN ON THE POWER WINDOW REGULATORS BOLTS. PLEASE, INFORM ME ASAP WHERE I MAY TAKE MY VEHICLE FOR REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10577827
Incident
Apr 5, 2014
Mileage
178,000 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Oct 21, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WOULD SPORADICALLY BECOME UNRESPONSIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID
10548704
Incident
Oct 21, 2008
Body & structureBrakesDriver assistance
Filed Feb 6, 2013

PLASTIC FOOTREST, FRONT FLOOR, LEFT SIDE HAS CRACKED AND BROKE FREE FROM IT'S RETAINER CLIPS TWICE. THE FIRST ONE WAS REPLACED AT 15,348 MILES ON 01/29/2007. THE SECOND OCCURANCE AT APPROX. 66400 MILES ON 01/16/2013. THIS FOOTREST HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GET JAMMED BENEATH THE CLUTCH, BRAKE, AND/OR ACCELERATOR PEDALS ONCE THE PLASTIC RETAINER CLIPS FAIL AND THE PEDAL BECOMES LOOSE ON THE FLOOR. CAUSING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF THE PEDAL IS NOT IMMEDIATLEY REMOVED FROM THE FLOOR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10496640
Incident
Jan 16, 2013
Mileage
66,400 mi
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Sep 10, 2010
Crash reported1 injury reported

AFTER LIGHTLY STRIKING A METAL POST WHILE BACKING UP IN A PARKING LOT, I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND THE VIBE TOOK OFF. I HIT THE BRAKE BUT NO RESPONSE (LOOKED TO SEE IF FOOT ON BRAKE. IT WAS.) THE CAR SPED UP AND I COLLIDED WITH TWO CARS AND RAN INTO A MOTEL WALL. AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CAR TOTALED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10354934
Incident
Sep 3, 2010
Mileage
77,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Jun 5, 2010

MY VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL WILL FAIL TO HOLD A CONSTANT SPEED. ESPECIALLY ON HILLS AND IN COLDER WEATHER. I REPLACED THE SPEED CONTROL SERVO , HAVE HAD THE CAR IN THE SHOP 4 TIMES AND MECHANIC CAN'T FIX IT. THEY CALLED TO A GM SHOP AND MECHANICS TOLD HIM THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE. I SEE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ON YOUR SITE AS WELL. PERHAPS A RECALL IS IN ORDER AS THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR FATALITY MUCH LIKE THE PEDAL PROBLEMS TOYOTA HAS EXPERIENCED/ THE CAR WILL DECELERATE QUICKLY AT THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIMES. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE HERE BEYOND MY VEHICLE. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL OR SIMILAR ACTION PLAN TO DATE? *TR

NHTSA ID
10334744
Incident
Jan 10, 2004
Mileage
170,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 8, 2010
Crash reported

CONSUMER COMPLAINT IS REGARDING A 2004 PONTIAC VIBE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PROBLEM. FLOOR MATS HAVE BEEN REMOVED AS A RECALL PRECAUTION BUT PROBLEMS STILL PERSIST. *TS THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS ALMOST KILLED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION. HE SOME HOW MANAGED TO AVOID A COLLISION BY TURNING THE VEHICLE INTO A CURB AND AN OPEN AREA. THE CONSUMER STATED HE LIGHTLY TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY ACCELERATED. THE CONSUMER STATED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, HIS VEHICLE SUFFERED DAMAGED DUE TO HITTING OBJECTS, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND HE HAD TO TRY TO AVOID CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEMS FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS. THE CONSUMER STATED HE DISPOSED OF THE FLOOR MATS, BUT THE ACCELERATION HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 2007. THE CONSUMER STATED HE LEFT THE VEHICLE IDLING. HE HEARD A MILD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND WHEN HE LEFT AND RETURNED, IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH THE ACCELERATOR WAS BEING APPLIED.*JB

NHTSA ID
10316521
Incident
Feb 7, 2010
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 14, 2010

VEHICLE ACCELERATED(RESUMED) TO BEYOND THE PREVIOUS SPEED SETTING, UNTIL I DISABLED THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10319547
Incident
Aug 1, 2009
Mileage
23,240 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 19, 2010

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN THE VEHICLE WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP. HE WAS ADVISED THAT NO COMPLAINTS WERE FILED RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A CHEVROLET DEALER AND PAY FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH TOYOTA AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY DID NOT MANUFACTURE THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3760. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

NHTSA ID
10312226
Incident
Jan 5, 2010
Mileage
20,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 18, 2010

