2004 Pontiac Vibe Electrical Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN OR LOCK UNLESS THE MASTER SWITCH WAS PRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS BROKEN INTO DUE TO THE DOOR NOT AUTOMATICALLY LOCKING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. UPDATED 05/20/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED ALL THE DOORS OPENED AND CLOSED AUTOMATICALLY, EXCEPT THE REAR DOOR BEHIND THE DRIVERS SEAT. UPDATED 06/01/16.*JB

NHTSA ID

10852738

Incident

Jan 1, 2016

Mileage

40,000 mi

A RECALL WAS DONE ON THE DOOR MODULE CONTROLS BUT AFTER THE REPAIR, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT LIT UP. THE HEADLIGHTS BLOW ONE AT A TIME WITH IN 2 MONTHS. ONE TALE LIGHT AND THE THIRD TALE LIGHT BAR ON THE WINDOW ALSO FAILED. I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS INSTALLATION ISSUES OR THE MODULE CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL OVERLOAD. NO ONE IS WILLING TO ADMIT ERROR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10681041

Incident

Jan 1, 2014

Mileage

1,980,000 mi

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

TWO ISSUES THAT I HAVE ARE, THE AIR CIRCULATION VENT MAKES A CLICKING. WHEN I OPENED IT UP, I SAW THAT IT WAS BECAUSE THE VENT WOULD NOT CLOSE PROPERLY, I HAD TO STICK A PENCIL IN IT TO MAKE IT STOIP CLICKING, BECAUSE I WILL NOT SPEND 100 DOLLARS TO HAVE IT REPLACED. ALSO, WE LIVE IN MONTANA, AND OUR NEW BATTERY WILL NOT START UNDER 20 DEGREES. WE HAVE EXTREEM WEATHER HERE, SO IT LEAVES US WITH ONLY ONE CAR, AND OFTEM WE ARE NOT ABLE TO GET TO WORK ON TIME. MANY OTHER PEOPLE IN COLD WEATHER ENVIROMENTS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS. IT SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING WITH THE STARTER. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED, BECAUSE IT COULD LEAVE US IN VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. CELL SERVICE IS NOT OFTEN AVAILABLE IN THIS AREA, AND IT FRIGHTENS ME TO THINK WE COULD BE STUCK AT SOME POINT.

NHTSA ID

10382390

Incident

Jan 20, 2011

Mileage

89,000 mi

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

I DROVE ABOUT 1 MILE IN CITY DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PARK (DIAGONAL, FRONT END APPROACH) I WAS USING THE ACCELERATOR SLIGHTLY. AS I APPROACHED THE FRONT OF THE PARKING SPACE, I MOVED MY FOOT TO THE BREAK. DURING THIS MOMENT, THE ENGINE RPM INCREASED AND THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD. MY FOOT WAS MOVING TOWARD THE BREAK AND UPON BREAKING, THE FORWARD MOTION WAS STOPPED. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS ABOUT THE SECOND WEEK IN JAN. 2010. THIS REPEATED ON MARCH 7, 2010. I REPORTED THE FIRST INCIDENT TO GM (CASE # 71-799309984) AND TOOK IT IN TO MY LOCAL DEALER. I JUST LEFT A MESSAGE AFTER THE SECOND OCCURRENCE. I HAD A WITNESS TO THE SECOND OCCURRENCE. THE ENGINE DOES INCREASE IN RPM AFTER REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE GAS. THIS HAS OCCURRED TWICE IN A 9 WEEK PERIOD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10317674

Incident

Mar 7, 2010

Mileage

63,200 mi

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR CONSOLE IS FAILING. THE ILLUMINATION FOR THE GEAR SHIFT, TEMPERATURE CONTROL, TEMPERATURE SETTING, AND FAN SPEED HAVE BEEN FAULTY SINCE DAY ONE. NOW THEY DO NOT ILLUMINATE AT ALL AND OVERHEAD LIGHT MUST BE TURNED ON TO SEE WHAT GEAR THE VEHICLE IS IN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10292461

Incident

Oct 1, 2007

Mileage

21,397 mi

IF THE AIR RECIRCULATION BUTTON IS DISABLED AND THE POWER TO THE CAR IS ON, A CLICKING NOSE BEGINS. THE CLICKS OCCUR MORE FREQUENTLY THAN EVERY SECOND, CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL THE CAR IS POWERED OFF. THE CLICKING WILL CONTINUE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE ENGINE IS RUNNING. THE SOURCE OF THE CLICKING IS THE ACTUATOR THAT OPENS OR CLOSES THE AIR RECIRCULATION VENT BEHIND THE GLOVE BOX. *TR

NHTSA ID

10246274

Incident

Oct 7, 2008

Mileage

45,000 mi

AN '04 PONTIAC VIBE WELL MAINTAINED STALLED ON THE INTERSTATE LOSING COMPLETE POWER MOMENTARILY WITH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING, AND AFTER A FEW SECONDS (APPROXIMATELY 20-30 SECONDS) WOULD START BACK ON WHILE CAR IS STILL RUNNING. THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BECAUSE OF A FUSIBLE WIRE LINK SHORTED, MELTING THE FUSE BLOCK AND DAMAGING THE BATTERY WHICH ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10228299

