Most common 2003 Pontiac Vibe problems
Share of the 298 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Pontiac Vibe complaints by model year
Best Vibe years: 2008, 2006, 2010. Years to avoid: 2009, 2003. Compare all years →
2003 Pontiac Vibe recalls (8)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe vehicles equipped with a front passenger air bag assembly replaced under a prior recall. The replacement air bag may not unfold as designed during inflation in high temperature conditions, possibly resulting in the air bag not inflating properly.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the passenger air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 19, 2020. Owners may contact Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2002-2005 Lexus SC and Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2005 Toyota Corolla and Tundra, and 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe vehicles.
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator,…
Air bags
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015 that they are recalling certain model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles manufactured August 18, 2003, to August 19, 2004, and 2003-2004 Tundra vehicles manufactured March 18, 2003, to August 25, 2004.
Remedy: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-285 are under a Do Not Drive advisory.
Air bags
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015, that they are recalling 2005-2007 Lexus SC, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia, and Pontiac Vibe, and 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra vehicles that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Florida, along the Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico, Hawaii,…
Remedy: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-286 are under a Do Not Drive advisory.
Air bags › Frontal
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured December 28, 2001, to May 2, 2004, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2002, to April 29, 2004, 2003-2004 Avalon vehicles manufactured June 5, 2002, to December 20, 2004,…
Remedy: Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. The recall began on August 24, 2015.
Air bags
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles and 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe vehicles. The supplemental restraint system (SRS) circuits are susceptible to internal shorting. The electrical short may create an abnormal current flow and increased heat which can damage the circuits.
Remedy: Toyota will re-notify their owners who have already had their vehicles repaired with a noise filter, but did not receive a new airbag control module, and General Motors will re-notify theirs.
Show 2 more recalls
Visibility › Glass, side/rear
Toyota is recalling 662,178 my 2003-2004 corolla, corolla matrix and Pontiac vibe vehicles equipped with power windows. The driver and front passenger door glass bolts May loosen and come off, causing the door glass to separate from the window regulator.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger door glass bolts with newly designed bolts free of charge. The recall began on April 16, 2008 to Toyota owners. The recall began on May 21, 2008, for Pontiac owners.
Power train › Axle assembly
On certain two-wheel drive (2wd) passenger vehicles, it is possible for the bolts that join the rear brake and hub assembly to the rear axle carrier to be loose due to insufficient tightening during the assembly process.
Remedy: Dealers will properly tighten the bolts. Owner notification began March 12, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 5 possible defects involving the 2003 Pontiac Vibe:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Side front window shatters
The subject vehicle is manufactured by new united motor manufacturing, inc. (nummi) in fremont, california.nummi is a joint venture between general motors and Toyota.Toyota is responsible for responding to this NHTSA investigation.Toyota reports that its evaluation is incomplete at this time, however; Toyota has identified two issues that can contribute to side window glass breaking.in its January 11, 2008 letter to…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Side front power window shatters
For the subject vehicles, there is a possibility that the retention force of the regulator bolts which attach the front side window glass to the power window regulator May not be sufficient due to an interference of the retention nut and the bolt shoulder radius.in this condition the bolt May become loose, causing a loud noise to be generated when the window is raised or lowered.if the vehicle and the power window…
What 2003 Pontiac Vibe owners say
Windows, wipers & sunroof all 75 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Pontiac Vibe. While attempting to lower the front driver's side power window, it sounded like grinding glass. The same noise occurring when raising the window back up. The contact had the window switch disconnected by an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 9-5058739349. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 208,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Pontiac Vibe. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the front driver side window suddenly dislodged and collapsed inward. While inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered that the plastic clips used to secure the window failed, which caused the window to become unsecured. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.
Air bags all 66 →
The 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe was manufactured by Toyota and is for all intent and purposes is a 2003 Toyota Matrix. The 2003-04 Pontiac Vibe should be included in the "Do not drive" advisory issued by Toyota 20 Jan 30th 2024. Only the body is different than the Toyota Matrix and everything internal is the same. Please do not let this model fall through the cracks. January 30, 2024, Toyota issued a "do not drive" advisory for certain 2003-2005 car models due to concerns about their Takata airbags: 2003-2004 Corolla 2003-2004 Corolla Matrix 2004-2005 RAV4 The company says the Corolla and Matrix models are under a separate recall because their airbags can be deployed without a crash. The Takata air bag inflators are at risk of exploding and hurling shrapnel. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 Pontiac Vibe. While driving approximately 15 MPH, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle and the air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop and deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.
Transmission & drivetrain all 49 →
Dt: the consumer owns a 2003 Pontiac Vibe that experienced sudden acceleration when placed in reverse. The consumer placed the vehicle in reverse and it accelerated backwards into a tree. The consumer did not have her foot on the brake or the accelerator pedal at that time. This has happened again when placed in reverse without her foot on the brake and the vehicle accelerated backwards. A collision was prevented by turning off the engine. The vehicle was taken to a local dealership. The dealer said that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. No repairs or corrections were made . The consumer spoke with GM, who offered no explanation. GM has not returned the consumer's call at this time. The consumer felt that she could not drive the vehicle with confidence. No injuries reported. (12/01/05) the consumer expects reimbursement for the car rental.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Pontiac Vibe. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH, there was an abnormal noise coming from the front of the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 30 MPH without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,334.
2003 Pontiac Vibe engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 25 / 33 / 28 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 25 / 31 / 27 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 22 / 29 / 25 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 22 / 28 / 24 |
EPA ratings. Class: Wagon.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Pontiac Vibe a good car?
Based on 298 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Vibe rates use caution: 1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Vibe at the same age. It is one of the Vibe years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Pontiac Vibe?
The windows, wipers & sunroof — 75 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year, most often about glass, side/rear. Next are the air bags (66) and transmission & drivetrain (49).
How many recalls does the 2003 Pontiac Vibe have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2003 Pontiac Vibe, the most recent from January 23, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Pontiac Vibe?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2008, 2006 and 2010. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2009 and 2003. See the full Pontiac Vibe years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Pontiac Vibe problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 62,000 miles; 37% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.