2008 Pontiac Vibe problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Air Bags (46) · Vehicle Speed Control (3) · Steering (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Pontiac Vibe model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
19 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (4)
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2019-08-28 · campaign 19V627000 · 229,460 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Corolla, 2005-2008 Corolla Matrix, and Pontiac Vibe vehicles equipped with a front passenger air bag assembly replaced under a prior recall. The air bag may not unfold as designed during inflation under high temperature conditions, possibly resulting in the air bag not inflating properly.
Risk: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly or sub-assembly, free of charge. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are K1Q and K0Q. Pontiac owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is N192273760.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2016-03-03 · campaign 16V127000 · 147,242 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Lexus SC vehicles manufactured August 3, 2007, to July 30, 2010, 2008 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured May 25, 2007, to December 21, 2007, 2008 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to December 18, 2007, and 2008 Pontiac Vibe vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to January 2, 2008. This is to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator which may produce e
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: The recall began on March 25, 2016 for Toyota and Lexus vehicle owners. The recall began on June 23, 2016 for GM owners. The respective dealers will either replace the front passenger air bag inflator or the entire front passenger air bag assembly depending on the model. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. This recall expands recall 15V-285.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2016-03-02 · campaign 16V128000 · 71,163 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Lexus SC vehicles manufactured August 3, 2007, to July 30, 2010, 2008 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to December 21, 2007, 2008 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to December 18, 2007, and 2008 Pontiac Vibe vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to January 2, 2008 that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: The recall began on March 25, 2016 for Toyota and Lexus vehicle owners. The recall began on June 8, 2016 for GM owners. The respective dealers will either replace the front passenger air bag inflator or the entire front passenger air bag assembly depending on the model. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. This recall expands recall 15V-286.
Engine And Engine Cooling 2010-08-26 · campaign 10V387000 · 161,754 vehicles
Defect: GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2008 PONTIAC VIBE VEHICLES. THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) FOR THE SUBJECT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE 1ZZ-FE (LV6) ENGINE AND TWO-WHEEL DRIVE MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A CRACK MAY DEVELOP AT CERTAIN SOLDER POINTS OR ON VARISTORS ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD.
Risk: THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WARNINGS AND CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEFECT. THE ENGINE WARNING LAMP COULD BE ILLUMINATED, HARSH SHIFTING COULD RESULT, THE ENGINE MAY NOT START, OR THE ENGINE COULD SHUT OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. AN ENGINE SHUTOFF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE PRODUCTION NUMBER OF THE ECM AND REPLACE THE ECM IF NECESSARY. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 8, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GM AT 1-800-620-7668.
Service bulletins (802)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2025-09-09 · 13598 · Other
new vehicle monitoring programs section in ivh
Unknown Or Other 2025-08-07 · PIC5650M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. technician may find diagnostic trouble codes b3055, b3060, b3935, c0750, c0755, c0760, c0765, and/o
Unknown Or Other 2025-07-18 · PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from tac.
Unknown Or Other 2025-05-30 · PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communication provides information to the technician about the use of j-35616-64b and mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
Unknown Or Other 2025-05-30 · PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communication provides information to the technician about the use of j-35616-64b and mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
Unknown Or Other 2025-05-30 · PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communication provides information to the technician about the use of j-35616-64b and mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
Showing the 6 most recent of 802 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2020-09-08 · Air Bags“tl* the contact owns a 2008 pontiac vibe. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v627000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. the contact stated that her air bag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. the contact took the vehicle to wuerflein chevrolet buick gmc (2527 bridge av…”
2020-07-21 · Air Bags“tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2008 pontiac vibe. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v627000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. honolulu buick gmc located at 2945 n nimitz hwy, honolulu, hi 96819, was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. the co…”
2020-07-06 · Air Bags“i received a safety recall letter from pontiac in milwaukee, wisconsin dated october 2019 stating that the front passenger air bag assembly containing an inflator is defective. the air bag may not unfold as designed during inflation during high temperature conditions .what could happen is that a portion of the air bag material could be torn during …”
2020-06-08 · Air Bags“tl* the contact owns a 2008 pontiac vibe. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v627000 (airbag) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. the contact called the dealer kingman chevrolet buick (address: 3730 stockton hill rd, kingman, az 86409; phone: (928) 757-4041) where it was confirmed that the part wa…”
2020-06-03 · Air Bags“tl* the contact owns a 2008 pontiac vibe. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number :19v627000 (air bags) however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact had not e…”
2020-05-23 · Air Bags“i contacted gm about the recall and they told me that they don't have the part yet and when the get the part in they would contact me to replace it but that was in 2019 and never herd from them this very day. *tr…”
2020-05-21 · Air Bags · 40,000 mi“received letter from pontiac dated oct 2019 that front passenger airbag is defective and might not inflate and could injure person in a car crash. repair parts were not ready in oct 2019. it is now seven months later. are the parts still not ready? when will they be ready? nothing has happened yet, but this is worrisome. i received …”
2020-05-07 · Air Bags“tl* the contact owns a 2008 pontiac vibe. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v627000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. sullivan buick gmc, inc (777 w dundee rd, arlington heigh…”
2020-04-22 · Air Bags“tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2008 pontiac vibe. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v627000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. an unknown dealer was contacted and confirmed …”
2020-03-03 · Air Bags“tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2008 pontiac vibe. the contact stated received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v627000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. a dealer was not made aware of the issu…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.