CRUISE CONTROL ACCELERATES WITHOUT ANY DRIVER INPUT. WAS CRUISING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL STARTED TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY DRIVER INPUT. THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED 2 TIMES IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. IT IS NOT EASILY REPEATED AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THIS CONDITION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10311646
Incident
Jun 24, 2009
Mileage
85,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 8, 2010

CAR SOMETIMES ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THIS HAPPENED TO MULTIPLE DRIVERS OF THE MY VEHICLE BOTH WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 35 MPH, AND WHEN STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. RPMS WENT UP TO ABOUT 6000 AND CAR TRIED TO TAKE OFF. WE WERE ABLE TO STOP IT BY BRAKING HARD, BUT THE CAR WAS STILL REVVING. EVEN SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL DIDN'T STOP THE HIGH REVS. ONLY TURNING THE CAR OFF COMPLETELY STOPPED REVVING. I AM REPORTING THIS NOW BECAUSE IT SOUNDS VERY SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEMS FOUND IN A VARIETY OF TOYOTA MODELS AND MY CAR - THE PONTIAC VIBE IS MADE BY TOYOTA. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT BUT VERY FRIGHTENING AND HAPPENED AT LEAST 4 TIMES WITHIN A TWO MONTH SPAN. THERE WAS NO WAY TO REPRODUCE IT SINCE IT WAS SO INTERMITTENT. EVEN THOUGH CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ON WHEN THE PROBLEM HAPPENED, AFTER RULING OUT STICKING ACCELERATOR PEDAL, PEDAL GETTING CAUGHT ON THE MAT, ETC., THE DEALER SUSPECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL COULD BE INVOLVED. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FOR ABOUT 8 MONTHS DURING WHICH TIME THERE WAS NOT RECURRENCE. THEN THE CRUISE CONTROL COMPUTER WAS REPLACED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL RECONNECTED AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED IN OVER 2 1/2 YEARS.

NHTSA ID
10307356
Incident
Jul 1, 2007
Mileage
40,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 19, 2009

PONTIAC VIBE, 2004. WAS DRIVING AT 65 MILES PER HOUR ON HWY WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON. A CAR PULLED OUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME AND I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. I MISSED THE CAR BUT INSTEAD OF MY CAR STOPPING, IT ACCELERATED, WHILE I WAS FORCEFULLY STEPPING ON THE BRAKES. IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND I WAS FISH TAILING TO THE POINT THAT I THOUGHT THE CAR WOULD ROLL. TO STOP THE CAR, I WENT INTO THE DITCH AND A FIELD AND IT FINALLY CAME TO A STOP. THE PEOPLE WHO WITNESSED IT ALSO SAW THE CAR SPEED UP WHILE AT THE SAME TIME THE TIRES WERE SKIDDING AS I WAS BRAKING SO HARD. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THEY STATE THEY HAD TRIED TO REPRODUCE IT BUT EVERYTHING WORKED FINE. I THOUGHT IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SO I CONTINUED TO USE THE CAR BUT HAVE NEVER USED THE CRUISE SINCE AND DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY DIFFICULTY UNTIL RECENTLY. ON WED, 11/15/09, I WAS IN A PARKING LOT AND STEPPED ON THE BRAKES TO LET A CAR PASS IN FRONT OF ME. IMMEDIATELY WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES, THE CAR ACCELERATED. TO TRY AND STOP IT I INITIALLY TRIED TO PUSH AS HARD AS I COULD ON THE BRAKE BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I THEN STARTED TO SHIFT IT INTO NEUTRAL AND LET UP ON THE BRAKES. THE CAR STOPPED AS SOON AS I LET UP ON THE BRAKES BUT ONLY AFTER I HAD TRAVELED ~20 FEET UP AN EMBANKMENT. I AGAIN BROUGHT IT IN TO THE DEALER WHO COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND COULD NOT GUARANTEE IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. I WILL NOT DRIVE IT AS I AM NOW SCARED OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. MY HUSBAND AND I ARE CONSIDERING OUR OPTIONS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10292870
Incident
Jul 15, 2006
Mileage
35,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 20, 2004

WHILE DRIVING ON SUNNY DAYS, CONSUMER CANNOT SEE THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE. HOWEVER, IT IS ENCASED IN BLACK, AND THE NEEDLE ITSELF IS VERY DARK RED, WHICH MAKES IT VERY HARD TO SEE HOW FAST CONSUMER IS GOING. *AK *TT

NHTSA ID
10094297
Incident
Aug 1, 2004

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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