Incident

May 8, 2008

Mileage

67,405 mi

ON THE MORNING OF FEB. 5, 2007, IT TOOK ABOUT 3 ATTEMPTS TO START THE CAR. I ATTRIBUTED IT TO THE COLD WEATHER SINCE IT WAS AN EXTREMELY COLD MORNING (30 F). I DROVE TO WORK. WHEN IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE WORK THE CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, I CALLED AAA. A TECHNICIAN CHECKED THE BATTERY AND FOUND IT TO BE IN PERFECT CONDITION, WHICH WAS EXPECTED SINCE IT WAS A NEW BATTERY. THE CAR COULD NOT BE JUMPED. I HAD TO WAIT FOR A FLAT BED TRUCK TO COME PICK ME UP. AFTER RESEARCHING THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S WEBSITE, I FOUND THAT GM HAD KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE STARTER ASSEMBLY RELATING TO THIS VEHICLE BACK IN JANUARY 2004. THE NOTED STATEMENT WAS "HARD TO START, SLOW CRANKING CONDITION IN AMBIENT TEMPERATURE BELOW 20 DEGREES"F. THIS IS A DEFECT THAT WAS NEVER CORRECTED AND CAUSED ME TO BE STRANDED IN AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT UNTIL 8:30 PM. THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, BUT THIS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DEFECT EXISTED SINCE THE CAR ROLLED OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE. THE FUNCTIONING OF THE STARTER ASSEMBLY SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN INTERMITTENT AT BEST. TOTAL FAILURE OF THIS STARTER ASSEMBLY OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE DEFECT NOT BEING CORRECTED. I BELIEVE THAT THE MANUFACTURER, GM, SHOULD REPLACE THE STARTER ASSEMBLY WITH A WORKING MODEL. *JB

NHTSA ID

10181877

Incident

Feb 5, 2007

Mileage

53,300 mi

THE BATTERY FAILED AFTER ONLY 13,000 MILES ON MY PONTIAC 2004 VIBE. THE THREE YEAR WARRANTY ENDED TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE FAILURE OF THE BATTERY. A MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE BATTERY HAD INSUFFICIENT POWER (310 CCA) FOR EVEN THE SMALL 1.8 LITER ENGINE IN THE VIBE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10167047

Incident

Aug 28, 2006

Mileage

13,014 mi

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD MANY DIFFERENT PROBLEMS AND SAFETY DEFECTS. THE FIRST PROBLEM STARTED JUST SEVEN DAYS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. WHILE PRESSING ON THE BRAKES THEY SOUNDED LIKE THEY WERE FALLING APART. THE NEXT PROBLEM CONCERNED THE ENGINE. AT TIMES THERE WAS NOISE AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK VERY BADLY. ALSO, THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. THE THIRD PROBLEM INVOLVED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED THE RADIO MADE A CRACKING SOUND, AND THE POWER DOOR LOCKS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS FLASHED/TURNED OFF AND ON. DUE TO THE LACK OF ILLUMINATION, AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS VERY HARD TO SEE. WHEN THE POWER WINDOWS WERE ROLLED UP ONE CAN HEAR A BUZZING SOUND .WHILE PARKED IN A PARKING LOT THE KEYLESS ENTRY OPENED ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS 30 FEET. AWAY. ALSO, THE SMELLS OF RAW GAS FUMES WERE COMING FROM INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND THE FIREWALL SHIELD SCREWS WERE LOOSE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND WAS CURRENTLY IN ARBITRATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

10144499

Incident

Jan 17, 2004

Mileage

130 mi

THE OEM BATTERY IN MY 2004 PONTIAC VIBE IS OF INSUFFICIENT CAPACITY FOR WINTER STARTUPS. PONTIAC INSTALLED A 310 CCA BATTERY, WHICH IS HAVING DIFFICULTY CRANKING THE ENGINE WHEN ATTEMTPTING TO START IT AT LOW TEMPERATURES (BELOW 15 DEGREES F). I HAD DIFFICULTY STARTING MY CAR AT -5DEGREES F THIS WEEK (IT TOOK 4 ATTEMPTS; I HAD ALL ACCESSORIES TURNED OFF, I.E. RADIO, FAN, LIGHTS. MY CAR IS LESS THAN 2 MONTHS OLD). THERE ARE MULTIPLE REPORTS OF SUCH NEAR FAILURES OF THE 310 CCA BATTERY ON THE 2003/2004 PONTIAC VIBE MODELS, ALONG WITH REPORTS OF COMPLETE BATTERY FAILURE IN COLD WEATHER ON WWW.GENVIBE.COM. IT IS RECOMMENDED TO GET A BATTERY ABOVE 500 CCA FOR COLD CLIMATES FOR A 4 CYLINDER ENGINE LIKE THE VIBE'S 1.8L. THE UNDERPOWERED BATTERY INSTALLED BY PONTIAC ON MY CAR COULD RESULT IN GETTING STRANDED IN COLD WINTER CONDITIONS AND COULD POSE A LIFE THREATENING HAZARD.

NHTSA ID

10056182

Incident

Jan 29, 2004

Mileage

1,100 mi